Exploring leadership and promoting career development for female physicians.

Based on the Women Physicians' Career Symposium at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Hematology, this paper explores career development and leadership among female physicians. A career encompasses not only one's professional life but also the entirety of one's life, as highlighted by Schein's concept of the "career anchor" and Hall's "protean career" theory. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of sustaining careers while navigating life events such as childbirth and childcare, alongside addressing the need to overcome unconscious bias. Furthermore, the characteristics of transactional, transformational, and shared leadership are analyzed in the context of healthcare settings. In the face of accelerating population aging and work-style reforms, this paper aspires to inspire the next generation of physicians to transcend gender biases, demonstrate effective leadership, and contribute to the realization of sustainable healthcare systems.