About a week or so ago, I was invited to speak in front of a group of Master of Science in Nursing graduate students on my personal leadership journey. I thought long and hard about what I would say to this group of new leaders. I started out by telling them why I became a physician in the first place - as cliched as it sounds, I actually did want to help people. Service has always been important to me, and I became a physician because I felt called to serve.
I also talked about how I joined the Navy during my second year of medical school - again, another opportunity to serve, though it was also a way to pay for my medical school education. I shared with the group that after finishing my pediatrics residency, I completed my active duty service obligation by serving as a general pediatrician, first in Guam and then at the Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune. While I truly enjoyed my time in the Navy, I left for two main reasons. First, I knew that I wanted to continue my education and training as a pediatric critical care physician. Second, I felt that the only way to advance your career in the Navy as a pediatrician was to become a health care administrator. I reasoned at the time that there was no way I would ever do that (I think I said something to the effect of "Over my dead body"), so I left active duty. Ironically, here I am several years later - a health care administrator!
Someone once told me that whenver you speak to a group, you should try to stick to 3 key points. Nothing more, nothing less. I have always tried to follow that advice, and this particular time was no different. Here is what I told the group.
1. "Focus on the job that you have, not the job you want to have."
It's hard to plan out your career. I am a great example of that - I never thought that I would be doing what I am doing now. I've worked with and mentored leaders who have tried to plan out their career step by step - "I will take this job, because it will give me the experience that I need for the next one." I've never subscribed to that theory. If you focus on being the best that you can be - in your current position - the opportunities for career advancement will come soon enough. Leo Tolstoy once said, "There is only one time that is important - NOW!" If you are always focused on the future, it's hard to be successful in the present.
2. "Leaders eat last."
I've talked about this a few times in the past (see here and here for my most recent posts on this subject). Leadership is all about taking care of your team. The only way that you will be successful is if your team is successful. There is an unwritten rule in the military that leaders let the troops eat first. Simon Sinek (who incidentally wrote a book entitled "Leaders Eat Last", which I highly recommend) said, "The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest." Words to live by for sure.
3. "Leadership is lonely."
I've said this before too (see my post on the Hollywood movie, "Twelve O'Clock High" which is a great illustration of this point). I've heard this time and again from new leaders. It's been written about and talked about many, many times. Mandy Gilbert, writing for Inc. magazine said, "As the person in charge, it's inevitable that you'll be treated with a different regard than when you were a regular member of the team...You're no longer one of the gang. You're one of them." Leadership is lonely - but I would offer this additional perspective. You are never truly alone as a leader. You have a team around you that will energize and inspire you to lead them.
I have been blessed with opportunities throughout my career. It has been a journey for me - one that I would never trade. And most importantly, the journey doesn't end. I told the group that I am always trying to learn more, grow more, and be more. The motivational speaker, Brian Tracy said, "Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends." So it is with leadership.
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