Each year we reflect upon the Top 25 Women in Healthcare award recipients and their accomplishments. What sets this year's honorees apart are their diverse experiences and world views. And, one significant trait all of these leaders share is humility. These women understand that no one person defines an outcome for an entire organization. Female CEOs were interviewed for a recent Harvard Business Review study and, not surprisingly, they scored significantly higher than the study's benchmark for humility.
Clients also share with us some of the many benefits of having women in leadership positions. Comments that women on boards are positively impacting the number of women being hired in C-suite positions particularly resonate. We have seen increases in creativity and innovation that occur when women are included in the development of new products and services. We experience women as strong collaborators and team-oriented leaders.
The Global Leadership Forecast 2018, published by DDI, the Conference Board and EY, showed that organizations that have at least 30% women in leadership are 1.4 times more likely to have sustained profitable growth. A study by McKinsey showed that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. The statistics alone are compelling.
We do not need to turn to studies or analyses to know that leaders seek out leaders. Our honorees drive their organizations to look beyond those who share similar opinions or the same experiences when looking for executives. These leaders set out to reach across differences and seek a true genius only found in diversity. What is your organization's “leadership genius?” Does the top team in your organization have leaders seeking out true leadership?
We thank these humble leaders who have accomplished their leadership genius and continue to strengthen their teams' diverse world views. They know teams, not individuals, create progress. And we thank the team members who nominated the 2019 Top 25 Women in Healthcare. Congratulations to the Top 25 honorees for leading these teams who are making a difference in their organizations and the communities they serve.
