Leadership:“Hope is not a method”

Joseph G. Keary, MS, MBAjgk leadership consulting

Member, Kansas City Chapter, CLMA

Introduction General Gordon R. Sullivan is a former

Chief of Staff of the Army Involved in the earliest strategies of Army

Transformation back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s

He began the journey from the bureaucratic “Cold War” Army, which paralleled the business model prevalent at the time – large, inflexible organization

Introduction This journey has culminated in today’s

“transformational” Army• Gone are rigid, large Divisions which need to

deploy together• Now we have Brigade “Units of Action”, which

are modular and carry intrinsic capabilities

What does this have to do with Leadership, and specifically, Leadership in the profession of clinical lab science?

Your Laboratory You are the “Units of Action” As an integral part of your

organization, you have “proponency” – another term for “ownership”

You are the proponent for:• Organizational growth and development • Personal growth and engagement

Your Laboratory Section/Department heads are the

“front-line” leaders for the organization

You are role models and “centers of influence” in the health care community

You motivate and develop your lab into a dynamic and vibrant organization

The Paradox of Action

The Paradox of Action This refers to the fact that working

harder and harder to do what you do better and better will NOT lead to success!

Action without strategic direction merely drives an organization deeper into a hole

The Paradox of Action There are three “leaderships traps”

which follow from this paradox

Each of them is easy to fall victim to; in fact, in many cases we are “trained” to follow the pathway down to the trap

Leadership Traps Doing things too well:

Leadership Traps Doing things too well:

• When you are doing well, you lose the vision and passion for change and fail to instill vision and passion in your staff

• You run the risk of losing touch with your organization and your stakeholders (employees, customers and others)

• You become overconfident, and like the story of the tortoise and the hare… you don’t see everyone pass you by!

Leadership Traps Being in the “wrong business”:

Leadership Traps Being in the “wrong business”:

• More commonly seen in the business world, it has parallels in our profession

• Implies waiting to see what develops, trading time for the prospect of more information and less uncertainty

• May result from the desire to wait for more resources, or an aversion to loss

• Is the laboratory seen as a “service” or a “partner”?

Leadership Traps Making yesterday perfect:

Leadership Traps Making yesterday perfect:

• The inability to cope with external change

• Changes are made, but always in terms of the “old” paradigm

• Leaders who practice this are great “fixers”, but not innovators

• Appears that things are moving forward, but it is not “transformational”

Leadershipvs

Management?

Leadership vs Management Management has to do with an

organization’s processes:• The organization is controlled by dealing

with the functional parts of the whole i.e: Human Resources, Logistics, Nursing,

Ancillary Services, MIS, etc Leadership has to do with an

organization’s purposes:

Leadership Leadership and learning are the tools

to develop a high performing organization

Goes beyond creating the future and managing complexity

Also involves team building and in influencing and directing the course of the organization through them

Leadership Leadership has three dimensions:

Managing Creating the future Team Building

Leadership is acting on an interpersonal level with small groups or individuals

Leaders Reconnaissance Leaders need to constantly assess

and evaluate the following:

• What is happening?

• What is NOT happening?

• What can I do to influence the action?

Leaders Reconnaissance This trilogy captures the essence of

strategic leadership

Knowing what IS happening in our organization is not enough

Leaders Reconnaissance By focusing on what is NOT

happening, we open our mind to broader opportunities and options

By asking how can I influence the action, we envision a greater range of responses than mere action and counteraction

The LeadershipAction Cycle

(LAC)

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

Observe

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

• Observe: What is happening / not happening?

Be objective and make critical observations Focus equally on what is NOT happening Consider actions, morale, client feedback

and other metrics Don’t offer opinions at this stage – be a

silent observer

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

Observe

Reflect

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

• Reflect: what can I do to influence the action and formulate options

Consider what you have seen and take time to see what YOUR role is in each action

Make sure you come up with several courses of action / options

• Consider both easy and difficult solutions to come up with the OPTIMAL solution

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

Observe

Reflect

Decide

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

• Decide: a Leader leads… identify tasks, roles and set constraints,

limits and measurable standards Use a systematic and standardized approach

to evaluate COA’s Weighted Decision Matrix is often a great

tool

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

Observe

Reflect

DecideAct

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process,

• Act: organization executes the decisions of the leader. The leader demonstrates sponsorship and involvement to reinforce the need for change

Follows the principle that “A leader…leads” Get involved in the following stages –

• Information on the decision• Overall implementation strategy• Desired outcomes and metrics of success

Decentralize the execution as much as possible

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process:

Observe

Reflect

DecideAct

Learn

Leadership Action Cycle 5 step process,

• Learn: Most important step; closes the loop by relating the outcomes of decision and action to future actions; modify behavior and actions as a result of what we NOW know

Restart the critical thinking and evaluation process

This should be a continuous process

Leadership Values

Values: the Leverage of Change Leadership begins with VALUES! Values are critical in that they:

• Bind expectations• Provide alignment• Establish a foundation for

transformation and growth

Leaders signal what will NOT change, providing an anchor and a context for decisions and actions

Organizational Values Purpose:

• We exist as a part of something bigger and better than the individual

• We are all part of the Laboratory Profession

• The Laboratory Profession has our own Values

• We are enriched by being part of this profession and derive benefits from it

Organizational Values Continuity:

• History is a part of our profession.• Others in our profession have faced

challenges and succeeded. • The past is a reflection of our collective

identity• Traditions are important to morale

Organizational Values People:

• To value your organization, you must value the people who comprise it.

• This shows in our policies but also in how we delegate and share responsibilities

• It also shows in viewing our fellow peofessionals as a “renewable resource” to be developed and cultivated

Organizational Values Responsibility:

• Many leaders want to TAKE responsibility for all actions/inactions

• Most effective leaders INVEST responsibility in their subordinates

• True empowerment which is not merely freedom to do your job, but also to help define it

• Empowerment is about responsibility

Organizational Values Integrity:

• Not merely “honesty”• A broader, strong pattern of internal

consistency• Commitment to consistently “doing the

right thing” for the right reason and for the long run, despite short term pressures of temptations

The Six Imperatives

The Six Imperatives The Six Imperatives were the Army’s

first plan for transformation

• Quality People• Leader Development• Training• Modern Equipment• Force Mix• Doctrine

The Six Imperatives Pictured as a six pointed star, with a

hexagon (signifying change) in the center

The “hexagon” reflected a trained and ready force

Same can be said about OUR organizations

The Six ImperativesPEOPLE

LEADERS

EQUIPMENTTRAINING

REGULATIONSSTAFF MIX

CHANGE AND EXCELLENCE

The Six Imperatives All of these are critical to our success All deserve our attention, but to

varying degrees We need to consider the effect of

change on each of the imperatives We also need to consider our role in

optimizing our role in each of the imperatives

People Who do we work with?

• Their strengths and weaknesses• Their motivators and distractors• Their culture• Their ethics (especially work ethic)

How are they engaged in our mission?

Equipment The rapid innovations in technology

• Point of care testing • High throughput analyzers and

consolidation of services

The cost of technology• Direct costs (equipment, reagents,

supplies and service)• Indirect costs (training, burnout, etc)

Regulations The “alphabet soup” of regulatory

agencies• CAP, AABB, FDA, TJC, CLIA, CMS etc

The need to specialize in regulatory affairs in order to effectively and legally operate in this environment

Training Education needed to enter the

profession Continuing professional education New equipment/technology

education Leadership and management

education Self- development education

Staff Mix Differences between

• Ages• Cultures• Genders• Training (MLT v MT)

Optimizing the mix of staff to harmonize operations at a cost efficient level

Leaders Every employee a “leader” Leadership training for all staff Professional development training for

the formal leadership team Developing a culture of engaged

leaders Avoiding the “impeder-leader”, “toxic

leaders” and other dysfunctional types

Leadership is a Team Sport GEN Sullivan says:

• “Your first task as a leader is to build your leadership team”

Our professional team includes our leaders and members and also “influencers”• Family members• Other medical professionals

We live and lead through the power of Teams

Rules for Guiding Change

Rules for Guiding Change Rule One: Change is Hard Work

• Tough job for a Leader• Involves guiding the organization

through today as well as getting it to tomorrow

• Involves a personal and very hands-on approach

• Taking and directing action• Building confidence to move forward

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Two: Leadership Begins with

Values• Shared values express the essence of an

organization• They bind expectations, provide

alignment and provide a foundation for transformation and growth

• They signal what will NOT change and serve as a strategic context for decisions and actions

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Three: Intellectual Leads

Physical• The development of the intellectual

framework of change predates the “organizational” and structural changes

• Imagining the future and communicating it to the team is critical

• Without intellectual change… physical change will be unfocused, random and unlikely to succeed

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Four: Real Change… Takes Real

Change• Need to effect change, not just talk

about it• Change needs to take place at the

critical process level, not by mere adjustments at the margins

• Necessary to result in substantive and enduring transformation

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Five: Leadership is a Team Sport

• Effective leaders forge alliances and build teams

• They empower their staff with a sense of responsibility, to insure the momentum for transformation permeates the organization

• Unleashes the “Power of People”

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Six: Expect to be Surprised

• Success comes from accommodating the unexpected, exploiting opportunities and working through setbacks

• Leaders must build flexibility and resilience into their organization

• When the unexpected occurs, response needs to be prompt, action is deliberate and the organization stays on course

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Seven: Today Competes with

Tomorrow• An organization has a finite amount of

“energy”, resources and even the best people capable of leading

• Most of these need to remain focused on today’s requirements of service

• Some must be focused on the change of tomorrow… a balance needs to be struck

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Eight: Better is Better

• Better is NOT only about improved quality, lower costs, improved access to care, empowerment or shared information

• It includes all these and more…• Better is about establishing and

sustaining an edge in tomorrow’s world• Better is about becoming something

different… about winning!

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Nine: Focus on the Future

• Leaders must continue to focus on the future

• This develops a positive, creative culture, marked by optimism

• By promoting this culture, a leader causes others to look beyond today and participate in the transformation

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Ten: Learn from Doing

• Promote a “learning organization”• Share the knowledge and experiences

learned to reduce the risk and promote success

• By stretching the organization to do things “differently”, the Leader fosters an entrepreneurial spirit of innovation and growth

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Eleven: Grow People

• The challenge here is to view your staff as the most valued resource

• Its not to be the most creative Leader or have the most creative lab leadership… rather to have the most creative laboratory

• A laboratory is only as strong as its members… engage your employees!

Rules for Guiding Change Rule Twelve: Reflect

• Sharpen the habit of reflection• Use the three questions:

What is happening? What is NOT happening How can I influence the situation

• This is critical, in order to put events and situations in perspective

Common Organizational Ideals

What are some common ideals that

high-performing organizations see in their members?

Common Organizational Ideals A genuine passion for what they do A sense of becoming and not merely

being An openness of vision that

accommodates risk taking – dare to succeed

A zest for learning from all they do A deep, abiding belief in their people

Conclusion Remember, Hope is not a method… It is not a method of leadership, of

success, of excellence or even of life Leaders must lead, and by following

many of these strategic transformational practices, we can make our laboratories and our profession as a whole, more efficient, more effective organizations

Remember

Remember