Guest author: Harla Adams, CEO, National Institute for Healthcare Leadership. September 4, 2011 my brother, Brent Leisure, lost his home and all his belongings in the Bastrop, Texas wildfires. The Bastrop fire encompassed approximately 34,000 acres and burned 96% or 6,240 acres of Bastrop State Park. Over 1,600 homes were lost, which makes this the …
The December 2011 Harvard Business Review features an article (pages 43-46) written by Mindy Grossman. Grossman has enjoyed unusual success in senior leadership positions at several companies. She recently reinvented the HSN brand, turned the company around, and has very successfully re-engaged the workforce of this $3 billion company. In the article, Grossman explains that she was …
Words can be piercing, memorable and life-changing… whether positive or negative. Words can lift people up… or tear them down. Some words, whether written or spoken, will never be forgotten. Words can and will strengthen or destroy priceless relationships. Words can truly make a difference in people’s lives. It is not the number of words, …
The November, 2011 Harvard Business Review, “How I Did It” section contains an interesting and thought provoking article that, in my opinion, all healthcare leaders would do well to read, and carefully think about. The article is written by Kevin Peters, President of Office Depot and leader of all Office Depot’s retail stores throughout United …
There is only one way to achieve leadership excellence. There is only one way to become an excellent leader. That one way, the only way, is through consistent, continuous, focused, deliberate practice. Excellent leaders learn leadership excellence in only one way… deliberate practice. Not just practice, practice, practice… but consistent, continuous, focused, and deliberate …
Average tenure for a hospital CEO in America is less than 5 years. Ben McKibbens was CEO of Valley Baptist Health System in Texas for over 25 years! McKibbens also served as a leader for numerous local, state and national boards, associations and other organizations, including as a board member and Chair of the Texas …
The Harvard Business Review recently published an article that is particularly germane to healthcare organizations and healthcare leaders during this time of “healthcare reform” and a seemingly “new normal,” much slower and weaker economy. A huge title wave of negativity and pessimism has engulfed healthcare, maybe more appropriately described as a tsunami. Although some healthcare …
According to Time Magazine, in addition to years of training, operators who work in the main control rooms of nuclear plants must spend one week out of every six in retraining exercises. Think about that. One week out of every six… retraining, refining, rehearsing, sharpening their knowledge and decision-making skills. Obviously, the decisions made by …
Healthcare leadership and healthcare delivery is a constant, dynamic, learning lab. Learning, relearning and improving is the very nature of our ever-changing, ever-evolving healthcare system. And, just as it should be. After all, we are dealing with the most valuable, precious, priceless gift and factor in the universe… that would be life. Without life, nothing else matters. …
A recent Harvard Business Review article featured the unexpected and difficult, but very successful transformation of an Ivy League educated CEO. “Michael Mack had a perfect CV: a BA from Brown, an MBA from Harvard, six years at the consulting firm Bain & Company, and then a successful move into entrepreneurship that resulted in …
In preparation for a feature article on America’s Healthcare Leaders, I recently interviewed a highly successful hospital and health system CEO who is now retired. This man served as CEO of the same organization for over 25 years. That healthcare organization consistently grew, improved and prospered in countless ways over those 25 years. The first question …
Terrell “TJ” Johnson was one of the toughest, roughest, and most “successful” gang leaders and drug kingpins in the West Memphis, TN. By age 15, TJ had made more than half a million dollars. His cocaine-selling empire continued to grow. By age 17, TJ was driving the streets of West Memphis in a brand new …
Steve Ventura is author of The Leadership Solution, which is published by walkthetalk.com. Ventura recently wrote a short but powerful message titled, How to Achieve Success … Together. This short article would make an excellent discussion piece for any team wanting to maintain success and become even more successful. I suggest you simply share Ventura’s brief …
It was my privelege to speak and lead a discussion last week with the leadership of one of Morrison Management Specialists’ very successful healthcare divisions. The division is led by Jack Lawless, an outstanding inspirational leader. Jack is a true professional in every sense of the word. Morrison serves approximately 460 acute care clients and …
It was my honor to speak and lead a discussion this week with the leadership of one of Morrison Management Specialists’ very successful healthcare divisions. The division is led by Jack Lawless, an outstanding, inspirational leader. Jack is a true professional in every sense of the word. The theme of the meeting was “STEP UP,” …
Without question, A.G. Lafley is one of the most successful leaders of our time. Lafley, the former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble, is one of the most respected and admired business leaders of the past two decades. He has been hugely successful. In the October 2011 issue of Harvard Business Review, Lafley shares …
I received a very kind and thoughtful email a couple of weeks ago from Harla Adams, a colleague of mine who is the now the CEO of National Institute for Healthcare Leadership. Years ago, I hired Harla as a part-time temp. At the time she had no formal management or leadership degrees or experience, and …
The October 2011 Harvard Business Review includes a column titled To Fix Health Care, Ask the Right Questions. The column was written by Henry Mintzberg, Director of the International Masters for Health Leadership program at McGill University. Mintzberg writes, “Fixing U.S. health care was never going to be easy, but some persistent myths have made it …
You are a successful person. You are you successful leader. You are a successful professional. You get things done. You make things happen. You constantly prioritize and work your To-Do List. Consider this. Many of the most successful people, regardless of industry or profession, put as much, if not more emphasis on their Not-To-Do List as …
Imagine the short and long-term powerful positive impact of helping, coaching and successfully leading your direct reports, and other members of your team to improve in the following critically important areas: Effectively think on their feet under pressure as they state opinions and answer questions Cut through the clutter and communicate issues clearly in ways …