Develop your leadership role; enlist team to attain goals

MAUI, Hawaii — Leadership, not surprisingly, is the defining factor between a good practice and a great practice.

Defining the characteristics of leaders and understanding key roles and responsibilities for leadership will help surgeons achieve an ideal work environment that meets their needs, according to Bruce S. Maller.

“Physicians need to be clear on what they need to do in order to become more effective leaders,” Mr. Maller, a practice management consultant, said here at Hawaii 2003: the Royal Hawaiian Eye Meeting.

According to Mr. Maller, Jim Collins, author of the book “Good to great: Why some companies make the leap and some companies don’t” and his research team found that leadership “not surprisingly” was one of the factors that made companies great.

The research further showed that “the common denominator was that great leaders of those organizations have a certain enduring quality: a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will,” Mr. Maller said. “These individuals were fiercely competitive but also very humble.”

Mr. Maller, who also noted that humility is not something often associated with strength, cited individuals in his life who personify these characteristics.

“Names like Lindstrom, Fine, individuals whom I have known over time in ophthalmology. Individuals like Presidents Reagan and Lincoln. Or in athletics: John Wooden, Pat Summit, the women’s basketball coach at University of Tennessee, who this past week achieved a major milestone having won her 800th game.

“When I listen to these individuals I hear humility, a deflection from ‘me’ and they tend to focus attention on that of their team members or players.”

Mr. Maller suggests physicians who are heads of their practices, hospitals and companies “define their strengths and weaknesses, assess their organization’s level of accomplishment and the intended level of accomplishment” and then make appropriate changes in order to meet their objectives.”

“Physicians need to prioritize, brainstorm for new ideas, find more efficient ways of getting the job done, and induce a plan of action conducive to change,” Mr. Maller said. According to him, an ideal way of making sure that your goals are realized is by enlisting the help of your employees.

“Seek and enlist your production staff by appealing to their values and interests. Create a positive image of the future — show them that when you win, they win,” Mr. Maller suggested.

In the end, he said, team members will identify with and feel included in your vision.

“A sense of ownership will be developed. People will get more enjoyment from their work and take more pride in the organization,” Mr. Maller added.