M A R C H 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 7
D
espite what
anyone
claims,
nobody is a born
leader. Sure, some
people are born with
certain skills — com-
munication, showman-
ship, empathy, charis-
ma — that lend them-
selves to solid leader-
ship. But the fact is
leadership is a skill you can learn. This should come as welcome
news if, after years and years in the trenches, you've been thrust sud-
denly into a leadership role at a surgical facility full of strong person-
alities. Let's look at 3 characteristics that separate great healthcare
leaders from so-so managers.
Great leaders put the patients second. Put patients first. Put
patients first. It's a mantra healthcare providers live by, but is it
truly the way we should be doing things? I don't think so. Here's a
simple analogy to drive home why: If the oxygen masks come down
on an airplane, who are you supposed to put it on first, yourself or
your children? You take care of yourself first so you're able to proper-
ly help your children through the crisis. It's the same thing with health
care. In order to take the best possible care of patients, you must first
take care of your own staff. Your organization is a collection of peo-
1
Yes, You Can Become a Better Leader
Be the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.
Staffing
Chet Wyman, MD
• FOLLOW ME Leaders have people follow them, while managers have people work
for them.
Steve
Debenport
