While some individuals may be born leaders, many leaders experience success due to an intentional desire for self-improvement and a genuine concern for the welfare of others. As a future leader in healthcare, I intend to strengthen those skills that will enable me to be effective at creating a shared vision with my colleagues. The first step in strengthening leadership skills is to uncover the skills I may already possess and those which need to be developed. After completing a leadership skills inventory and interviewing three individuals who are familiar with my skills and qualities, I recognize that my decisive and detail-oriented nature may prove beneficial as a leader, as will the further development of qualities such as humility and recognizing my own limitations.

Leadership Experiences

Several significant experiences have helped to shape my leadership skills. Arguably the most traumatic event of my life occurred at an early age when my mother and older sister were in a car accident. My sister was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, while my mother lingered for three months in a coma before passing away. Amidst the shock and grief, I was thrust into the role of caregiver to my two younger siblings. My father continued to work during the months following the accident, and I stepped in to fill the role of my mother. In addition to my school responsibilities, I took charge of the household and ensured that my family had meals to eat and a clean house in which to live. I helped my younger brother and sister with their homework and, more importantly, helped them to cope with the loss of their mother and sister. The months following the accident were emotionally draining and physically exhausting, but I learned that I am able to think clearly and put my own needs aside for the benefit of others when faced with a traumatic crisis. In addition, my experiences in the hospital communicating with my mother’s physicians and nurses and striving to understand her condition ignited in me an interest in medicine.

Another leadership opportunity arose during my undergraduate schooling. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to perform research with my advisor during my junior and senior year at the university. In addition to assisting a graduate student with her research project, I was tasked with training other undergraduate students in relevant research techniques, such as conducting interviews and using different pain assessment tools. My advisor also gave me the responsibility of maintaining a research database and ensuring that adequate amounts of all supplies were available. During my senior year, I designed and conducted my own investigation related to the effects of different pain management techniques on lower back pain. I had the opportunity to present my research to members of the physical therapy department prior to graduation. This leadership experience enabled me to strengthen my knowledge of physical therapy and medicine and gave me confidence in seeing a project through from beginning to completion. The knowledge I gained during my time performing research will benefit me as I study medicine in the future.

A third significant leadership opportunity allowed me to organize volunteers for the local food bank. Once per month our food bank asked volunteers to pack boxes of food for low-income senior citizens. I volunteered with the organization for three years and I was asked to coordinate the volunteer groups who requested to work on specific days. I was responsible for contacting group leaders and arranging a time for them to work at the food bank, as well as training each group on the required tasks when they arrived.

These experiences, particularly the death of my sister and mother, enabled me to begin to develop qualities associated with adaptive leadership. Adaptive leadership assumes a shared responsibility for the future of the organization. Rather than limiting oneself to identifying only with specific roles and functions, organizational members demonstrate a shared sense of responsibility for the good of the whole organization (Heifetz, Grashow, & Linsky, 2009). After the death of my mother, I expanded my sense of responsibility beyond that of myself to that of my entire family. Rather than just worry about my own needs, I now assumed the responsibility for making choices that were in the best interest of our family as a whole. This experience taught me a great deal about putting others’ needs before one’s own needs.

Desired Leadership Characteristics: Ideal Self

The information I gleaned from the Friendly Style Profile provided interesting insights into my leadership styles. I realized that I react differently in times of calm, or the everyday stressors of life, than in times of storm, or the distressing events and crises. I achieved the highest score in the “calm” category for Affiliating/Perfecting (32), suggesting that I strive for excellence in the everyday tasks and situations that occupy my time. I do recognize this quality in myself, as I tend to be a perfectionist and place high expectations upon myself. However, a stress shift occurs when crises hit, and my style changes to Achieving/Directing (29). Individuals who score high in this category seek quick and decisive actions during times of stress or crisis (The Friendly Style Profile, 2004). This style would be particularly beneficial for professionals in the medical field, as they often must cope with health crises in their patients. These qualities will benefit me as I pursue my dream of becoming a physician, especially if I choose to work in an emergency department where quick and decisive actions are paramount.

The qualities of striving for excellence and making quick, decisive actions are important components of the leader I desire to be, yet improvements are warranted. Collins (2001) emphasized the importance of humility in leadership. Leaders demonstrate humility when they give credit to others and external factors for successes yet accept personal responsibility for failures. These types of leaders also reject mediocrity, demonstrating resolve in order to accomplish goals (Collins, 2001). My perfectionist approach does not align well with the idea of humility. Rather than trying to accomplish goals on my own, I need to learn when to rely on others, sometimes giving up control to my peers. I still seek excellence in my work and often feel a sense of resolve when faced with a task. However, as a leader I want to turn the attention away from myself at times and focus on the needs of those I serve.

In addition to humility, I desire to demonstrate the characteristics of a transformational leader. Transformational leaders serve as role models to others and inspire a positive vision of the future. Rather than dole out responsibilities, transformational leaders encourage creativity and innovation. These types of leaders promote autonomy while at the same time providing the encouragement and support employees need to make effective decisions (Richter, et al., 2016). As I often tend to assume the responsibility for the completion of tasks by myself, I need to learn to support others in accomplishing common goals and recognize that teamwork is an important part of leadership.

In summary, there are several characteristics that I possess which align with my vision of leadership, while there are others which warrant improvement. I strive for excellence in my work, a quality that may help me to inspire others to reach their fullest potential. In addition, I seek to be decisive when faced with a decision or choice, a quality that may help me to create a clear vision within my future organization. However, my quest for excellence sometimes resembles perfectionism, which can lead to unrealistic expectations placed upon myself and others. If my goal is to motivate and inspire others, I must develop realistic expectations and provide the support for others to succeed. In addition, an improved sense of humility will help me to remember that any successful team effort is truly the result of collaboration, not any one individual working within the limelight.

Others’ Perceptions of My Leadership Skills: Real Self

In order to gain insight into others’ perception of my leadership skills, I conducted interviews with three individuals familiar with my abilities. The interviewees included a peer from my undergraduate days as a pre-med major, the physical therapist who served as my research advisor, and a volunteer at the food bank. Upon analysis and reflection of the interview results, three themes emerged.

The first common theme among all three interviewees was that of decisiveness or confidence in my decisions. My former classmate commented that I always seemed “sure” of myself and my decisions. She reported the perception that I was confident in my course choices, as well as the career path I desired to pursue. My research advisor noted a similar pattern of behavior, commenting that as I conducted my independent research project during my senior year, I demonstrated confidence in my choices and a clear direction in how to answer my research question. The gentleman with whom I have scheduled volunteer work at the food bank commented that I made quick and confident decisions when allocating the work to the different volunteers when packing food boxes.

A second theme that emerged among the three interviews was my detail-oriented approach to solving problems and completing my work. My research advisor commented that I conducted thorough interviews of our research subjects. I remember contacting several research subjects for follow-up questions, as I wanted to be thorough when collecting data. My advisor also noted that my description of the methodology section in the paper in which I summarized my research project was detailed enough that other individuals could repeat my investigations merely by reading the paper. The volunteer at the food bank relayed similar comments, although in a different context. He commended me for my sense of organization, which included ensuring that pallets of similar foods were placed near each other for packing. In addition, he noted that I paid attention to details important to the volunteers, such as ensuring that they had mats to stand on during their time on the “assembly line”, enough snacks and drinks for the break, and adequate amounts of all necessary supplies, such as packaging tape and markers.

Attention to detail is a valuable quality, but one that can also hinder performance. I noticed that during some of my biology and chemistry classes as an undergraduate that it was easy to become “lost” in the details and lose sight of the big picture. This occurred at times during my research experience as well. There were times that I was so concerned about recording every small detail about a procedure or interview that I briefly lost sight of my overall goals. Effective leaders should constantly have the “big picture” in mind when setting goals and encouraging teammates.

While the first two themes, decisiveness and detail-oriented, are positive leadership qualities, the third theme represented an area for improvement. Two of the interviewees commented that I tend to take on too much responsibility at times, which can lead to stress. My college peer noted that I tended to overbook my course schedule, resulting in little free time to enjoy other activities. I wanted to take advantage of every opportunity to gain knowledge useful in my pursuit of a career in medicine. However, in doing so I often stretched my limits and became overwhelmed. My research advisor reminded me that while enrolled in 18 credits of coursework and involved in research, I also worked a part-time job. I enjoy challenges and prefer to stay busy, however this may hinder my success in some cases. When I spread myself too thin, I feel that I struggle to excel in different areas as I am not able to devote my full attention to any one area. As I move forward, I plan to work on improving this aspect of my life.

The tendency to take on too much responsibility may be detrimental to myself and others as a leader. Excessive stress can lead to negative outcomes, both emotionally and physically. Leaders must be able to recognize and manage stress within themselves first if they are to be able to help others do the same. Individuals with a Type A personality, who demonstrate a compulsive need for control, are at increased risk for stress and stress-related outcomes (Stickle, & Scott, 2016). Although I do not believe I fit into the Type A personality category completely, my detail-oriented nature and the desire to complete tasks myself rather than delegate them when appropriate could lead to stress. Therefore, I must learn to recognize signs of stress in myself and the precipitating factors and take steps to manage that stress.

Learning Agenda

As I project myself into the future and into my medical career, I must consider the types of leadership skills that will enable healthcare professionals to excel at patient care. An emerging model of healthcare leadership is the collaborative model. This model reflects a shift in perspective from a traditional “command and control” approach to one that is more inclusive. Rather than exert authority or use position and power to achieve desired goals, healthcare leaders should use influence and create a sense of shared vision and goals among colleagues. The basis for this model is the building of relationships among a variety of individuals, both professionally and within the community (Collins-Nakai, 2006).

Multidisciplinary teams demonstrate the implementation of the collaborative model. These types of teams allow for a greater understanding of the patient within his personal context by integrating different perspectives into the diagnostic and care plan. Different professionals with different areas of expertise collaborate to form a common resolution to health issues (Roncaglia, 2016). For example, an oncology patient may have a team of healthcare providers that includes physicians, nurses, a pharmacist, a psychologist, a social worker, and a physical therapist. Effective leaders of multidisciplinary teams set the culture of the team, motivate the team, ensure open communication among members, and ensure that all team members are able to participate and receive the support they need to do so (Sims, Hewitt, & Harris, 2015).

As healthcare moves in the direction of the collaborative model, as a leader I must be prepared to facilitate change. Bridges and Bridges (2000) described a number of essential steps that leaders can take to ensure a smooth transition in the face of change. Leaders must help others understand why the change is necessary and should ensure that the details related to the change are carefully planned. Since attention to detail is one of my strengths, I feel confident that I can achieve this aspect of promoting change. In addition, leaders should possess an understanding of how others are affected by the change, including what they may be gaining or giving up. Some individuals have difficulty letting go of familiar practices and norms and may need encouragement. Although I tend to be decisive and quick in my decisions, I need to recognize that not everyone functions in that manner. Some individuals benefit from time to ponder a change and how it will affect them before moving forward. In situations of change, I will work to demonstrate empathy and maintain open communication with my colleagues.

It is important to note, as well, that individuals often model the behaviors demonstrated by their leaders. Behavioral neuroscience supports the notion that following, or mirroring, the behaviors of others is hardwired into the brain (Goleman, & Boyatzis, 2008). My hope is that as I strengthen my leadership skills and work as an effective member of a multidisciplinary team, I will serve as a positive role model for leadership skills and help to develop these same skills in others.

Conclusions

The changing healthcare environment to a more collaborative approach represents an exciting transition. As a future leader, I intend to play a positive role in this change, helping others to recognize and work towards common goals and providing them with the encouragement and support they need to achieve them. My decisiveness in the face of stress and my attention to detail will benefit me as I assume leadership positions. I intend to focus on a more shared sense of responsibility with others, a sense of humility, and effective stress management skills as I move forward in my medical career.

References

Bridges, W., & Bridges, S.M. (2000). Leading transition: A new model for change. Leader to Leader Journal, 16, 1-6.

Collins-Nakai, R. (2006). Leadership in medicine. McGill Journal of Medicine, 9(1), 68-73.

Collins, J. (2001). Level 5 leadership: The triumph of humility and fierce resolve. Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 66-76.

Goleman, D., & Boyatzis, R.E. (2008). Social intelligence and the biology of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 86(9), 74-81.

Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

Richter, A., Schwartz, U., Lornudd, C., Lundmark, R., Mosson, R., & Hasson, H. (2016). iLead – a transformational leadership intervention to train healthcare managers’ implementation leadership. Implementation Science, 11, 1-14.

Roncaglia, I. (2016). A practitioner’s perspective of multidisciplinary teams: Analysis of potential barriers and key factors for success. Psychological Thought, 9(1), 15-23.

Sims, S., Hewitt, G., & Harris, R. (2015). Evidence of a shared purpose, critical reflection, innovation, and leadership in interprofessional healthcare teams: A realist synthesis. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 29(3), 209-215.

Stickle, F.E., & Scott, K. (2016). Leadership and occupational stress. Education, 137(1), 27-38.

The Friendly Style Profile. (2004). Eugene, OR: Friendly Press.

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