Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013 - 34

A s pi r At i o n s

of a

S e r va n t L e a d e r

While I enjoy sharing my thoughts, I have learned that
while I am talking others cannot. As leaders, we must
pay attention when people speak. How many of us are
checking email when we are on the phone or in a
meeting? One cannot really pay full attention to a
speaker while doing this.

liked, they just have to be respected?” It was a philosophy I
was taught and that I employed for many years. As James
Kouzes and Barry Posner say in A Leader’s Legacy, “Like
and respect are not mutually exclusive.”
But liking people and wanting to be liked by them makes
us vulnerable. It makes it harder to hold people accountable, reprimand them and maybe even fire them. Leaders
sometimes hurt others and get hurt themselves. So how do
I address this challenge?

Also, try to really understand what others are saying.
Early on in my marriage I realized when my wife,
Georgia, said “we’ll see” to me or our children she
really meant “no.” After working a few years with your
new ACHE President/CEO Deborah Bowen, FACHE,
First, I try to like the people I serve. This is not always
CAE, I realized that when I said
easy when you hire people who
i A m su r E wE wo u l D A l l
something to her and her reply
are different from yourself. The
began with the phrase “help me
older I have gotten, however, the
Ag r E E t h At D i v E rs i t y A n D
understand …” it was not
more comfortable I have become
i n Clu s i o n A r E t h E r i g h t
because what I said was so prohiring people who are different
t h i n g s to D o. so C i E t y’s
found. It was because she could
than myself. One of the best
not believe somebody my age
compliments I have ever received
Ch A l l E n g E s A r E so g r E At —
could be so wrong.
was when someone said to me,
wh y wo u l D wE E xClu D E
“How do you work with some of
A n yo n E F rom A s s i s t i n g u s i n these people? They are so differLeaders must encourage others
to speak. Rather than giving
ent than you.” People who are
A D D r E s s i n g t h E m?
answers, ask questions. And
different than me may have been
when you receive answers, withmore difficult to work with, but
hold immediate judgment. If you do disagree with the
they complemented my skills and made ACHE a better
response, use comments like “have you considered?”
organization. An organization of all Tom Dolans would
and “have you thought about?” rather than immedihave been a disaster.
ately discounting the answer.
I did have to learn that no one came to work to make me
Finally, I think it is very important to apologize when
miserable. I tried to put myself in their shoes and get to
wrong, an opportunity I get to do often. Followers need to
know them. It enriched my life, and I believe it made me a
hear you take responsibility for your mistakes, so apologize,
better leader. I also hope my co-workers at ACHE learned
whether it is to an individual, a group or a total organizathat I did not come to work to make them miserable.
tion. We talk a lot about the importance of medical apologies. Equally important are our management apologies.
Second, I try to be liked by the people I serve. We all
have heard the golden rule—treat others as you wish to
l i k E t h E pE o pl E yo u s E rvE … A n D B E
be treated. Unfortunately, it often does not work. People
l i k E D By t h E m
really want us to abide by the platinum rule—treat others
I try to like the people I serve—and be liked by them.
as they wish to be treated. This does work. While it may
How many of you have heard, “Leaders do not have to be
not always be possible, it is something I strive to do.

34

Healthcare Executive
NOV/DEC 2013
Healthcare Executive - November/December 2013

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