LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

Drive Success…or Foster Engagement? Do you feel as a leader you have to choose one over the other? Any time we put the word "or" between two options instead of the word "and", we’ve made the Fool’s Choice, whereby the balance tips one direction or the other. We believe it’s not possible to achieve both…the "and". Let’s put some context to each of these because reality is that one is dependent upon the other. They’re not exclusive. Both are necessary to keep the balance.

Unless you live and work in total isolation, at one point or another, you (or employees on your teams) will experience conflict. When conflict arises, the strategy for many is “wait and hope.” Avoid further interaction. The next time you recognize you (or others) are stalling on conflict resolution, remember only after the storm are there rainbows. Calm exists on the other side of any temporary blip. Here are 4 tactics to move quickly through the BLIP.

Fear is real.  It lurks within all of us and influences our behaviors.  One fear that can take a toll on leader development is fear of failure.  Many of us as rural healthcare leaders were chosen for initial supervisory roles because of demonstrating consistent achievement and potential.  What secures the promotion then creates the bind by which our performance is constrained.  We believe we must continue success and can’t risk failure.  Fear blinds us from seeing that greater success comes wit...

All too often we similarly waste our energy fighting unwinnable battles or fretting over unknowns. We habitually focus on what we can’t control rather than using our energy to take action. We worry, complain, and blame, which serves no good. We put more effort into fixating on the problem itself than using our influence to overcome it. In so doing, we relinquish our power over to the problem rather than the solution. Try these 4 strategies instead...

Imagine sitting at your local park in your lawn chair, relaxed and enjoying a summer breeze as the warm sun lands gently on your cheeks. You turn to see a familiar neighbor boy playing catch nearby and, to encourage you to play, he tosses you the ball. What do you naturally do? You catch the ball. You’ve joined the game. As leaders, we're also wired to catch. We assume responsibility to help, to fix. When someone throws out a concern, we pick up their burden and respond. When an employe...

I love pie! I rarely turn down the chance to enjoy a slice…lemon meringue, peach, apple, pumpkin, pecan, chocolate, cherry, even grape! There’s only one pie I had to develop a taste for – humble pie. Do you have a taste for it as well?

Since April we’ve sailed the seas with two ships of our leadership fleet – Mentorship and Relationship. How’s your sailing going? Who on your crew has now been mentored…and is now mentoring others? What relationships among your “shipmates” have you leaned into to strengthen? We now enter June, a fine month for sunny sky sailing. We conclude our voyage aboard our final leadership vessel – Stewardship.

Last month we toured the first of three “ships” in our leadership fleet – Mentorship. How did you do as you hoisted the sail with that skill? Who did you mentor? How did they grow? How rewarding was it to watch their sail fill?This month’s vessel – Relationship.

Have you ever been sailing? Sailing a boat requires trust in your intuition to steer—paying close attention to changes in the wind, knowing how to adapt and adjust and when to let go of control, relax, and enjoy. And it’s hard to sail a large ship alone; you must rely on your crew’s strengths. Communication is required between the captain and shipmates. Does sailing sound a little bit like leadership? Well then…I invite you to set sail with me over the upcoming months as we explore thre...

Modern medicine preaches the benefits of prevention. We’ve learned how it positively impacts overall health, increases quality of life, and decreases cost of care.What if we were to apply this concept to our staffing pipeline? Too often in the midst of today’s healthcare climate, where steadying today’s staffing levels is—at best—a struggle, considering tomorrow’s needs takes a back seat. While the difficulty is understandable, by postponing the preparations until the time of need, it c...