Most of the physicians leaders I work with share similar motivations: they want to succeed in their careers, and they want to have a positive impact on the patients they treat and the communities they support.
But they also share the same frustrations. They’re in a constant state of “overwhelm”.
It usually sounds something like this:
“I have so much to do, but instead of focusing I’ll go chat with a coworker, organize my files, grab a treat from the break room… anything but the one thing I need to do to get out of overwhelm!”
“I have so much to do, so I’m going to multitask and keep my five top priorities going simultaneously. I’m used to spinning a lot of plates, I actually excel in this area… but for some reason, my to-do list just keeps growing!”
When this state of overwhelm becomes our normal, so do the feelings of anxiety, frustration, and a variety of other emotions that are not serving us. Going from one fire to the next, focusing on things that don’t matter, and procrastinating on achieving the results that might move the needle are all one-way tickets to career dissatisfaction.
Even new physicians, fresh out of residency, can find themselves on the path to overwhelm due to self-doubt, the pressure to lead, and feeling like they weren’t equipped with the tools necessary to know how to effectively lead a team.
We need to start to support physicians and those on the medical team with the same vigor and compassion that we use to support our patients. There is no quick fix to heart disease: it takes habit changes, behavioral changes, education and getting out of comfort zones. The same commitment is required to help our physician leaders.
The most important step we can all take is to decide to make changes and to learn and grow.
The purpose of this post is to provide support for those physicians who are ready to step into a new and more empowered future. The following leadership challenges are ones that I personally encountered in my role as a Healthcare Administrator, and that every one of my physician clients has reported in some form.
I want you to scroll through the challenges, pick the one that fits best with how you feel right now, and dive into implementing the tips provided.
Remember: it’s just as easy to get overwhelmed with SOLUTIONS to our challenges as it is to get overwhelmed with the challenges themselves. So, don’t try to do everything at once. Temper your expectations and simply try one of the tips first.
And if you want more advice on being a great leader, download my free guide “Your Checklist for Effective and Fulfilling Leadership! You are NOT going to want to miss this FREE resource!
Challenge 1: The Never-Ending To Do List!
Physician Client Perspectives
“I feel like I spend more time putting out fires than I do working on strategies that have the most impact. At the end of the week, I’m so exhausted and I’m not even sure what I accomplished.”
“Our meetings have become b$tch sessions! We all talk over each other to be heard and then we don’t get back to the issue at hand to solve any problems. I have so much to do and these meetings are a waste of time.”
The Issue
There’s a constant sense of urgency in the healthcare industry. And yet, sometimes it feels like it takes forever to get a major initiative accomplished.
Why is that? Because we’re distracted!
It’s hard to focus when we’re distracted by things like:
- endless meetings without decision making
- speaking commitments
- research commitments
- unexpected patient issues that must be responded to immediately
- system inefficiencies
- distracting interpersonal dynamics
But if we can’t focus on what’s MOST important in the moment, it can lead to unnecessary bureaucracy and procrastination.
So, how is a leader supposed to move the needle in a culture of constant distraction?
Tip 1: Get Clear on Your Vision and Make a Plan to Set it Into Action
Clarity is key to combat the constant fire extinguishing. A leader needs a clear vision to fall back on when overwhelm begins to creep in. A vision is simply a statement on what’s possible, giving you a mental picture of the future you and something tangible to work towards.
It’s easy to get caught up in the distractions and take everything on as our priority when we don’t have clarity on what we’re trying to achieve.
I define clarity as knowing what you want, why you want it, when you want it by and how you’re going to get it.
With one caveat: sometimes it’s ok to NOT know how you’re going to get your results. Leaders don’t always need to know how, but they DO need to ask the right questions, have the right amount of curiosity, and engage the right people in developing the how.
Begin your journey to clarity and action with the following exercise:
1. Think about your IDEAL life in five years. Write down what you want to achieve. What are you trying to accomplish for yourself, your family, in your role, for your patients, for your organization? What will you be most proud of in five years? Why is it so important?
It’s important to be honest about what excites you. Dream big!
Why? To quote Steve Jobs:
“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”
And wouldn’t we all rather roll the boulder down the mountain than push it up the mountain?
2. Step into this vision. Take a few moments each day to imagine that you have already achieved your vision. What does it look like and feel like?
This is an important step in training your mind to BELIEVE the vision is possible. If we don’t believe deep down that we can accomplish it, we won’t!
Want more advice on becoming a better leader? Download my free guide “Your Checklist for Effective and Fulfilling Leadership”
Focus on Bringing Your Vision to Life
Think about your past achievements. How did you reach your goals? Upon reflection, you might find that you had focus in those areas of success and an actual plan you executed. Whether it was your vision to become a doctor or instill a healthy lifestyle for your family, most successful outcomes have one thing in common: FOCUS.
So, how do you find focus?
3. Chunk down your vision into focused planning efforts
- List the categories of your life that will need focus to achieve your vision (career, professional development, personal development, health, family, significant other, etc.).
- Under each category, write down what you are trying to achieve in that area.
- Pick one category—ideally the one that will have the biggest impact on your vision—to focus on for the next 90 days.
- Define a goal for that category: a statement of one thing you believe you can achieve in 90 days that will move you in the direction of your vision.
- Each week, define three results you need to achieve to get closer to your 90-day goal. A result is a task that helps you accomplish your goal. Schedule the work needed to achieve those results FIRST in your calendar. If your calendar is booked, review your meeting commitments: what can be delegated? What is not necessary?
Ask yourself weekly:
“What are the three results I plan to accomplish by the end of the week?”
“How can I make these results my priority?”
Ask yourself daily:
“What is the ONE thing I must do today that will move me closer to my 90-day goal?”
When you have 100% clarity on what you want and why you want it, saying “no” to distractions becomes easier.
Challenge 2: Falsely Assuming That Without Authority, we Can’t Influence Change
Physician Client Perspectives
“I need the help of other leaders in different departments (or other team members in different silos), but my priority is not their priority. How can I get them to help when they don’t report to me?”
“I’ve done all the work to bring best practices to our group, but everyone still just does what they want. My senior partners won’t listen to me and I feel like I have to micromanage every detail to make sure we’re implementing the evidence-based practices.”
“I can’t enact the major changes that we need to make to ensure we are happy and not running around like crazy. I have no authority and it’s up to the (CEO/Senior Partner/Insert anyone but me here).”
The Issue
One of the most common complaints I hear from physicians is that they feel like they lack the “clout” to make real change. They feel like they have no authority or influence over a group or individual, whether a senior partner or a colleague from a different specialty who you need to collaborate with on a patient or administrative issue.
Healthcare is a hierarchy. Physicians are trained to excel within a hierarchy and “pay their dues” to reach the top of the totem pole. The problem is that climbing to the top of the totem pole takes time… and those long hours usually aren’t rewarded with an equivalent amount of authority. Instead, these long hours result in missed opportunities to make significant change as a leader RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.
What stops many leaders, especially those who might not have the right title or level of authority, is the limiting belief that you NEED the right title and level of authority to drive change. This is false.
Leadership is a choice to take responsibility over a problem. Leaders don’t have to know the solution, but they have to choose to engage others and figure it out, despite their years of experience or background.
To lead change and drive results, you simply need the skills to connect, build rapport, and lead with curiosity, service, and humility.
Tip 2: Redefine Influence and Make Connecting a Priority
Many times, my clients describe influence as getting people to do what you want them to do. This definition feeds into the constraints of a hierarchical system and therefore the notion that one cannot influence if they have no authority.
I define influence as simply building a connection that ultimately leads to trust and psychological safety. Once you have this connection, you can work together to create something that wasn’t possible before.
While this may seem like a lofty undertaking, the truth is that it all starts with connection. But not all connection is created equal. It’s important that you begin with Compassionate Connection.
What is compassionate connection? It’s simply the act of connecting to learn first, influence later.
If you’re a physician considering alignment with a hospital (through employment or another model), or if you’re a physician leader who has a vision for change that could rock the current culture of your organization, your first step towards success—that is almost always missed—is Compassionate Connection.
Compassionate Connection is the key to avoiding missteps and misunderstandings down the road. It’s the key to ensuring you’re clear on both your expectations and the expectations that others have of you.
You can establish Compassionate Connection with another person by:
- Asking, listening, and observing
- Ask questions. Ask for opinions. For example, ask about what they believe needs to happen to solve X, Y, or Z. How would they define success in a specific situation?
- Listen without judgement. Ask clarifying questions only.
- Observe what makes them excited. When do they respond to others’ positivity? When do they respond to others with frustration? Are they open in sharing their opinions and expectations?
- Getting to know other perspectives
- What problems do they want solved?
- What is most important to them?
- What are their “can’t”, “never”, “won’t” objections? In other words, when might they say “we can’t do something because…”, or “we have never done it that way…”, or “I won’t do it because…”
We all want to be understood and have our voice heard. By establishing Compassionate Connection, you’re ensuring that both parties approach a situation with greater awareness about potential opposing perspectives.
Tip 3: Become a Practical Psychologist and Learn How Your Colleagues Make Decisions.
No, you don’t need to take a course in psychology. But if you want to persuade someone to your side, you need to pay attention to how they make decisions.
Every decision we make boils down to two things: logic and emotions. To influence others, you need to know the practical, logical reasons for change… but you also need to know what emotional reasons might play a part in the decision-making process.
Ask yourself, “ Will making a change or following your lead help them be seen as a maverick, or as a leader? Could other people question their motives? Could other people see them as less trustworthy?”
Say you need to have participation in a committee to solve an operations issue that is impacting the efficiency of physicians. What approach can you use to appeal to people’s emotional drivers?
- Will participation allow them more control over the process that impacts their day?
- Will it make them feel respected, or like they’re part of a team?
What about logical reasons?
- Logically, do you have the right people in the room to implement the solution that is developed?
- Are the meetings brief and held at convenient times that won’t keep people from getting home at night?
Most decisions are made based on emotional drivers and justified with logic! To be an effective influencer, you must uncover both drivers.
Tip 4: Approach a Problem With Three Potential Solutions Instead of Two.
When we approach influence from the definition “do what I want you to do,” the approach is sometimes black or white. I win, or you win.
But most problems don’t have black or white solutions. Acknowledging that there are always three potential paths to take instead of the presumed two (my way or your way) allows us to approach negotiations—and therefore solutions—not from a choice standpoint (A vs B) but from a decision opportunity (A, B, or C).
By opening up the dialogue in this way, you offer possibilities instead of making people feel like they need to dig in their heels and insist that one way is better than another.
If you’re stuck in a situation where others are following your lead or challenging your way of thinking, be sure to challenge yourself first. Are you approaching the problem from a “this or that” solution? Is there a third option?
It’s in the third option where connection and innovation usually happens.
Challenge 3: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Physician Client Perspective
“I’ve never done this before. I have no idea how to lead. I feel like I have to prove myself every day or else everyone will see that I don’t know what I’m doing”
“I was trained with military precision to be a physician. Now I’m asked to take on a new role and call myself a leader, with zero training! I feel like I don’t belong here. Yet I know this is where I want to be to have the impact on the change that I want.
The Issue
Imposter Syndrome. We’ve all experienced it: the feeling that at any minute, you’ll be “outed” for being a fraud. The belief that you’ve faked your way into your position and soon, you’re going to be called out for not knowing what the heck you’re doing.
Imposter Syndrome gets in the way of building confidence in our leadership skills and abilities.
Imposter Syndrome is especially prevalent amongst clinical leaders in healthcare. You were trained to treat patients, but in real life, you’re tasked with leading teams of multidisciplinary colleagues and impacting change, sometimes at a cultural level. You’ve been trained to do one thing, and then you’re being paid to do something else in which you have NO training!
So, the result is often “fake it until you make it”: mirror what your mentors did, pretend you’re confident, and closely examine the people you’ve watched succeed through external validation (Chief Residents, those that earned top fellowships, etc.).
Just like a child learns how to eat, behave, and speak from his parents, new physicians are learning how to be a leader from those who have gone before them. That means mimicking the styles of others without actually having or taking the time to learn personal leadership style.
One of my clients felt a constant level of stress from Imposter Syndrome. She was frustrated from learning leadership “on the job” from those whose authoritative, top-down approach didn’t align with her natural collaborative style. She saw her leadership style as a weakness, and interpreted collaboration as admitting she needed help and didn’t know all the answers!
When we apply a negative meaning to our approach, and the mimicked leadership style is not congruent with who we see ourselves to be, stress begins to creep in and Imposter Syndrome takes over.
Tip 5: Practice the Three C’s of Courage, Competence, and Confidence
Courage breeds Competence breeds Confidence.
Physicians show great courage and leadership every day when taking care of clinical responsibilities. So, to minimize the effects of Imposter Syndrome, you simply have to apply that same courage, action, and competence to your administrative responsibilities. This cycle is where confidence is bred..
1. Courage: To combat our feeling of Imposter Syndrome, we need to exercise the courage to take action. Doing what feels scary and out of our comfort zone is an important first step when we feel like an imposter.
It’s taking the first two turns when you are on top of a mountain, about to ski down a steep slope. It’s the first step you take to walk on stage, just before you speak in front of a large audience.
2. Competence: Exercising courage through specific action is the key to building competence. We often think of leadership as this unknown, unreachable skill that only CEOs and other “business people” possess. Competence is simply the result of taking repeated action that’s continually refined based on what worked and what didn’t. It onlyrequires focus and a desire to succeed.
3. Confidence: By repeating the courage to take action and building the resulting competence, your confidence will grow. As confidence grows, you might find the growing desire to continue to step out of your comfort zone and grow even more in different areas.
But confidence is something that we must allow. I have a lot of clients who resist the feeling of confidence in their leadership approach, because “there’s always more to learn”. This is true, and it is this growth mindset that will ensure you are the best leader you can be.
When the three C’s are a part of your mantra and leadership style, Imposter Syndrome will quickly fade into the background. And if it does start to creep back in, you have the antidote.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. With vision, focus, building connection and confidence, you can achieve anything.
For a roadmap to getting the results you want in your leadership position, don’t forget to download this free resource “Your Checklist for Effective and Fulfilling Leadership!
Carrie Koh is an Interpersonal Efficiency and Leadership coach, consultant, and healthcare administrator with a passion to change the way we connect to one another in healthcare to ensure efficient results for patients and greater fulfillment for each other. She would love to connect at www.carriekoh.com
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