SCCM Resource Library-My Career Is Pivoting in a Positive Direction: Ten Lessons Learned in New Leadership Roles

Video Transcription

Hello and thank you for joining me today. My name is Dwight Bailey. I am Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Levine Children's Hospital, a part  of Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. Levine Children's Hospital has been named the US News and World Report Best Children's Hospital for 11 years running.  My topic today is titled, My Career is Pivoting in a Positive Direction, 10 Lessons Learned in New Leadership Roles. I have nothing to disclose for today's lecture.  These are my 10 lessons learned for new leadership roles. Lessons I will be briefly sharing with you today that I have come to understand, embrace, and live by over  the course of my time as a leader at Levine Children's Hospital.  What kind of leader do you strive to be? Who do you look to or want to emulate as you build and refine your own leadership skills? Please reflect on these questions as I discuss  my 10 lessons learned in new leadership roles today.  Effective leaders have a clear vision of what success will look like in a specific time period. They know how to plan for it, how to communicate and direct it,  and how to implement it. They dream big and look forward to overcoming the challenges their vision will face. They also know that their vision has to be actionable and measurable,  and perhaps most importantly, they understand that they are ultimately accountable for it. Leaders within the medical industry must own  their vision and nurture its continuing success.  In times of uncertainty, good healthcare leaders display an innate ability to adapt to constantly changing conditions. They are flexible enough to recognize and maximize  the opportunities that present themselves in times of change without losing sight of your vision. This will be increasingly important as  healthcare reform continues to reshape traditional models of care. The best leaders understand that change doesn't have to compromise your vision.  In fact, it can be an opportunity to propel your vision forward.  Creating opportunity out of change usually necessitates taking some risks. However, as World War II US General George Patton once said, take calculated risks.  That is much different from being rash. Good leaders understand this. They have the courage to try new things, many of which won't be easy.  But they also understand that capitalizing on risks requires careful study and a disciplined plan of action. Not only does this improve their chances of success,  it breeds confidence within the organizational ranks. That their leader knows how to generate opportunities without carelessly jeopardizing the vision.  We all have our favorite leaders who have demonstrated that they have influence well beyond their official positions. When they are involved,  they are both persuasive and can get things done. Often they can achieve the challenging outcomes demanded by everyone. Why do they have so much influence and how do they gain it?  They demonstrate the fine art of influence. Influence is not controlling or commanding someone to do something.  Influencers use inspiration and persuasion to advance a cause or outcome. One of the most overlooked aspects of being a successful influencer  is the ability to be influenced by others. Be a great listener. Learn quickly and assess the landscape before saying a word. Demonstrate that you can be influenced  before attempting to influence another person. It is this ability to absorb what others are feeling and saying that allows you to be effective.  You are building relationships and trust. Building consensus towards a solution is more about how people are listened to and respected and less about the specific ideas advanced.  Many see Leslie Knope as a role model thanks to her work ethic, her passion for parks and recreation, and of course her love of waffles.  Leslie is also known for her unwavering commitment to do the right thing no matter what obstacles stand in the way. It always seems that the top performers in any industry  have a relentlessly positive attitude towards the future and an exhaustible reservoir of energy in sharing their vision. Think of the leaders you've admired most.  Their drive, determination, optimism, and passion are contagious. Where does it come from? Inevitably, it springs from a firm belief in what they are doing  and a passion for moving it forward. Not that they didn't experience periods of frustration or complications, but good leaders know how to cultivate a positive, energetic atmosphere  and they understand that it starts with them every single day.  Understand, build, and teach your culture. I've chosen and built a culture of diversity, inclusivity, voice, and consensus.  The best leaders surround themselves with a high-performing team. They trust and empower their staff to effectively take action and achieve the desired outcomes.  An effective leader must know how to find and recruit talent who believes and lives the culture and who will act on your vision.  Inspiring industry leaders realize that healthcare is and should be a calling, but they also understand that it's a business.  And like any other successful business, it is consumer-driven. In fact, healthcare reform has actually intensified the consumer focus  and appropriately brought patient outcomes to the forefront of change. Understanding and optimizing patient and patient-centered care  Understanding and optimizing patient and family experience as well as teammate experience is an absolute must.  Good leaders understand this and they know how to leverage consumer-centric experiences that have not been traditionally associated with the healthcare industry.  Healthcare is a relationship industry and good healthcare leaders are constantly engaged at every level of their organization.  They know how to connect and work with key internal stakeholders, such as employees and providers, consumers, including patients, families, and the community they serve.  More importantly, they understand how to integrate these relationships and unite them under a single vision. This will be increasingly critical as healthcare reform continues  to redefine traditional reimbursement structures, physician and hospital alignment, and the advancement of more patient-centered models of care.  As successful as the healthcare industry has been in developing cutting-edge life-saving technologies, it has been woefully lacking in creating quality mentoring programs.  Good leaders understand the importance of mentoring. They create environments in which current and future leaders can gain valuable experiences early in their careers.  This is invaluable to future leaders because they get to see firsthand how top performers react and respond to different situations.  This exposure is critical in developing the competencies they'll need as their careers advance. I'd like to add a quick appreciation and kudos to my colleague and friend,  Dr. Raj Basu, for his continued vision and leadership in developing the Guardians Mentoring Program  that is impacting the development of many within pediatric critical care medicine.  Today's high performers recognize that leadership skills aren't exclusively intuitive. Rather, they are constantly honed. That's why top leaders make it a habit to seek out  leadership development opportunities. These opportunities can come in many forms. Whatever those are, be sure you can define the methods by which you best learn.  Thus, you'll be more apt to stay engaged in ongoing development. Additionally, don't be hesitant to look for development opportunities outside of health care.  Other industries face similar challenges, and you can learn valuable lessons from networking with leaders in those particular fields.  Not everyone is destined to be a leader in an executive or managerial role. However, I firmly believe that all providers have the ability to be leaders  and should embody these leadership principles. As a provider, you set the tone for your team, your hospital, and your company. People will naturally want to follow you  as you demonstrate the characteristics of an effective and influential leader. But what are you doing to grow as a leader?  What is your three-year plan, your five-year plan, your 10-year plan? What are you doing about it? Take stock of your position and determine what you need to do  to be where you want to be in the future. Through my leadership role as Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine,  these are the 10 most important lessons I have learned over 12 years in my position. Quickly recapping, have a vision and stick to it. View change as opportunity.  Be courageous in the face of risk. Understand how to influence people. Stay positive and energetic. Build your culture. Understand that healthcare is a patient-focused business.  Stay engaged. Appreciate the importance of mentoring. And continuously learn and improve.  Thank you very much for your time today. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any desired discussion or feedback on this topic  and enjoy the remainder of the 51st Critical Care Congress. Thanks.

Video Summary

Dr. Dwight Bailey, Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Levine Children's Hospital, shares his 10 lessons for new leadership roles. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision, adapting to change, taking calculated risks, and influencing others without being controlling. Dr. Bailey also highlights the significance of staying positive, building a strong team culture, focusing on patient-centered care, and staying engaged with stakeholders. He stresses the importance of mentoring and continuous learning to improve leadership skills. Dr. Bailey encourages all providers to embody these leadership principles and continually grow as leaders in their respective fields.

Asset Subtitle

Professional Development and Education, 2022

Asset Caption

Leaders are often thrust into new positions unexpectedly. Healthcare practitioners often assume new leadership positions both within their clinical area of expertise, such as medical directorships, and also in new administrative leadership opportunities. It is well recognized that hospital leadership positions filled with clinicians are far more successful than those without. As clinicians transition into new leadership positions, there are many pitfalls and perils that even the most experienced leader should avoid. The purpose of this session is to provide an opportunity for clinicians who have transitioned into key administrative and leadership positions to describe their personal lessons learned.

Meta Tag

Content Type Presentation

Knowledge Area Professional Development and Education

Knowledge Level Advanced

Membership Level Select

Tag Team Leadership

Tag Workforce

Year 2022

Keywords

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

leadership roles

vision

change

calculated risks

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