LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP AND LIFE
With age comes wisdom.
—Oscar Wilde, Author
This adage didn’t mean much to me when I graduated from medical school. I was a newly minted doctor armed with an abundance of higher education knowledge and the ability to think critically and solve complicated medical problems.
I thought I was smart. Little did I understand that intellect and knowledge do not equal wisdom. Add experience from years of blood, sweat, and tears, and mix it with some emotional intelligence; then, voilà, we get wisdom. This valuable cognitive and reflective ability helps us understand abstract and complex situations so that we can make wise decisions.
It is important to appreciate that we each have our own unique brand of wisdom. Not all will have the same title or definitions applied to them. This is likely a function of varying experiences and different degrees of emotional intelligence.
As the CEO of a healthcare organization for more than 40 years, my role is to be a visionary and to make good decisions. This has become easier as my experiences have grown, resulting in a continuous refinement of wisdom.
Recently, I was asked to suggest the five most important leadership “wisdoms” that would define characteristics of a good leader. I have many more than five, so I compromised at 10. This list embodies a combination of emotional and intellectual intelligence, knowledge, and experiences that shaped my wisdom.
1. EMBRACE YOUR PASSION(S)
If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.
—Bishop T. D. Jakes, Evangelical Pastor
Passion is a deeply felt emotion that leads to enthusiasm or a desire for something meaningful. It is like a torch lit by inspiration. Many times, a single passion may beget other passions.
As a child, I was inspired to climb mountains after catching a glimpse of Mount Fuji. I wondered what mysteries and enchantments were at the top. Overwhelming curiosity ultimately led me to become a passionate mountain climber.
This hobby taught me valuable lessons on how to handle life’s challenges and leadership difficulties, as well as decision-making dilemmas. These lessons were easily carried over into my medical career as I navigated through the challenges of our complicated medical system and learned to avoid pitfalls and survive under extremely difficult conditions.
Passion became my guiding light, which lit my pathway to purpose. It is true that you will always perform at a top level if you are inspired to do good from your passions and heart — not by your pocketbook.
2. LEARN TO HAVE PATIENCE
Patience is a virtue.
—William Langland, Poet
My dad used to tell me that “patience is a virtue.” As a kid, I didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded good, so I started practicing patience.
I know many impatient people. They seem to be in a rush to do this or that; go from here to there and back as fast as they can. These days, people often multitask to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Very few people take the time to savor their good work and enjoy the journey.
I’ve come to the following conclusions about patience as it relates to successes and failures.
Sometimes, whatever you do the decisions you make may not work out as planned. I don’t think we are wrong to have tried. The timing may not be right for the decision to work, or the circumstances don’t work out like they’re supposed to. It doesn’t mean the decisions are wrong. It may simply be that there are alternative ways to approach a problem. No matter what, have patience and try again.
There are times when outcomes occur unexpectedly. When I was a kid, my mom and I were rushing to catch a train, but we ended up missing it — mainly because I was too slow. Rather than get upset, Mom made plans to try again the following day. Later, a neighbor heard that the train we were supposed to be on had crashed and that everyone either died or was severely injured. Call it divine intervention, but I think sometimes things are meant to fail and not be timely according to our expectations.
Finally, being impatient may lead to stress and contribute to physical and mental decline.
3. THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are for.
—William G.T. Shedd, American Theologian
In other words, don’t stay in the safety and shelter of something comfortable. Go out and explore the world, try and see new things, open your mind.
One day, a man went to clean his fish tank. Not having a second tank or bowl, he filled his bathtub and carefully transferred the fish to one end of the tub. Later, when retrieving them, he realized the fish never strayed from the same spatial area — the size of the rectangular tank.
Fascinated, he watched for a while and even sprinkled fish food on the other side of the tub to entice them to leave the small area. They never did and seemed happy to just swim around in that confined space. They created a life of self-imposition, never to know what was on the other end of the tub.
Most people play it safely and do not go beyond a certain point. But if we never look for something, we will never find it and will live a life of self-imposed confinement.
Good leaders must think differently. Look beyond convention and see things in a different way. That may be the difference between a good leader and a great one.
4. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
—General principle of self-care
Our profession is highly stressful, with a high suicide rate. It should be in our job descriptions to take good care of ourselves. Not being physically and mentally fit, not sleeping well, and not eating properly lead to an unhealthy life, a sluggish disposition, and a shallow mind.
My father-in-law shared a story about someone he once dated while working on his PhD at Carnegie Mellon University in the 1950s. Judy (not her real name) was an heiress to a fortune; her grandfather had founded a major international company.
Confined to a wheelchair, the grandfather took my father-in-law on a tour of his cavernous house. He suddenly stopped while experiencing a severe coughing spasm. Waving his right hand around a stately room, he declared, “You can see all the wealth I have, but you know what I really have? Nothing! I have nothing because I have poor health. Always remember: Without good health, you have nothing. With nothing, you cannot run a business well.”
To remain healthy takes a lot of work, dedication, and desire. It is our responsibility as leaders to maintain our health.
5. DO THE RIGHT THINGS
Do the right things for the right reasons and do them the right way. Success will always follow.
—Ronald Dwinnells, Physician and CEO
When I first began my adventures as CEO, I had no idea how to run a business — I went to med school to be a doctor, not a business leader. I relied on quotes, adages, and words of wisdom to get me through. I even made up a few, like the one at the beginning of this section.
When my organization became one of the top-performing federally qualified health centers in the country, President George W. Bush came to do a town hall discussion. Our health center program had a lot of publicity, and I was suddenly in demand as a speaker. People wanted to know our secrets to success.
I soon found myself in front of large groups of CEOs and CFOs. After a brief background presentation, I shared how I had created one of the country’s top health centers. My message was simple: “If you want to be successful, do the right things for the right reasons and do them the right way, and the successes will always follow.”
The audience fell silent, and I received a massive blank stare from them. They were stunned, and I chuckled. As they walked out, I could see some shaking their heads as if they had just seen a bad movie. They didn’t understand that success comes from the heart and hard work, and not from some magical formula.
6. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
A relationship is like building a house; build it well, or it will collapse.
—Unknown
It is impossible to accomplish anything monumental without the help of others, whether it’s brainstorming or physical help. It is much easier and much more productive to have multiple minds working on something. Relationships are critical for business success. Patient and organizational referrals are crucial for sustaining a business, especially in healthcare.
7. BE ACCOUNTABLE AND MANDATE ACCOUNTABILITY
Without accountability, there will be no growth.
—Manuel Corazzari, Author, Pastor, Motivator
As our organization grew, it became harder to hold people accountable. I would request management reports from the CFO, but I never received them. I’d forget about it, then remember a few days later and ask again. I would ask for certain projects to get done — many went forgotten. I finally learned to set timelines for projects for myself and for others. I could jot that in my notebook so I wouldn’t forget.
Not only should our staff be accountable, but also as leaders, we must also be accountable to others. Accountability, as the quote goes, is so important for growth. Many of our decisions are dependent on accountability.
8. HAVE RESPECT
Knowledge will give you power. But character, respect.
—Bruce Lee, Actor, Martial Arts Specialist
Have and show respect to others, and that respect will almost always be reciprocated. Your actions and decisions are what reveal your character and validate you as a good leader. Reciprocal respect is a key.
9. DON’T SURROUND YOURSELF WITH YES PEOPLE
A car does not move forward without friction.
To succeed and do great and wonderful things, we need feedback from others. Many leaders do not handle criticism well; however, it is an essential part of leadership. We must embrace differences to move forward. I always thought that if they didn’t give critical feedback, then they probably didn’t care much about what I was doing.
“You’re right, Dr. D,” they would say. “I agree with you!”
These folks may be ego strokers for you, but it becomes quite boring after a while. For me, they are “empty heads,” as my mom would call them. They have nothing worthwhile to contribute, so please don’t waste your time with them. Remember, as a leader, you want to surround yourself with people who are not afraid to challenge your ideas or values. Avoid Yes people.
10. LEARN TO SAY NO
It’s not “mean” to say no. It’s “mean” to give someone false hope. It’s “mean” to set expectations that you know you won’t meet.
—Sara Kuburic, Author, Psychotherapist
How many times do we agree to something that we really don’t want to do nor have the time to do it? Leaders are often at high risk of being solicited for things because of the influence they have on others.
A good metaphor to illustrate this situation is the story of the strangler figs. Plants such as banyans and vines that typically grow in tropical and subtropical areas have a symbiotic relationship early on. The strangler figs provide support for the banyan tree to help it withstand strong winds and storms with their entanglements. But as they continue their “partnership,” the figs commonly strangle the host trees by enveloping them and growing higher to reach the sunlight zone above the canopy. This eventually shades the host trees from the sun, resulting in their death.
People and events can do the same with leaders. Early on, leaders need other’s support to get things accomplished. As the company grows and the organization becomes more complicated, there are exponentially more people who continue to depend on leadership. Meetings, reviewing documents, giving advice, and making endless decisions may put a stranglehold on you. Much like the fig, it can destroy the host — you! Thus, it is important to say no. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It just won’t work.
SHARING WISDOMS
These are my top wisdoms. They will probably change even in this late stage of my career, but I will never lose those that I’ve already acquired. Please think about your wisdom(s). If you don’t have any, then start building them on your journey through leadership.