Chapter 17: Personal Sacrifice, Women, and Leadership at MD Anderson
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Description
Ms. Hay begins with comments on the personal sacrifices she has made because of her belief in the MD Anderson mission.
She then offers leadership advice and comments on the experiences of women aspiring to leadership roles at the institution. She comments on what women in particular bring to leadership and negotiation.
Identifier
HayAC_02_20150602_C17
Publication Date
6-2-2015
City
Houston, Texas
Interview Session
Topics Covered
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - Diversity Issues; Dedication to MD Anderson, to Patients, to Faculty/Staff; The Life and Dedication of Clinicians and Researchers; Women and Minorities at Work; Experiences re: Gender, Race, Ethnicity; Leadership; Mentoring
Transcript
Amy Carpenter Hay:
It does. I mean, I travel too much. I’ve devoted my—probably too much of my life. I’ve missed every recital, every kid awards presentation, most of baseball, football, soccer, and swimming. And part of it is because I believe in this. This defines who I am and what I do, good or bad. [laughs]
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Well, I wanted to talk a little bit about, you know, your kind of personal philosophy of leadership, and how you feel you were able to get to the point where you could step into, you know, a very significant leadership role at this institution. And part of what I’m interested in, you know, is stepping into that role as a woman, as well. So, tell me a little bit about that process. What were some key leadership learning moments for you?
Amy Carpenter Hay:
That’s a great question. I think part of—well, I’m a big believer in leadership as defined by surrounding yourself with leaders. I think that the strongest leaders that we have surround themselves with very strong leaders. You don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to be able to do everything. You have to know where to get it and who to ask. And so, what I’ve been fortunate to have is people that have mentored and grown me, that were strong leaders, and allowed me to be a strong leader. And I’ve tried to do the same around here, ’cause I think that’s important. I think another cornerstone of my leadership approach is to allow other people to thrive, grow, and, quite frankly, get the accolades for that growth. That is something that is often forgotten. You know, it’s not uncommon for me to go to executive committee and have someone on my team present. I don’t need to present. I’m already here. I need—we need to grow the next generation of people. You know, being a female leader at this organization is oftentimes challenging. And I think that’s changed over the last decade. I can honestly say that. It really has changed. We’ve come much more diverse in both ethnic backgrounds, but also in sexual background.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Tell me about how—what do you mean when you say it was a challenge? What were some issues that arose, or that you observed?
Amy Carpenter Hay:
Oh, I think there was a l—a generation of MD Anderson that tended to be male-dominated by the leadership positions. And I think that has changed over time. And part of that changing has come with individuals like myself, and my clinical partner Dr. Maggie Row, who are fully invested in the institution, and are passionate enough to be assertive and to stand up for not only what we believe in, but what is best for the institution. You know, the biggest advice I give everyone is, if you don’t know what to do, ask yourself what is best for the institution? Oftentimes, it may not be what’s best for you personally. But if you are always doing what’s best for the institution, then you’re making the right decision. And I think there’s been—maybe it’s through growth internally of women, but also some key recruitments externally—that we’ve really brought in some very strong female leaderships at important components. That provide, in my opinion, kind of a nice balance of how we approach things—how we not only coordinate, but also negotiate.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
I was gonna ask you, you know, I mean it’s—seems like a really reductive question, but is—do women have a different style, or do they bring something different to the leadership environment?
Amy Carpenter Hay:
I think so. You know, I—that’s a personal—I can’t—I can’t pull out a literature study that says that, but I do believe so. You know, my negotiating style as a female is very different than even my mentor or my, even, current boss. I am much more focused on the win-win of the situation. While I am fully able to hold our ground and get what we need, I’m constantly trying to figure out how do we both get more. And I think that oftentimes is a bit different than my counterparts, especially in academic medicine. A lot of physicians are trained, by their very nature, to make quick decisions, and to not ask for consensus, and move forward. You know, I think you see in a lot of female leaders an approach that is more consensus-driven, is more win-win, and is based on kind of a thoughtful, deductive process. There’s room for both styles, but being a physician-driven organization, I think we are constantly surrounded by more of a surgical mentality of accomplish your goal first, ask for consensus later, versus the opposite.
Recommended Citation
Hay, Amy Carpenter and Rosolowski, Tacey A. PhD, "Chapter 17: Personal Sacrifice, Women, and Leadership at MD Anderson" (2015). Interview Chapters. 966.
https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mchv_interviewchapters/966
Conditions Governing Access
Open
