A good friend of mine threw a baited hook into the electronic waves of Facebook recently—one I couldn't help but swallow along
with the sinker. It was a link to a blog titled "How female leaders should handle double standards," which detailed the trials
of female bosses who struggle with their image as leaders. The author asked, "What to do then in a world when image and perceptions
matter and gender stereotypes remain firmly entrenched?"
Where's this writer living? I work with all kinds of team members who answer to men and women, and I can attest to the fact that those owners and managers endure the same hardships of leadership regardless of their
sex. For any woman—or man, for that matter—to single out their leadership woes as attributable to their sex or sexuality isn't
working in any veterinary practice I know of.
And if that crack doesn't get you firing off a couple of barbed tweets and Facebook posts, this will: If there are sex-based
aspersions lobbed at female leaders in the veterinary workplace, they are not from the men in the building (if there are any)—they're
from other women!
Were I to tally up a list of derogatory comments made about female leaders rooted in the leader's sex, the majority would
be attributed to other women. Any man that is using derogatory, sexual labels for a female leader is just as likely to belch
out loud and pick at his underpants through his jeans. In both cases, the remarks aren't so much rooted in sexism as they
are in poor manners, naivetÉ, and bad upbringing.
Female leaders need to stop rapping on a glass ceiling that was shattered years ago. Today's labor force is far too cash-strapped
and weary to worry about any employer's sex. They just want a fair leader who demonstrates wise governance and concern for
their well-being.
Struggling to become a "female leader" is a premise that begins with self-imposed limits. Instead, just invest 100 percent
of your time in your leadership attributes—period. And damn the sexist torpedos fired in your direction. Most all of them
are blanks anyway. Successful private veterinary practices—some of the small businesses that should be the backbone of this
country—have little time for leaders so easily distracted by the comments coming from the galley.
Bash Halow, CVPM, LVT, is a partner at Halow Tassava Consulting in New York City, Indianapolis and Wyalusing, Pa.
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