holding the space

Jemma C Hopewell, Professor of Precision Medicine and Epidemiology, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford

Who we are:

The Women in Science group has been established as a safe space for women in leadership positions within a science/technical related role in the UK. This group provides an opportunity for its like-minded participants to share common challenges, offer support and guidance for one another and encourages the use of open communication channels to enable responsive and accessible contact. Externally, the group represents credible and successful role models who are keen to be the figureheads in challenging the status quo, promote professionalism, share their experience and learnings and advocate the need to have women in positions of leadership and seniority across the board.

My name is Jemma Hopewell and I am Professor of Precision Medicine and Epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK. I lead a multidisciplinary team in a cardiovascular research programme and have numerous leadership roles and expert committee positions nationally and globally, and have worked with colleagues across academia and industry over a number of years.

I am privileged to have travelled an academic career path and have my research supported by various funders such as the British Heart Foundation, National Institute for Health Research, as well as by industry partners and my department. I am strongly motivated by the impact of my work on our understanding of the causes, consequences and treatments for cardiovascular disease and the relevance for patients and wider population health. I have climbed the academic career ladder internally at what some may consider to be a relatively fast pace, from my first role as a newbie fresh out of training to reaching Full Professor in my 30’s. Moving on from this professional milestone, I find myself asking more and more “How can I challenge myself and what do I want to achieve?”. I imagine many of you out there are ruminating over similar questions, so I felt it may be a useful topic to discuss. What these questions mean to each of us will differ hugely and I believe that our strength is reflected in how honest we can be with ourselves.

As a Millennial, I am part of a generation known to take value in a collaborative approach to work and to leadership, which feeds brilliantly into a role in medical science and cardiovascular research. I have been fortunate enough to work with some true greats in my field and I hope my mind-set has helped me to learn from their example, as well as to avoid some potential pitfalls. However, like many who could be labelled as “career women”, I have made willing choices about where to concentrate my efforts. As time passes, it becomes ever clearer that my choices have not come without notable compromises. We all recognise that a prolonged and dedicated focus can leave holes in other areas of life and this is one challenge that many, particularly women who can feel the need to “have it all”, grapple with. Life can take us in unexpected and potentially difficult directions in both our personal and professional responsibilities, but these challenges can be part of a fulfilling journey we learn to treasure and embrace, and are an important component of what makes us who we are.

Travelling a strong trajectory toward your full potential and reaching career highs relatively early in your working life is something I hope more and more women are able to achieve. This can feel great – I’m not moaning – and I am enormously grateful to those who have supported my continuing growth (and even those who didn’t, who probably made me even more determined!) – but it can sometimes be a lonely place. I’ve both set-up and participated in various initiatives for senior women, and it is such a relief when you realise that your peers (irrespective of age) share common difficulties. As our professional seniority evolves, and we move from the category of the “up and coming talent” through to that of “well-established leader”, I think we find a greater need for sponsors and that’s where being part of such initiatives can really help. I’ve had great female input over the years, both in terms of mentorship and sponsorship, and this has helped to unlock doors and empower me to push those doors wide open! We can discover allies at various stages through our career, from both within and outside our inner circle, and they are an invaluable source of support – my advice is to embrace and nurture these special (and often rare) relationships when you are lucky enough to find them.

Career fulfilment can take many forms and we all have something different that makes us tick. We can achieve our professional aims through exploring new roles and responsibilities as part of a current job or by looking for completely new positions, and sometimes both. Personally, I have never had an appetite for monotony and standing still and have always been hungry to feel challenged in new and impactful ways. I can be easily bored and “more of the same” is not something that I find inspiring, and so being able to develop my expertise across synergistic areas has been something I’ve found very fulfilling. We all need to find aspects that we really enjoy and to capitalise on our strengths where possible. Our successes are also a function of our environment and my journey has been heavily supported by a small number of people (both men and women), respected by many, and potentially begrudged (and held back on occasion) by a few. This will feel familiar to many of you I’m sure. I hope in time we will all (irrespective of gender) be in a place where helping to lift others is part of our own personal ambition, and everyone can better recognise that the achievements of others do not devalue our own. However, based on conversations with women from across various industries, I fear this is a work in progress that will require a generational shift in thinking as we try to break down the insecurities that are part of the burden of our competitive world.

You may be like me, with many more working years ahead of you than behind you, or you may be much further / closer to retirement, but whatever the case we all have different considerations and we all come to various points in our careers at which we ask ourselves “what next?”. When you reach a potential career plateau, or feel you are bashing your head against that glass ceiling, what do you do? How do you take stock and make proactive decisions about your next steps? I have personally found this more challenging as I have taken on more senior and leadership roles and have needed to construct an increasingly de-novo path (in contrast to earlier in my career when the path was clearer and well-trodden). I am continually learning and certainly don’t have all the answers (and haven’t found anybody yet that does) so, in the meantime, here are three questions I have tended to ponder at various career junctures when considering what my “onward and upward” might look like – I hope in some small way they help you focus your own thoughts.

1.         Do you know what you want, what you really really want? We are at our most brave when being honest with ourselves. We are all prone to concentrating on what others expect of us, or what we think we should want out of life, and I think women are often pulled in multiple directions in this respect. What do you want from each aspect of your life, what is right for you, how can you achieve your personal and professional aims and where are you willing to compromise? This is a dynamic process for most of us, and my responses have changed over time. Fear can paralyse many of us and it’s easy to get stuck in a rut or become overly comfortable – endeavouring to make active decisions rather than getting caught up in passive cycles can be a great source of empowerment.

2.         What career challenges are you seeking? Everyone is busy, but not everyone is challenged. We need to think about what makes us feel good and want to go to work in the morning. How can we use our talents to most effectively engage with our role and ambitions? I thrive on a variety of challenges, on developing strategic approaches, and on collaborating with others to address the bigger picture. I value a multifaceted team environment and try to embrace a range of opportunities, as well as trying to realise when it’s best to say no (this is something so many of us have trouble with but I’ve managed to get a little better at it over time). It’s also important to know when to step back and pass the baton to others. I will always try and recommend someone (and another woman where possible) for a position I am stepping away from; if you want others to sponsor you then try and make sure you do the same! In considering my next steps, I have found it extremely helpful to talk things over with a trusted colleague who I feel has my best interests at heart and will also be completely honest (however uncomfortable). Hearing your thoughts aloud as well as listening to another perspective can be an invaluable tool in developing ideas and plans, and can help reinvigorate what feels like a stagnant phase. Overall, I think we all need to build our courage to step out of our comfort zone; we can often be the creators of our own biggest hurdles but by developing a community of allies we can support each other to move forward.

3.         What is your desired flight path and target destination? I think it’s most helpful to consider how both of these aspects fit together. It’s no good having an ambition but hating the journey, or a journey that doesn’t get you on the road to your target destination. Being fully engaged in your life aims and enjoying your day-to-day contributions to achieving them is important. I take a lot of motivation from working with my super talented team, colleagues and collaborators and keeping the bigger picture of why we do what we do in mind. Some will tell you not to worry about titles and accolades as they will come naturally in recognition of your achievements. Ideally that’s true, but I am also aware of many talented women across sectors who don’t get the recognition / job title / salary that is warranted based on the roles they are already undertaking successfully. The reality is that we live in a world in which judgement and respect are often impacted by first impressions and labels (and, in my opinion, without these it can be even more challenging as a woman), and so being too passive about such things can have its pitfalls. Overall, we need to try and have confidence in our own path and how we choose to travel it, and remember to enjoy the journey and not just seek the destination.

I hope you’ve found this months blog interesting and if there is one thing that I hope we can all remember, it’s that challenges are not just hurdles to overcome but also aspects of life to be sought out and embraced. Women have different challenges and we each need to find our own way of rising to them. Good luck all you fabulous ladies and try listening to a little Helen Reddy now and again …“I am woman hear me roar” … it can be a very welcome earworm!