Key Lessons from Female Healthcare Leaders

On Nov. 7th I had the privilege of attending the AZ Healthcare Executives CEO Breakfast on Diversity and Inclusion. The moderator Brigita Bilsens, Region Vice President, Premier Inc. and panelistsDr. Teresa Malcolm, Chief Medical Officer - Banner Estrella Medical Center;Wendy Armendariz, Executive Director at Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health; andRona Curphy, FACHE, CEO Emeritus, Banner Health Casa Grande did an excellent job. The focus was on their careers and how they achieved their current roles. The information was relevant for anyone wanting to grow their career. Here are a few highlights:

• Turn obstacles into opportunities.
• Use a collaborative approach to gain buy-in.
• Mentoring and coaching are a great way to build the next generation of leaders.
• Lead with compassion.
• Empathy builds trust, trust builds relationships, especially when you are asking for the hard stuff.
• Be fair.
• Be willing to give more and stretch outside your comfort zone.
• Say yes to new challenges. Volunteer for assignments.
• Lift others up.
• Use your intuition.
• Have a passion for people – all people, patients, employees, physicians, clinical staff, volunteers and the community. People feel it.
• Be transparent and consistent.
• Feedback is a gift. Use it to grow and fuel your journey.
• Diverse companies are more profitable.
• Follow your passion. Love what you do.
• Find your voice at the table. Take risks.

I was struck by how much of their success resonated around using aspects of Emotional Intelligence. Each leader reinforced the above messages. I encourage you to take some time for self-reflection and determine how often you’re using your EQ at work. How can you build that skillset to engage your team, create more powerful relationships and achieve better outcomes?Many of my executive coaching and team coaching assignments are related to collaborating with a high potential, successful leader who needs to build their emotional intelligence. With unemployment at record lows, it’s imperative we hire, promote and retain the right people. Those clinicians and other healthcare professionals value a leader who uses their emotional intelligence to create collaborative, winning solutions and a warm, trusting environment. The Arizona Institute for Healthcare Leadership program provides a strong focus for building emotional intelligence, leading change more effectively and becoming a stronger leader. There are a few openings for 2019 if you want to develop into the leader you know you are capable of becoming. See https://RisingStarsLLC.com/AIHL or the info below. Applications are due soon.Thank you to all United States veterans for your service!