Leading with Authenticity: Embracing Your Unique Leadership Style

 In this episode Dr. Asha shares her personal journey of trying to fit into a mold as an introverted and soft-spoken female physician in a leadership role. Realizing that conforming to societal expectations wasn't working, she embarked on a path of embracing her true self and discovered the power of leading authentically.

Dr. Asha highlights three key takeaways from her experience. Firstly, she emphasizes the importance of embracing one's uniqueness as a female physician, recognizing that our diverse backgrounds and individual strengths shape our leadership styles. Secondly, cultivating self-awareness allows us to align our values and preferences with our authentic selves, leading to more effective and emotionally intelligent leadership. Lastly, fostering meaningful connections by actively listening and valuing diverse perspectives builds trust and collaboration, forming the foundations of authentic leadership.

Dr. Asha encourages female physicians to unleash their full leadership potential by embracing their uniqueness, celebrating their strengths, and leading authentically. By doing so, they can make a lasting impact in healthcare.

Connect with Dr. Asha Padmanabhan:

🌐 Website: www.theleadershiprx.com
📝 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asha.padmanabhan.9
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.md/
💼 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ashapadmanabhan

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/newsletter

✨ If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, rate ⭐️, and leave a review ✍🏼. Your support helps us bring these conversations to more women physicians.

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/newsletter


To explore how Coaching can help you, DM me on LinkedIn or Facebook

Transcript

0:05

For a long time, I tried to fit myself into a mold. You see, I'm an introvert and I was shy and soft-spoken. When I took on my first leadership role, I faced a lot of challenges. I was so woefully unprepared and I floundered. In my small community hospital, there were not many female physicians in leadership roles. And the ones I saw were outspoken outgoing, and what I perceive to be strong. All the things that I aspire to be, because that was my role model for female physician leadership. All the things that I was not. And so for several years, I try to fit myself in that mold by trying to be bold, outspoken and loud. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Not very comfortable. Welcome to another empowering episode of the leadership RX for women physicians. I'm Dr. Asha, Padmanabhan your host and a passionate advocate for female physicians. I'm an anesthesiologist and full-time clinical work. And I hold several administrative roles and leadership positions in state and national organizations. I'm a master certified physician development coach and a positive intelligence coach. I empower women physicians to embrace their innate leadership potential and help them unleash their true capabilities. Through my coaching. I have equipped them with the essential skills necessary to achieve professional and personal fulfillment. From mastering effective communication. To expertly navigating conflicts and excelling in negotiation. I guide them on day. Way to becoming confident leaders in their field and together we transform their doubts into unwavering. Self-belief. Allowing them to step into their true leadership selves and create meaningful impact in their careers and beyond. So back to the square peg in a round hole. Trying to fit myself into the idea of what I thought female physician leaders should look like. I realized that that wasn't working. I felt uncomfortable. I was miserable and I didn't feel, feel very effective as a leader. And so I started to look for ways that I could succeed while still being true to my own self. And what I learned is that for me to succeed and have a sustaining long-term career. I needed to figure out a way to embrace my strengths and use them to be a better and more effective physician and a leader. So today I'm going to dive deep into the topic of leading with the Tenicity and embracing your own unique leadership style. As female physicians, we have incredible potential to make a lasting impact in healthcare. So let's explore how we can honest, authentic selves to become effective. And influential leaders. What does it mean to lead with the 10th city? It means embracing and expressing your true self. Rather than conforming to societal or professional expectations. Authentic leadership is about aligning your values, your beliefs, and your actions. Allowing you to lead from a place of genuine purpose and connection. As female physicians, we bring a wealth of unique perspectives, experiences, and strengths to the table. So this is essential to embrace and celebrate our individuality. Recognizing that your diverse background and personal journey has shaped your leadership style. It's important to embrace your strengths, whether it's your empathy, your adaptability, or your collaborative nature. But owning and leveraging these qualities. You can inspire others and create a positive impact. My own experiences as a female physician, an immigrant and a soft-spoken introvert have helped me relate better. Not only to my patients, but also to fellow physicians who may not fit that mold of outspoken may leadership. It has helped me be more collaborative, but my peers and coworkers. So lesson number one, embrace your uniqueness. Next to lead with authenticity, we have to cultivate, self-awareness take the time to reflect on your values, strengths, and the areas for growth. Understand your leadership preferences and how they aligned with your authentic self. And this introspection will allow you to lead with clarity and integrity. When you're self-aware you can make intentional choices that align with your values and positively influence those around you. For me once I started becoming aware of my behavior patterns, my own communication preferences. How I handled conflict, I could then learn how to manage those patterns to be more effective and better at all those skills, that communication conflict, regular resolution and negotiation. And I became more emotionally intelligent. So point number two, cultivate self-awareness. Lastly, authentic leadership is rooted in building genuine connections with others. So create an environment where individuals feel seen, heard, and valued. Actively listen to your team members and colleagues. And foster an inclusive culture that encourages diverse perspectives. By fostering, meaningful connections, you can build trust and inspire collaboration, which are the foundations of effective leadership. Over the years I have used my strengths of being a great listener and a great connector to build relationships and build communities which have helped not only me, but many other female physicians in my orbit. So point number three, foster meaningful connections. So in summary. Leading with authenticity requires embracing yourself your unique style. Then cultivating self-awareness. So, you know, your values, your strengths, and lastly, fostering, meaningful connections. So thank you for joining me on this journey of discovering authentic leadership. And remember as female physicians, we have the power to lead with purpose and make a lasting impact in healthcare. If you found value in today's episode, please share it with fellow female physicians who are passionate about leadership. And don't forget to subscribe to this podcast. Like this episode and share it with whoever you think it can benefit. Because together we can create a world where authentic female physician leaders can thrive. And if you'd like to know more about working with me, Schedule a 15 minute call with me. And you can learn more. And this will be totally. Without any push to, to sign up or coach with me. It's totally informational. I will put the link in the show notes. Thank you again, and see you in the next episode.