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DOCTOR’S CORNER

LEADERSHIP

by Allen Weiss, MD, MBA, FACP, FACR
President and CEO, NCH Healthcare System
L eadership is essential for progress in any arena be it healthcare, government, education, holidays without gaining too much weight to

helping an entire community live longer happier
business, or any other endeavor involving two or more people. Many different types of
leaders with a myriad of characteristics have been catalogued in a multitude of books,
and healthier lives via a sustainable decade-long
essays, tips, and other “how to” documents.
Nonetheless, reviewing some basic principles illustrated with examples and communicating project are just two examples of projects, widely
different in length and complexity, which have
transparently to folks and the community who are directly affected by the success or failure of similar favorable goals.
the institutions’ leadership is always worthwhile. Stating the goal publically when appropriate or
Many good leaders have developed teams which have helped society in countless ways. writing the goal on a piece of paper and keeping it
Last year I was privileged to listen to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani review his on your bureau or desk helps define the vision. We
principles of leadership in which he used personal examples drawn from his distinguished all need to know where we are going. Whether
career. In general, these successful leaders and teams have common characteristics which are you are the captain of your own ship or the
shared below. captain for a team, defining the vision— having a
publically stated goal with guiding principles—is
NUMBER 1: VISION AND BELIEFS quintessential leadership.

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there,” is from Lewis
Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Equally important is you will never know when you have NUMBER 2: OPTIMISM
arrived. Having a destination is the essential first step in effective leadership. The goals can Optimism is key and not just for silly fools.
range from simple and short to complex and long. From successfully getting through the We all bring our own weather. What we think

46 Life in Naples | February 2017