ABSTRACT
When I was asked to write this chapter, I had some hesitation. I am a woman and currently lead a staff of approximately 200 that includes statisticians, data managers, medical writing scientists, and data analysts at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical/biotechnology company. I have been with the same company in this role for more than 10 years, and have quadrupled the size of my department with the growth of the enterprise. Yet, I had some trepidation. What could I impart on this topic of leadership? Did I have a unique point of view? Or, would I just reiterate what others have said about women and leadership? Is there something unique about the field of statistics that makes leadership especially challenging? As I started to ask myself these questions, I started to dig deep and ponder what it was that I had learned on my journey that was important to me with respect to leadership. I thought about what are the specific challenges related to being a woman leader. I also thought what was challenging about the field of statistics and leadership. It occurred to me that I might be able to impart a unique perspective on women, leadership, and specifically leadership challenges in the area of statistics.
