Special Feature Introduction

Academic Psychiatry, 30:4, July-August 2006 http://ap.psychiatryonline.org 281

What Do You Need to Know About Leadership?

Michele T. Pato, M.D.

Received and accepted November 11, 2005. Dr. Pato is AssociateDean for Academic Scholarship and Professor of Psychiatry and Be-havioral Sciences Keck School of Medicine, University of SouthernCalifornia, Los Angeles, California, and is Associate Chief of Staff ofEducation, VA Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Copyright � 2006Academic Psychiatry

Why read this special feature on leadership and chair-manship in psychiatry? While a number of these

articles relate directly to being or becoming a chairman,they also highlight broader themes, such as how to set rea-sonable goals and how to grow as a professional, regardlessof academic rank. This collection of articles not only offersa unique and useful view of the many roles and challengesfaced by departmental leaders, it seeks to define furtherour understanding of what it means to be a true leader.

The articles by Broquet and Greiner (1, 2) focus onleadership qualities in general and provide a good back-drop for this special feature. As Broquet describes thequalities of a good dean, she points out the importance ofteam-building. She notes that leading a successful teaminvolves not just setting a common goal, but understandingwhat motivates team members. In his piece, Greiner ar-gues that leadership is not an “all or none” quality, butsomething that can be built over time. In particular, henotes that it is important to acknowledge weaknesses andeither address them or obtain help in those areas. Wilsonadds a strong cautionary note in his piece on the “SevenDeadly Sins of a Department Chair” (3) when he pointsout that “the consequences are arguably worse when theincumbent remains oblivious to his or her shortcomings.”Greiner asserts, in a positive vein, that a leader does nothave to do everything well at once but runs a real risk ofnot succeeding if she or he cannot admit to weaknessesand compensate for them. He further asserts that leader-ship is not simply about doing the right things, but aboutdetermining what the right things are. Determining whatthe right things are and developing the big picture areadded burdens of responsibility as one ascends the lead-ership hierarchy. Yet he notes “the opportunity to make a

difference can be one of the most meaningful rewards ofleadership” (2).

Buckley (4) offers a refreshing firsthand account ofsome of the rewards one can potentially experience aschairman. The role of communicator “as a knowledge con-duit” between the institution and the department is aunique and valuable charge of a departmental chair. It fitsaptly with the tripartite mission of chairman as outlined byMeyer (5), who asserts that chairs lie triangulated betweenthe mission of the medical school, to teach; the hospital,to provide clinical care; and the department, to develop itsfaculty and stay financially sound through clinical and re-search endeavors. As Buckley notes, to succeed as chair,one must possess the administrative skills of a manager,the clinical skills of a good doctor, the business acumen ofan administrator, and the ability to gather data like a re-searcher, in addition to the ability to mentor or teach thosewith whom she or he works. Yet, like Greiner, he arguesthat there is neither one type of nor “natural born” leader.Rather, leaders come in all shapes and sizes and a leader’sskills can be cultivated and grown.

Vaidya’s (6) reflections on interviewing seven of the 10female chairs would seem to support this concept of “grow-ing” into a leader. Interestingly, the majority of femalechairs she interviewed had been internal candidates whohad “grown” in the department. Furthermore, most hadnot started their leadership journey aspiring to be a chairbut had come to the position over time. Most recognizedtheir strengths as mentors, managers, and teachers andsought help with perceived weaknesses. In the end, Vaidya,too, acknowledges the learning process involved in becom-ing a chair and maintaining a chairmanship. She points toorganizations like the American Association for Chairs inDepartments of Psychiatry (AACDP) for the role it canplay in mentoring and teaching necessary skills.

Munro (7) elaborates on the AACDP’s role in helpingchairs learn about their job and establish benchmarks bywhich they can assess themselves. The “ten command-ments” outlined by Winstead (8) have been a key part ofthis mentoring process and the initial training provided

LEADERSHIP: WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW?

282 http://ap.psychiatryonline.org Academic Psychiatry, 30:4, July-August 2006

new chairs. But these commandments are more than justa starting point; they are important concepts to hold ontothroughout one’s leadership career.

It is reasonable to conclude that this special feature onleadership and chairmanship is something every physiciancan learn from. Buckley notes, “The position of chair issimultaneously one of leadership and of learning” (4). Iwould argue, and agree, that every physician can growthrough leading and learning.

References

1. Broquet K: From a psychiatric to an institutional perspective.Acad Psychiatry 2006; 30:289–291

2. Greiner C: Leadership for psychiatrists. Acad Psychiatry 2006;30:283–288

3. Wilson D: Seven deadly sins of a department chair. Acad Psy-chiatry 2006; 30:304–308

4. Buckley P: Reflections on leadership as chair of a departmentof psychiatry. Acad Psychiatry 2006; 30:309–314

5. Meyer R: The tripartite mission of an academic psychiatrydepartment and the roles of the chair. Acad Psychiatry 2006;30:292–297

6. Vaidya N: Women chairs in psychiatry: a collective reflection.Acad Psychiatry 2006; 30:315–318

7. Munro J: A tool kit for new chairs. Acad Psychiatry 2006;30:301–303

8. Winstead D: Advice to new chairs of academic departmentsof psychiatry. Acad Psychiatry 2006; 30:298–300