Anahita Dua (Boston, USA) spoke to Vascular News at the 2023 Vascular Societies’ Annual Scientific Meeting (VSASM; 22–24 November, Dublin, Ireland) on some of the key messages from her presentations at the conference.
One presentation centred around the concept of “strong and kind” leadership, with Dua sharing some advice for the next generation of clinical leaders—and specifically women leaders—based on her own experience.
“Don’t ask for permission; go for it, you are qualified, and you were given this position for a reason, now go and show everybody why it is that you were chosen,” was the presenter’s summary of her advice to women in leadership positions at all levels.
The vascular surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School also outlined some important elements to consider when developing effective leadership skills, including taking on even small leadership positions in order to “develop that muscle”.
Finally, Dua outlined some of the key messages from her Kinmonth Lecture on innovative ways to prevent amputation, which focused on the “holistic approach to saving legs”.