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…

Things have changed so much! Hard to believe it is the same place. When we see a community, or a place of work, or even a person often, changes in them appear to take place gradually. Things seem to move slowly or not at all. When we’re away for a while and then see the person or place again, changes may feel dramatic. After my book Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America was published,…

While the path to healthcare leadership can be exhilarating, it can also wear people down when they don’t know how to manage the stress that comes with it. Yet it is possible for leaders (and everyone) to avoid burnout and thrive in healthcare, regardless of our industry’s pressures. It requires being what Annamarí Dietrichson calls “the boss of your brain.”