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As Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices ANZ’s first female Managing Director, Susan Martin is keen to see other women in healthcare leadership climb the ranks. She speaks with AHHB about why female managers need to stop placing constraints on themselves.

Imposter syndrome is alive and well in female managers, says Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices ANZ Managing Director Susan Martin.

She is forever having conversations with female leaders in the business, particularly of child-bearing age, who are putting restraints on themselves. 鈥淭hey say: 鈥業 can鈥檛 go for that job, that won鈥檛 work because I鈥檒l have a child next year.鈥� But if you ask them where it鈥檚 coming from, it鈥檚 from themselves,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淲omen put constraints on themselves without actually asking such questions as: 鈥楥ould I do that job part-time?鈥欌��

Martin speaks from experience. When she was pregnant with her first child, she was worried about telling her boss and what it would mean for her career. Her stomach grew bigger and bigger, and by 18 weeks she couldn鈥檛 hide it anymore. Prior to meeting with her manager, she prepared all the reasons why she couldn鈥檛 go for a promotion that they鈥檇 discussed.

鈥淎ll of them were unfounded,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淭he first thing my male boss said was: 鈥楨xcellent, congratulations! Ok, let鈥檚 think about how we can still make this happen.鈥欌��

Passion for health care

When Martin was just 14, her mother had a stroke; it was a life-changing moment that motivated her to become a nurse. That, and a desire to travel the world. Nursing gave Martin the opportunity to fulfil her passion for both health care and travel, her skills being put to use in Australia, London and New Zealand.

Six years into her nursing career, Martin was working in Epworth 黑料吃瓜群网, Melbourne, in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory where her interest was piqued by all the new technology and innovation. So when an opportunity arose for her to take on a sales role with Johnson & Johnson (J&J), she seriously considered it. J&J was a highly regarded, reputable company, deep in innovation 鈥� it seemed like a safe bet.

But she had a back-up plan. 鈥淚 said to my nurse unit manager: 鈥業 really want to take this opportunity but will only do it if you promise that if I don鈥檛 like it, you鈥檒l have me back,鈥欌�� Martin said. Her nursing manager said yes, and 19 years later, Martin hasn鈥檛 looked back.

Martin in her nursing days, writing up the patient list for the next day's procedures at Intra Care聽(formerly Mercy Angiography), in聽Auckland, New Zealand.

Mentoring managers

In both nursing and at J&J, Martin has been fortunate to have a number of both formal and informal mentors, providing insight and perspective with a pragmatism borne from experience.

鈥淚nitially we all feel a bit bulletproof and that we can do everything ourselves. But the reality is 鈥� especially as you move up the organisation with bigger spans of control 鈥� that this is clearly not the case,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淏eing able to say 鈥業 need help, or I don鈥檛 understand鈥� certainly doesn鈥檛 go astray.鈥�

Now Martin is paying it forward as executive sponsor of the J&J Women鈥檚 Leadership & Inclusion Program for Asia Pacific, a role she鈥檚 held for 18 months.

She is proud of their progress to date, with the region鈥檚 leadership program more than doubling in size since she took on the role. J&J runs mentorship programs, seeks to attract women from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) backgrounds at universities, and even has a fathers and daughters program launching in 2019, aimed at showing J&J fathers the critical role they play as their daughter鈥檚 most important male role model, and how they can help set them up for their future career success.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very much strategy led, under our three pillars of advancement, inclusion and community; it involves our male allies and looks at how we can advance our women, whether it be through mentorship or supporting them through major life events,鈥� Martin said.

Martin as a scrub nurse during a coronary angioplasty at Intra Care.

Male sponsorship

While J&J Medical Devices APAC has more female than male employees, as they climb the ladder into management those percentages change. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a work in progress, but we鈥檙e pleased with how we鈥檙e going,鈥� Martin said.

She points out that her career at J&J has received strong sponsorship from men in senior leadership positions, and that she has not been impacted by the perceived 鈥榞lass ceiling鈥� that many women experience. 鈥淚鈥檓 not saying we鈥檙e perfect, but I feel very fortunate to be in a company like J&J.鈥�

Martin believes women can somewhat influence the glass ceiling by being true to themselves. 鈥淚 think women need to absolutely understand the role that they play in terms of being their authentic self,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here is nothing worse than [a woman] trying to be a man in this world. You need to be true to yourself from that regard.鈥�

Martin (left) with new Executive Vice President and Worldwide聽Chair of Medical Devices Ashley McEvoy at an internal J&J event in Singapore, marking聽World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2018.

Ask questions and listen well

Martin believes that good leadership consists of 鈥渂ig questions and big listening鈥�.

鈥淕ood leaders have the ability to ask the right questions at the right time,鈥� she said. 鈥淕ood leaders have the ability to listen well, and good leaders 鈥� although they will take input from various subject matter experts in their environment 鈥� are also good at making decisions.鈥�

She acknowledges that good leaders also need work-life balance. As a mother of three boys aged 8, 10 and 14, Martin says she has 鈥済ot better at saying yes, and better at saying no鈥�.

鈥淔or example, late night calls at 3 am 鈥� do we need to do them all the time? Sometimes you can say no. And sometimes you need to say no to the kids; I can鈥檛 be at every single event, but I鈥檒l absolutely be at the ones that are important,鈥� she said.

鈥淒o I get it perfect? No, absolutely not. But I do the best that I can, like most working mothers do, and hope I get it right more often than not.鈥�

This image and top image: Susan Martin, Managing Director ANZ, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices.聽Image credits: 漏Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices