The description of \u201cnatural born leader\u201d is often applied to those who swiftly rise up the ranks of leadership to the C-suite, overlooking that this \u201crise\u201d is usually propelled by career-long leadership development. For Ellen Bower, leadership development was her first job after completing her bachelor\u2019s in cellular and molecular biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThroughout my collegiate experience I was an active member of Phi Mu Fraternity, which led me to my first post-graduate career,\u201d Bower explains. \u201cFollowing graduation, I spent two years traveling the country as a Leadership Consultant with the Fraternity teaching young collegiates about leadership development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this experience in leadership development and her undergraduate degree in the sciences, Ellen decided to merge \u201cmy passion for medicine, science, and leadership\u201d and \u201cjumped into a role in Healthcare Administration. It was a great fit for me, and I was able to grow in various healthcare leadership roles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A \u201cnatural born leader\u201d knows that to keep growing you have to keep going in your leadership development and education. Ellen just needed to find the \u201cfit\u201d she was looking for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI spent several years looking at various master\u2019s programs, and content and fit were very important to me,\u201d she says \u201cI was looking for something that was more well-rounded than the traditional MBA or MHA<\/a> that most of my peers possessed. While the skills gained in those programs [are] important, I wanted something that would add different tools to my toolbox and set me apart as a growing leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ellen found her fit in Michigan State University\u2019s online Master of Science in Management, Strategy and Leadership<\/a> (MSMSL), stating the program \u201cintrigued me from the beginning. It seemed to be a merger for me of all the areas that I was passionate about and brought a different perspective on the traditional business school experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once she was in the program, Ellen found the experience \u201cfar exceeded my expectations. Not only was I learning valuable business content that I could apply in real time to my career, but it brought me together with individuals from so many different industries that it helped me realize that the approach to any business topic is in the eye of the beholder. The vantage point in which you approach a business negotiation, a strategy meeting, or human resources content can vary widely based on your past experiences but also your industry. The MSMSL has opened doors for me professionally, but it has also opened my eyes to lead differently than I did before obtaining my degree.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After completing her Master of Science in Management, Strategy and Leadership degree in 2017, Ellen was \u201cready for the next professional step.\u201d Little did she know that the next professional step would also be a personal one for her family and herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ellen and her husband, who holds \u201ctwo graduate degrees and was patient and supportive through the whole process\u201d as she completed her graduate program, began looking together for opportunities for professional growth where they could challenge and cheer on one another. This led Ellen, her husband and their young son to relocate from Southern Illinois to Tampa, Florida in March 2018. Her husband pursued a new role and Ellen found her opportunity at Women\u2019s Care Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In June of 2020, Ellen Bower became the Chief Operating Officer of Women\u2019s Care Florida, with Alistair Madle, CEO of Women\u2019s Care Florida, recognizing her as the embodiment of \u201cour core values of accountability, excellence and quality\u201d in the press release<\/a> announcement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In taking on this leadership position, Ellen can see the \u201cmultitude of ways that my MSMSL program helped prepare me for my role as COO.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe program itself gave me valuable tools…and keys to being a better leader,\u201d she explains. \u201cI negotiate multiple contracts daily and the skills I learned I use every day in my new role, and I am often complemented by peers on my approach and success. This is a direct reflection from real life applicable skills I learned in the MSMSL program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nStepping Up Into the C-Suite<\/h2>\n\n\n\n