Let The Truth Sting
I am writing this blog from 35,000 feet in the air (with limited WiFi) on my way from a trip to California- so forgive me for posting late! For those of you who have been "following" my blog, I'm sure you've noticed that I tend to write more about health policy. Successfully or unsuccessfully, I try to tie them in with what I'm learning in Professor Bonica's class. But given the state of affairs in our healthcare system today, how can I not? For this post, I wanted to get a little more personal and focus on leadership and teamwork- two of which are extremely essential skills when it comes to working in healthcare (or any career for that matter).
In Professor Bonica's class, we had to conduct an evaluation on our group members who we've been working with for a good chunk of the semester on various projects. The goal of this evaluation is to allow us to be honest about their weaknesses and give them praise on their strengths. Not going to lie, it was more difficult than I anticipated it to be. I knew that being generic with my answers would not have helped my group members grow and learn from their mistakes. As individuals, we enjoy hearing positives from someone you've worked closely with, but in the back of our minds, we cannot help but feel as if they're not being completely honest. Oddly enough, I actually prefer to hear the negatives because it gives me the chance to focus on going about fixing them because eventually, it can become one of my strengths over time.
Since most of you reading this don't know me as well; I have the tendency to be shy when I'm dominated by particuarly strong personalities. That's not to say I don't perceive myself as a leader at all, it's more so behind the scenes and it also depends on my relationship with other people (i.e are they strangers or friends/acquaintances). I realize that as I start to enter into the healthcare field, this is something I would need to improve on. Finding your voice isn't necessarily easy, but I know that until I put myself out there, my voice can be overshadowed and less likely to be heard.
Throughout the semester, we've had a few guest speakers talk about the importance of being outgoing and being a people person, having the ability to put yourself out there and be comfortable with taking on leadership roles. As someone who considers herself to be "ambivalent", I questioned how I was going to improve on my weakness in terms of becoming more outgoing. Recently, we had a guest speaker who is a CFO at a nearby hospital and he classifies himself as an introvert. It was refreshing to hear that despite him having the tendency to feel drained in social situations and needing alone time in order for him to refuel- successful people are not always extroverts. From my perspective, it is evident that despite which personality you have, the thing that matters most is the passion for your career, the risk you're willing to take and how you handle the highs and lows. Not only that, it is also how you treat others and how you let them treat you. Each leader has their own strengths and weaknesses, and there is no exact guide on how to be a successful leader. The general point being made is that leaders come in all different shapes and sizes.
My question to you is; what do you think a (successful) leader is and what qualities make up a leader?
I actually had to make a presentation on my birthday in Dr. Bonica's class. I am an introvert and my classmates wanted to sing to me. (shudder) I can present and speak when it is necessary but I also prefer to defer to the louder voices in the room. The genesis of a good leader is knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and using them to your advantage. I am good a researching and presenting the data, one of my coworkers refers to me as a Kingmaker. I am not sure how accurate that is but there is a place for us all. I would recommend Susan Cain's book, Quiet, it might prove insightful to you.
ReplyDeleteNothing more awkward than people singing happy birthday in public- it makes me cringe too so I feel your pain! Thank you for sharing your view on leadership, I agree with you as well. I think it is important to have self awareness, especially when it comes to being a leader.
DeleteAnna, forgot to include this in my original response but thank you for recommending Susan Cain's book! I can't remember when but I have seen her Ted Talk called "Power of Introverts"- loved it!
DeleteThere is a place for all of us. It took me a number of years to find that I was much better at analytical work than operational work. Once I discovered that, I was much happier. The better you know yourself, the sooner you will find the place where you belong.
ReplyDeleteWell written. I am VERY much an extrovert and feel that I have the ability to talk to anyone about anything. My current role requires me to manage people and their teams and some days even I feel physically drained with the amount of energy it takes to interact with colleagues all day long.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, a successful leader can be defined in many different ways but for me, is one who demonstrates integrity and grit.