Leading With Impact: Women Physicians on Empowerment and Legacy

What You Need to Know    

• On March 5, 2025, Telfer Executive Programs hosted Leading with Impact: Women Transforming Healthcare. This inspiring panel discussion brought together female leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of physician leadership for women in the context of International Women’s Day.
• Telfer Executive Programs offers a suite of programs designed for women in leadership. Discover programs with a focus on women’s leadership.
• The Women in Leadership: Focused and Boundless program by Telfer Executive Programs supports female leaders in achieving their leadership and career ambitions. Learn more and register by September 19, 2025.

“Leaders are not looking for power — they're looking for impact. You don't need to feel bad when you say you want to be CEO. Sometimes, when women say, ‘I want to achieve something,’ the response is, ‘Well, you’re allowed now.’ But it’s more than permission—it’s purpose. Wanting to lead isn’t about building a better résumé; it’s about making a bigger difference.”

This powerful idea, shared by Elizabeth Tanguay, was shared during an inspiring International Women’s Day panel discussion at Telfer’s Executive Campus on March 5, 2025. As a top provider of leadership development for healthcare organizations and healthcare professionals, Telfer Executive Programs was honoured to host Leading with Impact: Women Transforming Healthcare for women to connect and share their leadership journeys.

For 2025, the global theme of International Women’s Day was Accelerate Action. This call to action was chosen in response to data from the World Economic Forum demonstrating that it will take five generations, or until 2158, to close the gender gap. Accelerate Action is an important call to increase momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

Meet the Panel

Telfer’s International Women’s Day panel consisted of a diverse group of female leaders brought together to share their experiences of physician leadership as women in the Canadian healthcare system: 

• Dr. Guylaine Lefebvre, Retired Executive Director from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• Dr. Foluso Hafeezat Ishola, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Resident from the University of Ottawa
• Dr. Chantal D'Aoust-Bernard, Chief of Staff at Hôpital Montfort
• Moderator Elizabeth Tanguay, Executive Director of Montfort Renaissance

Moderator Elizabeth Tanguay opened the discussion with some sobering facts about the advancement of women’s rights. From non-racialized women earning the right to vote just 108 years ago, to the Persons case in Canada 95 years ago, to women’s right to hold a credit card without permission from a husband 50 years ago; it was clear from her remarks that while women have made great strides in a short period, many of the rights we now take for granted were secured not so long ago.

“We’ve made a lot of progress in the last 150 years, and that progress is precious,” Elizabeth remarked. “We can’t take it for granted. Rights are always under attack, and with privilege comes great responsibility. Female physicians have helped build the system that now recognizes the unique health needs of women. By having female physicians serve not only as physicians, but as leaders, we improve the healthcare system for women and for all Canadians.”

Physician Leadership for Women: A Multigenerational Perspective

During the panel discussion, the insights shared spanned three different generations of leadership. When asked why International Women’s Day is important to the panel, Dr. Chantal D'Aoust-Bernard shared that she was a medical student at the time of the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989. The attack was and continues to be a painful reminder of the prejudice and gendered violence women face, particularly in traditionally male fields. She encouraged women in the audience to stand tall and be confident in their leadership abilities.

“Throughout my career, opportunities opened up, and I made my own opportunities,” Dr. D'Aoust-Bernard shared. “If you ask, the worst you can get is a ‘no,’ but if you ask, you might get a ‘yes,’ and that’s how I’ve worked. Even as a medical student, I would see opportunities that the residents didn’t see. They would come to me and ask, ‘how did you get there?’ I just asked!”

To describe their leadership journeys in one word, Dr. Guylaine Lefebvre said that her journey was “gratifying,” Dr. Foluso Hafeezat Ishola shared that her journey has been “intentional,” and Dr. Chantal D'Aoust-Bernard shared that hers has been “non-intentional.”

Dr. Lefebvre’s reflections on her leadership journey, now that she has reached retirement, resonated with the audience. She emphasized that true leadership requires a willingness to relinquish power. Leaders, she noted, are also teachers—and to lead effectively, one must empower others and let go of the immediate gratification that comes from doing everything oneself. Only then can a leader's actions create lasting impact.

“I think of [International Women’s Day] twofold: optimistically but with an eye toward the work still to be done,” Dr. Lefebvre shared. “Let’s reflect on all of the progress, instead of looking at how terrible it was that we weren’t considered persons in the past, I love walking by the monument to the Famous Five in Ottawa and thinking about how thankful I am to the women who came before me. At the same time, I've been lucky enough to travel internationally and witness firsthand how far behind women's health is in many areas of the world. We don’t have all the answers here, but we are certainly called to help where we can.”

In reflecting on how to achieve your ambitions while balancing personal commitments, Dr. Foluso Hafeezat Ishola shared her experience of finishing her PhD while raising two young children and immigrating to Canada. In the face of such challenging circumstances, she emphasized that young female leaders need to be comfortable saying no, setting healthy boundaries, and prioritizing choices that support their long-term leadership vision.

“Mentorship has been instrumental in encouraging me to chase after opportunities,” Dr. Ishola reflected. “I always wonder, ‘am I really qualified for this position?’ and question myself all the time. However, you should always go for it and apply: if you challenge yourself to become a leader, you need to stretch yourself to get out of comfortable and go towards the uncomfortable.”

Inspirational Reflections for the Road Ahead

As the panel transitioned into the question and answer period, one attendee raised her hand – not with a question, but with a poem she had composed in response to the discussion. When Thirusha Naidu, PhD read it aloud, the room was deeply moved by her beautiful encapsulation of the morning.

“My training as a clinical psychologist orients me to listen carefully to the ideas of others,” said Dr. Naidu, reflecting on her poem. “I’m interested in different methodologies, such as arts-based methods which tap into different areas of the brain than traditional methods do. When something provokes a person emotionally, they process the information and view the world and their experiences differently. I used a technique called found poetry to create this poem. It involves listening carefully to speakers' exact words while paying attention to themes and broader narratives in the context. It appears easy, but it takes years to develop the skill of listening and then weaving the speaker's exact words into poetic form in a way that evokes emotion, speaking directly to the heart. This is a decolonial research method, as it centers the speaker perspective, remains true to the speakers’ words and requires the researcher or poet to listen with profound respect.”

“I hope we carry the energy from today forward,” said Dr. Naidu. “How do we infuse today’s learnings into our society and workplaces so that, in 20 years, women don’t have to face the same battles? I hope we can encourage leaders of all identities to used leadership styles that creates spaces at the table for everyone.”

YOU'RE A WOMAN. SANTÉ!

You're a woman. 
Santé! 
You have come at a good time, 
you have the vote, 
you can be sure you're a person. 
Most importantly you have a credit card. 
Make your journey intentional, 
sometimes international 
Ask for forgiveness. 
It's better than permission. 

People will question, 
“How did you get there?” 
Say, “I just asked” 
Tell them you look for impact not power. 
To lead you must relinquish power 
at home, in your mind, in your body. 
Relinquish the power to please everyone 
for immediate gratification. 

Figure out time 
Have a particular relationship with it 
Doors open, opportunities come 
Learn how to say yes… or no. 
Everything comes around again. 
Imposter Syndrome will tell you're not real. 
Project your tall self. 

Build trust, care for boundaries. 
Show respect, show yourself 

Show how. 
Show up. 
You're a woman. 
Santé!  

Found poetry from - Leading with Impact: Women Transforming Healthcare. Telfer Executive Programs, University of Ottawa Womens’ Day Breakfast, 5 March 2025  

Thirusha Naidu, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Equity and Social Justice in Global Medical Education, Associate Professor: Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa 

The morning closed with time for attendees to connect and discuss the inspiring reflections shared by the panel. The opportunity to connect with other leaders of all gender identities was valued by attendees, as connection and community are crucial for all leaders as they navigate the challenging road ahead.

To learn about how Telfer Executive Programs is helping female leaders achieve their leadership and career ambitions, discover the Women in Leadership: Focused and Boundless program, closing on September 19, 2025.