Dr. Martha Piper and Dr. Indira Samarasekera are Canadian trailblazers, having served as two of the first (and so far, only) female presidents of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Alberta, respectively.
Both women are remarkable not only in academia but also in the Canadian leadership landscape and are recipients of many highly esteemed awards, including the prestigious Order of Canada, a symbol of excellence and extraordinary service. As current board members for some of Canada’s largest companies and past leaders of large Canadian research universities with tens of thousands of students and employees, these remarkable ex-presidents have navigated several challenges. For instance, being the first female leaders at the above noted institutions meant being under the spotlight (or microscope) as a result. In addition to their enormous leadership responsibilities, balancing motherhood in the face of societal expectations and pressures required significant fortitude.
Additionally, Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera have faced the political complexity of leading highly respected public research universities with complicated governance structures, numerous constituent groups, and specific legal charters. Much can be learned from Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera’s leadership trajectory. Thankfully, they have shared their wisdom in a candid, well-written book, Nerve: Lessons on leadership from two women who went first. This book is full of key learnings and advice for all current and aspiring leaders.
Already impressive before taking on leadership positions, both women were catapulted into highly esteemed and visible roles after long and successful academic careers. Dr. Samarasekera, originally from Sri Lanka, achieved her Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, where she later worked as vice president of research. Dr. Piper, originally from Lorain, Ohio, achieved her Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University and occupied roles as dean of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and vice president of research.
Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera’s backgrounds differ slightly, but they are aligned on the lessons learned throughout their careers, and both espouse a leadership style combining “grit and grace.” Drawing on the work of Cari Haught Coats, Piper and Samarasekera contend that women often combine courage in the face of challenges (grit) with compassion and kindness (grace) and that by combining these qualities, women thrive as leaders.
It is an incredible act of generosity to share not only accomplishments but also missteps and mistakes, and Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera’s Nerve does just that, relaying all they learned throughout their careers. The book is full of stories and examples, and each chapter ends with lessons learned, arming the reader with advice on what to do and, perhaps more importantly, what not to do.
Confidence is a Skill Set – Be a “Super-encounterer” and Bravely Step into Leadership
An essential takeaway from Nerve is that leaders should know the value of relationship-building, reading the room, and trusting their instincts, especially when opportunities arise. Piper and Samarasekera highlight the ability to be “super-encounterers,” individuals who see opportunities and capitalize on them when others would not. They write, “Leaders don’t wait for good things to happen to them or for leadership opportunities to appear unbidden; they pursue a plan or vision, but not to the exclusion of everything else. They remain open to possibilities, finding the Nerve to act when others may be deterred. Knowing how to read a situation, no matter how subtle or nuanced, and when to respond to unexpected events or changing conditions are two marks not only of a super-encounterer but also of a great leader” (Nerve, 2021, p. 60).
Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera also reflect on the fear of leadership, which is not unique to women but is perhaps slightly different for women. They highlight that women forgo leadership opportunities far more often than men, referring to this as “reluctant bride” syndrome, where women sometimes do not see themselves as leaders, lack self-confidence, and focus on the risks of leadership instead of the rewards. They emphasize that women should “recognize that the self-doubt you experience when approached to lead is a normal reaction of women and not something unique to your particular experience” (p. 81). They recommend focusing on the reasons you can become a leader rather than the reasons you cannot and assert that developing self-confidence is a skill set that takes time and persistence.
Leading while Parenting is Always Challenging – Build Support
Relationships and raising children are challenging for most people, especially for women in demanding leadership roles. Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera emphasize that there is no perfect time to have children and that there will always be challenges, but you find a way. Piper reflects on efforts to employ caregivers to help her with childcare when her career was in full swing. “There is no Mary Poppins,” Dr. Piper states, cautioning, “no matter who you hire, there will be times when you question whether you should continue working or become a full-time mother” (p. 52). This emotional contemplation is unique to female leaders whose male counterparts tend not to consider leaving their roles to become full-time fathers. Samarasekera adds that it is particularly challenging to parent teens while in a demanding career, admitting she navigated this stage with her daughter by forming alliances with the mothers of her daughter’s friends, referring to this band of supportive women as the Menoposse. She asserts that navigating the teen years is demanding, especially as a single parent, and “supportive networks of other women became a lifeline in times of stress, a source of companionship and joy” (p. 55).
Friendships Change When You Become a Leader
The subject of friendship is complicated for both male and female leaders, and both Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera reflect that when they became leaders, some friendships changed, and it became essential to define clear boundaries. Samarasekera states, “it’s not realistic to have friends who serve as confidantes within the organization you lead.” Shifting relationships can be complicated if the friendship is longstanding and must change when one becomes a leader. Samarasekera emphasizes, “as a leader, you are always juggling competing interests, some of which will conflict with those held by well-meaning friends” (p.106). Both women assert that leadership can be very lonely, especially for women who have previously enjoyed supportive friendships. They may need to redefine these relationships and set new boundaries between their personal and professional lives. However, while friendships may change, leaders may gain support from those in similar roles. As advice to other leaders, they write, “get to know your peers who are leaders of similar organizations, people who understand the issues that directly affect your organization” (p. 108).
Build the Right Team – Leading is a Team Sport
Recruiting the best talent for your leadership team is essential, and it is well-advised to go the extra mile to hire the right people. However, they must be team players. Samarasekera details the enormous amount of time and effort she spent convincing the right people to join her team. In reflection, she states, “I often wonder whether a male leader would have spent as much time convincing someone to join his team or been prepared to take a risk on an individual who at first was disinterested in the position” (p. 90). Piper also comments that it is easy for leaders to make assumptions about potential hires or promotions before asking the right questions and allowing prospective team members to determine their fate. Dr. Piper states that it is important not to assume “they are too old or too young, they will not relocate, their partner is not supportive, their kids are too young, they have parents who need looking after, and so on” (p. 121). Leaders should not impose these limitations on potential candidates. Dr. Piper is candid when she states, “I continue to hear leaders and search consultants raise perceived issues and objections that in my mind should not even be considered, let alone discussed when assessing candidates” (p. 121). Hiring the right people requires knowing and understanding who you are hiring, which requires asking the right questions and listening carefully. In Nerve, Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera emphasize that leaders are successful when they build strong teams and empower and inspire others to achieve goals and perform at their best. One of the critical lessons Nerve presents on team building is the importance of recognizing and rewarding individuals through not only remuneration but also a personal touch. Dr. Piper reflects on the many personalized, handwritten thank you notes she wrote to staff who had distinguished themselves, recalling she spent 30 minutes every evening writing to these individuals. “To this day, no one has ever thanked me for a compensation package, but people still tell me they saved the note I wrote them years ago” (p. 127).
Women Must Build Their Networks and Communicate Clearly
Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera emphasize the importance of external relationships and networks for those in leadership, with Dr. Piper reflecting that leaders must “identify and nurture special relationships with key partners: individuals who at first may not be known to the leader, but who over time appear on the external landscape and play a unique role in advancing the leader’s agenda – corporate CEOs, government officials, alumni and thought leaders, to name a few” (p. 144). Strategic partners outside an organization can play an essential part in helping leaders execute their vision – cultivating these relationships should be a priority. At the same time, navigating internal relationships is an important skill set, and success is predicated on frequent, clear communication with internal constituents. As university presidents, both Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera were governed by boards of directors, which are different from corporate boards in that they are comprised of government appointees, faculty, administrators, students, and alums. Samarasekera recounts an incident where a board member submitted a report that questioned her leadership when government funding was pulled from the University of Alberta. This situation, which could have become a crisis, turned into an opportunity for Dr. Samarasekera to implement communication strategies, showcasing her leadership skills and expertise. Her ability to communicate with her board chair clearly and effectively allowed her to navigate this contentious situation. “Gathering all the nerve I had,” writes Dr. Samarasekera, “I approached the chair before the board meeting and told him that I would lay out the strategy for dealing with the budget reductions” (p.150). This ability to influence the narrative internally is critical to success and means frequent, accurate communication about crucial initiatives and situations. Without intervention and deliberate communication internally, faulty narratives can develop. Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera also articulate that female leaders need to find additional ways to communicate clearly and frequently as they are often not part of the same networks as male board chairs. “The chair of the board is more likely to be a man than a woman. Male leaders are likelier to belong to the same networks as their bosses. It is not uncommon for the male board chair to play golf and socialize with the male CEO of the company, providing the leader more opportunities to discuss issues informally with the boss and establish personal relationships” (p. 148).
Stay Calm in a Crisis
While Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera have wrestled with many of the same issues as leaders in other areas, they have also faced concerns unique to universities. Higher education’s complexity and governance structure is difficult to imagine outside a university setting and poses some specific challenges for leaders. For instance, university leaders must share governance responsibilities with many constituent groups, including their board, the administration, and the teaching and research faculty. They also must take into account the opinions of other stakeholders, such as the student body, alumni, and the surrounding community. Furthermore, university leaders must uphold the principles of academic freedom, which allow faculty to criticize the university, its leadership, the board, and many controversial topics, including, but not limited to, politically contentious issues. Corporate CEOs do not face, and could probably not imagine facing, this type of candid public discourse. If they did, they could choose many forms of recourse for employees who espouse views offensive to crucial stakeholders and contrary to their mission and values. Despite the complexity academic freedom presents for university presidents, it is a fundamental tenet of higher education and supports academic progress. Regardless, it is challenging for leaders who must uphold this value to their stakeholders. Dr. Piper recounts an experience where defending academic freedom became a full-blown crisis. In October of 2001, one of UBC’s scholars wrote about the 911 attacks on the World Trade Center and presented the controversial idea that the attacks were linked to American foreign policy. Knowing that scholars are protected by academic freedom, Piper was accustomed to controversial opinions different from her own and did not recognize the considerable PR debacle this would become. Dr. Piper reflects, “I received calls for the professor’s dismissal from the highest levels of government, my own board members, and, most astonishing, members of my senior team and respected faculty members. And then there were the alumni and donors who threatened to withdraw their donations if I did not act swiftly to terminate the professor” (p. 156). Dr. Piper admits that through this situation, she learned the importance of recognizing a potential crisis and the risk of underestimating its scope. In vulnerably sharing what she learned from the eventual crisis, Dr. Piper states, “What I failed to see was that most people did not agree with my view – and that difference in perception precipitated the crisis. The crisis was not the speech itself; rather, the crisis was my inability to convince people of my principled decision to defend the professor’s right to deliver the speech, regardless of what I personally thought of its content. That what I thought of the speech itself was, in fact, irrelevant.” Over time, Dr. Piper made it through this crisis by communicating openly and clearly and having the fortitude (nerve) to adhere to her principles. “It would have been easy,” states Piper, “to have been swayed to make the wrong decision if I had not been so grounded in academic freedom” (p.157). Ultimately, the crisis passed, and everyone moved on. In Nerve, Piper and Samarasekera share the sage leadership advice that most crises do pass and do not last for the long term. “This too shall pass,” they state. “Always behave like a duck: keep calm and unruffled on the surface, but paddle like the devil underneath” (p. 166).
Summary
Nerve is a must-read for anyone in leadership or contemplating leadership – it is a book that will stay on your bookshelf for reference during career dilemmas or opportunities. It is fascinating to learn from the authors’ generous recounting of leadership experiences that can only be shared in retrospect. Having moved on from their roles as presidents and now occupying board positions for large Canadian companies, Piper and Samarasekera pull back the curtain and share details of their trials and tribulations as leaders at two of Canada’s largest and most prestigious research universities. Both emphasize the importance of self-belief, open communication, actively listening to stakeholders, strategic and discerning relationship building, and understanding how to mitigate a brewing crisis. Dr. Piper and Dr. Samarasekera’s advice is forthright and practical, applicable not just to women but to men as well and across all industries. Their parting advice is that leaders must not lose themselves in their careers to the extent that they compromise their health: “Leading is all-consuming. It takes every hour in the day and every ounce of energy you can bring to it. It will eat you alive unless you are determined to balance the demands of the job with time for yourself” (p. 98).