Olayemi O. Dawodu, MD/CEO of Cerba-Lancet Laboratories Nigeria, is a woman defined by vision and strong leadership. In this interview with NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE, Dawodu who is also an anatomic pathologist and a laboratory physician, shared insights into what women naturally bring to leadership. She also reflected on being honored for the fifth time at the Nigeria Healthcare Excellence Awards, (NHEA). Dawodu further highlighted the importance of continuous learning and skill acquisition for women aspiring to leadership, while also addressing key issues of national concern. Excerpts:
Healthcare leadership especially is a male-dominated area. What has been your experience as a woman?
My experience has been shaped by the thoughts around leadership not being defined by gender, but being defined by competence, vision, resilience, and results. That is being result-orientated, so I never really looked at it as, oh, I am a woman. It was a matter of you needed to be competent and you needed to ensure that you up skilled yourself with all that was required to take on the role and to do it excellently well.
What qualities do you believe women naturally bring to leadership? And what stereotypes about women in leadership do you hope your journey helps to challenge?
