It was my privilege to recently interview Mike Williams. Williams has served as President and CEO of Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) since its inception in 1996. Based in Plano, Texas, CHC offers practical solutions for community hospitals to help improve effectiveness, efficiency, quality, and financial stability, while preserving and protecting community control of the hospital.
Williams’ commitment and passion for CHC and the hospitals it serves was unmistakable and inspirational. As he talked about the mission and values of this remarkable organization, Williams shared his belief: “Success should be measured with the measure of the positive impact that you’ve made on people.” Williams and CHC certainly have made a positive impact on hundreds of hospitals, and thus, on hundreds of thousands of people across America.
Williams passionately described CHC as follows:
“It’s like a beam of light to the industry that says you can make a difference, you can have an improved bottom line, you can have improved quality outcomes, all while honoring your mission and serving others.”
In response to my question regarding his first job, Williams, a proud Alabama native, fondly remembered his first paid job as a teenager, working as a short order cook at a lunch spot in a Mobile, Alabama mall: “I cleaned grease traps, fried French fries, and did anything else I was asked to do. It was fun,” said Williams, adding, “Any job you have, your enjoyment out of it is about your attitude surrounding it. If you’ve got a great attitude, you can make what some people might think is the worst job in the world enjoyable. It’s all about a good attitude.”
In response to a question about what he enjoys most about his position at CHC, Williams said, “Being able to make a difference.” He explained that this attitude helps him to personally make a difference daily as he engages others, and helps CHC make a difference every day by serving hospitals and their communities across America.
How about you? How do you measure success? Are you like a beam of light that says to others, you can make a difference, you can have an improved bottom line, you can have improved quality outcomes, all while honoring your mission and serving others?
Do your actions (actions speak far louder than words) communicate to others that “Any job you have, your enjoyment out of it is about your attitude surrounding it. If you’ve got a great attitude, you can make what some people might think is the worst job in the world enjoyable. It’s all about a good attitude?”
I encourage you to invest some quality time thinking about these very wise words of wisdom from Mike Williams. Then, do something about it! Everyone will gain, particularly you!
