Leen Kawas
Leen Kawas, a leader in the biotech industry, shares tips for building more inclusive corporate cultures across the industry and beyond.
Female leaders desiring to excel in a male-dominated industry have an uphill battle. In biotechnology, engineering, and finance (among other disciplines), women remain underrepresented in both the workforce and the leadership ranks. Leen Kawas, a highly successful biotechnology leader, is familiar with both sides of this issue.
Here, she emphasized that women-led businesses possess three key advantages. “There’s a lot of research showing when you have a woman on the helm (or part of the executive team), returns are higher, cultures are more inclusive, and innovation has a different, unique flavor,” Leen Kawas remarked. She discussed how female leaders can cultivate an inclusive culture even when they face significant career challenges.
Leen Kawas Excels in a Predominantly Male Field
Leen Kawas is thriving as Propel Bio Partners’ Managing General Partner. Based in Los Angeles, this growing venture capital firm partners with biotech start-ups and early-stage companies. Leen Kawas and her team provide financial, organizational, and technical assistance. While seeking out woman- and minority-owned founders, she welcomes pitches from all eligible biotechs.
Before co-founding Propel Bio Partners, Leen Kawas excelled as biotech Athira’s Chief Executive Officer (or CEO). During her time at the firm, she successfully oversaw several complex drug development cycles. Leen Kawas also managed Athira’s initial public offering (or IPO) in September 2020. Taken together, these two leadership roles provide Leen Kawas with a well-rounded perspective on biotech industry challenges and opportunities.
5 Challenges Female Leaders Face in Male-Dominated Industries
Talented female leaders are well positioned for success in any field. In traditionally male industries, however, even highly qualified women typically face strong headwinds in their drive to excel. Leen Kawas detailed five significant challenges women often encounter.
Wide-Ranging Gender Bias
Female leaders often find themselves impacted by gender bias. To illustrate, assumptions about women’s gender-based capabilities can cause these leaders to be passed over for key assignments or promotions. In a less-obvious example, women can be excluded from pivotal networking opportunities that could further their careers. Whether intentional (or unintentional), the gender bias’ effect is the same.
Excess of Low-Visibility Projects
Generous, community-minded female leaders frequently step up to support others in need. These altruistic women also take time to manage events that benefit worthy causes. Although their contributions are much appreciated, the leaders’ efforts take them away from high-visibility projects that could increase their company (and industry) profiles.
Lack of a High-Achieving Role Model
Predominantly male industries typically have relatively few women in top-tier leadership roles. This translates to fewer successful female role models and sponsors. Both leaders are known for their ability to forge connections and open doors that would normally remain locked. Without these valuable alliances, junior female leaders (and aspiring leaders) will have a harder time achieving their career goals.
The “Glass Ceiling” Impact
Talented, qualified professionals often strive for leadership roles in their respective companies. Existing leaders typically develop a career path to a senior leadership or corporate executive role. Ideally, qualified women and men will have equal access to these opportunities. However, the “glass ceiling,” in which female leaders face internal obstacles in achieving higher-level positions, still exists in many predominantly male industries.
Work-Life Balance Conflicts
Leaders in male-dominated industries typically juggle heavy workloads that require long hours on the job. Women who manage careers along with caregiving functions often find it difficult to stay current with their workplace demands.
Not surprisingly, burnout and stress frequently cause female leaders to seek less-demanding roles. For some women, finding employment in a different industry may be a better choice.
5 Ways Female Leaders can Cultivate an Inclusive Company Culture
Despite the challenges faced in male-dominated industries, confident female leaders can create an inclusive (and supportive) culture. Leen Kawas highlights five components of this innovative strategy.
Learn to Work Smarter (Not Harder)
Female leaders have often been told they must work much harder to gain equal recognition to male colleagues in predominantly male industries. This is an unsustainable (and unfair) standard, as women set themselves up for burnout and potential career sabotage.
Instead, Leen Kawas said female leaders should learn to work smarter. They should prioritize high-visibility, high-impact tasks rather than taking on endless (and relatively meaningless) projects. In addition, they should decline (and possibly delegate) tasks not in alignment with their core job duties and career goals.
Forge a Strong Professional Network
A wide-ranging professional network helps female leaders expand their visibility and reach. Including male and female industry leaders and influencers is a good start, although highly astute women won’t stop there. LinkedIn (and other online platforms) can open the door to global industry connections.
Each female leader should also participate in professional organizations and attend key industry conferences. Finally, Leen Kawas said goal-oriented female leaders can benefit from attending in-person (or virtual) networking events.
Create an Inclusive External Network
Forward-thinking female leaders can benefit from interactions with external partners. Women-owned suppliers, vendors, and other service providers can potentially contribute to an inclusive company environment. To illustrate, the female leader can attend professional events during which women’s employment and career growth opportunities are given the spotlight.
Further, a supportive female leader may be well positioned to create internships and college scholarships for qualified women. Some of these female professionals could potentially become future team members and/or company leaders.
Cultivate Supportive Male Allies
Cultivating committed male allies is a smart strategic move. In a predominantly male industry, gaining male supporters helps establish a female leader’s legitimacy with other male colleagues. Once she gains acceptance, she can begin to build influence and advocate for changing the company culture.
Recruit Mentors and Sponsors
In many industries, mentors and sponsors play key roles in an individual’s professional growth. Here, a mentor would provide a junior female leader with ongoing career advice and guidance.
In contrast, a sponsor proactively advocates for a female leader’s advancement, generally within a specific company. Before a sponsor agrees to take on this substantial commitment, they must be assured their partner has the capabilities and dedication required to excel in a higher-level role.
Provide Support to Female Colleagues
A specific male-dominated company may (or may not) have an inclusive culture. Either way, the business’ female leaders should support each other in multiple ways. Sharing resources and training opportunities is a good starting point. Launching industry-specific women’s networks, and mentoring junior female professionals, are also good strategies.
Perhaps most importantly, Leen Kawas strongly advocates for qualified women’s promotion to top leadership roles. These dynamic leaders can support other qualified women in their career advancement. Finally, strong female leadership helps set the stage for adoption of an inclusive company culture in the foreseeable future.
