Physician Leadership is Critical for Entrepreneurism
In entrepreneurism, many physicians will likely find the role of leader a new experience. As such, I can’t overstate the importance of acquiring leadership skills.
One way to learn about leadership is seeing how other accomplished leaders have developed effective styles and strategies. But I don’t think you can necessarily mimic an accomplished leader—an “I want to be just like Steve Jobs” approach. That likely won’t fly. You can try standing on your desk and yelling at people like Jobs did—but if that’s not you, people will immediately see through it. Plus, that’s really no way to lead.
Every successful leader displays authenticity. Don’t adopt behavior that simply isn’t you. The next step is even harder for many. If you want to lead, set the example. Walk the talk. You can’t criticize people who aren’t working hard if you’re not working hard.
A common misconception can hinder understanding of effective business leadership. It’s not a matter of “Do this, do that.” Instead, lead from the front. You must be the hardest worker on the team. To say it another way, leaders eat last.
Leaders who are consistently out in front doing all the hard stuff are known as servant leaders, a term you may know. Servant leaders’ primary focus is taking care of the people they lead. What can you do to make their lives better? That goes for professional skills and personal lives. If a servant leader looks after their people, their people will take care of the business and their customers. No barking orders—just show that you care.
Great leaders are great communicators. They emphasize simple, clear communication always and with everyone. That takes effort and preparation. Communicating clearly can be tough if you do it off the cuff. Think carefully about what you’re going to say and devote enough to preparation to make certain it’s clear, honest, and on point.
Additionally, great entrepreneurial leaders must be good judges of people and of character. If you can’t read people, all it takes is one bad apple to sink an entire company. Reading people and their character is a matter of developing empathy and emotional intelligence.
As Harper Lee wrote in To Kill a Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” I’ve read that book repeatedly, and that message always resonates. If an employee is challenged by a particular task or project, try to understand how it would feel if that were you. You can see what they’re experiencing, which inevitably leads to productive solutions.
A great leader also recognizes what they are not particularly good at. That can take a good deal of personal introspection, as well as simply watching how you perform. For example, I’ve learned that I’m good at the start-up phase, but not quite as skilled at being the long-term actual operator. I’m not good at that consistent level of detail. I’m not strong at trying to drive the organization daily after the first few years. That’s why I always try to find others who are good in the day in, day out environment.
It’s also important for an effective leader to admit they have made a mistake. A saying goes that a leader takes all the blame and gives out all the credit. That’s very true—because the buck stops with you.
It is also more than just words. True, an employee can make a mistake, but it was you, the leader, who hired them. You’re ultimately responsible.
One more guideline—praise in public, coach in private. Never reprimand or coach someone in front of others, but rather praise the hell out of them in public.
Additionally, when you do have to coach someone, separate the issue from the person. This technique has worked amazingly well for me for many years: “Here is what I need from you. Here is where you are. Let’s figure out what we can do to get your performance up to the level that I know you can achieve. I will help and be your biggest cheerleader. Ultimately, however, your performance has to improve for you to remain on the team.” If you don’t hold everyone to the highest standards, the entire team suffers.
If you want more guidance on starting a business, you can purchase Entrepreneur Rx on my website.