When great results are achieved, the top leader is often asked how it happened. A frequent response is, “The credit goes to the team.” Let’s dig deeper. What makes a team (the people who make the results happen) successful? In studying high-performing organizations, there are common themes. The biggest one is that successful companies invest considerable amounts of time and dollars in selecting and developing talent. I was reminded of this recently at a session…

They are poaching our people. They stole one of our best employees. Such statements are heard periodically. They reflect a misunderstanding of the employee/company relationship. Employees, unless contracted in a way that does not allow departures (or allows them only under certain conditions), are free to work where they want to and leave when they want to. No one “poaches” or “steals” anyone. They might try to recruit an employee, and they might succeed if the…

Years ago, when I was working at Mercy Hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin, a request was made of me. I put other items to the side to make it happen. Later I found out the request was not urgent. I had let other items slide that were more important. How could I have prevented this from taking place? By asking the person making the request about its timeline and relative importance. It sounds simple and obvious,…

Why and how did you first become a supervisor? Was it because you majored in leadership? Was your goal to be a manager? Did you want to make a high salary? I often ask this question during my presentations, and what I discover is that most people assume a supervisory role because they want to be helpful. A nurse does not go to nursing school because they see it as a stepping stone to management. A…

 Are we treating the symptom or the cause? Leaders need to periodically ask this question when struggling with performance issues or less than optimal outcomes. Treating symptoms is important and cannot be ignored; however, it doesn’t take the place of finding the larger cause. Symptoms are a sign to look deeper into what is occurring. A symptom can be due to a situation not being addressed soon enough or in some cases at all. Treating symptoms can…

Physicians are often asked to lead—but are rarely prepared for the role. Promotions can happen overnight, often with no formal training and little support. This can lead to frustration, isolation, and burnout…and many times, physicians end up walking away from organizations that they feel weren’t invested in their leadership growth. In a recent episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Dan Collard sat down with Don Taylor and Kurt Scott, creators of From Healer to Leader: The Path to…

One thing I love about my job is getting to meet with so many different leaders. I always ask: “How did you get your start?” I am blown away by the stories I hear. Very rarely does a person have a clear and obvious path. Most times it’s more a zigzag through a foggy landscape than a straight, well-lighted road. That describes my own path. What does this mean for Class of 2025 graduates staring…