Ophthalmology leader discusses principles of tough decision-making
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MONTEREY, Calif. — Over the years as a leader in the field of ophthalmology, Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, has learned three core tenets involved in difficult decision-making.
The first tenet is that tough decisions should be treated as just that, tough.
“Tough decisions are, by definition, not easy. It seems obvious, but don’t expect them to be easy. They're going to be uncomfortable, and you have to acknowledge and be okay with that discomfort,” Colby told colleagues at the Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium.
In her discussion of how to attack tough decision-making processes, Colby pointed out the importance of building a diverse team.
“We don't have all the answers, so one of the things I think I do well as a leader is building up a diverse team and I use them,” Colby said. “We all have different opinions, different perspectives.”
The second core tenet is knowing yourself.
“You've got to make decisions that are consistent with your inner compass. You’ve got to know what that compass is to be able to make those decisions. Your own biases impact all your decisions, so you have to know what your biases are,” Colby said.
Colby’s final message is to “eat that frog.”
“This is a phrase going around in the business world,” she said. “The frogs don't get tastier as the day goes on. A corollary to that is, if you have two frogs to eat, eat the bigger one first.”
This is important, she said, because leaders have tough decisions to make and delay could be detrimental.
“Frankly, none of us like to make tough decisions,” Colby said. “But if you let it go on, it decays the morale of your team.”
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How to be a leader amongst leaders. Presented at: Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium; Aug. 25-28, 2022; Monterey, California (hybrid meeting).
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