All,
Good morning. This morning’s message focuses on leadership and the importance of embracing the tenets of good leadership, especially as we confront this pandemic. As you read this, I’d ask that you please don’t read anything political into my comments, as that’s not my intent.
All of you are leaders in your own right or you wouldn’t be at Salus in the first place. Our institution has always had the reputation of developing leaders in their respective fields. Today’s optometric profession wouldn’t be where it is today without the leaders that graduated from PCO now and 100 years ago. Today, many of our students, faculty and alumni from all of our professions have leadership positions at the national and local levels in their professional organizations.
There are hundreds of books written about leadership, with an equal amount of opinions about what good leadership looks like. Since many of you are about to leave Salus and begin your professional careers in what may be a challenging and often frustrating time, I want to share my views on leadership from what I’ve learned and observed over the years. I’ve had the opportunity to work with and study great leaders and also have worked under those who were less than adequate. I’ve learned from both examples. Whether you’re in direct patient care or assuming a position in your local professional associations upon graduation, you all will be looked upon and sought after as leaders, simply because of your incredible accomplishments.
Leadership is the ability to motivate others to do what you believe should be done for your organization, with the caveat that they really want to do it. To get there, a leader must be honest, transparent, insightful, decisive and consistent to build the trust of those she or he is working with. That leader would never ask someone to do something that she or he wouldn’t do themselves. President Harry Truman is famous for having a plaque on his desk stating, “The Buck Stops Here.” To me, that’s one of the most important principles of effective leadership. What that translates to is that an effective leader takes the responsibility or blame for things that go wrong and gives the credit to their subordinates when things go right. When the situation permits, effective leaders often seek advice from others and realizes that the wisdom of several is often far superior than the opinions of one.
Leaders have another extremely important duty; and that’s to be able to deliver honest and realistic assessments in the face of a crisis, while at the same time asserting a level of optimism that enables people to perform at their highest levels through that crisis.
Throughout my Navy career I was lucky enough to work under leaders who personified these positive leadership traits. I’ve experienced the same at Salus with the visionary leadership my predecessors and our Board of Trustees have provided in moving our institution forward. I see it now in how our faculty, students and staff who have taken on greater leadership roles as we confront this pandemic. Honest and respectful communications and the sharing of ideas have been the hallmark of what I’ve observed over the past several weeks here, which makes me extremely proud to be part of this team.
As we continue down the difficult and perilous journey of fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic, we need to remember that there is no quick and easy solution to all of this. When people ask when are we going to be able to go back to classes, labs and clinics, it’s time to exert good leadership and let tell people that no one really knows. In battle, General James Mattis used to say that the enemy had a vote and can drive the timeline– well in this battle, the virus has a vote and how effectively we can mitigate the effects of the spread of the virus drives the timeline. Until we have widespread, accurate testing, effective treatments and a vaccine, we have to remain flexible and smart. As leaders, we also have to help others understand that it’s not business as usual.
To be an effective leader, you also must also take care of yourselves. You need to remain resilient, healthy and safe. That means taking time for yourselves to recharge your emotional and physical batteries. We all do that a little differently, but it’s an extremely important part of effective leadership. You can’t take care of those under you if you’re not caring for yourself. I do it through exercise and quiet time. Thus, I strongly encourage all of you to get outside, walk, run, bike, whatever; just get the blood moving. Read a book, do yoga, meditate – do whatever you need to do to clear your mind and focus on positive things. Take advantage of our counselors here if you feel like you just need to talk with someone about what’s on your mind. That’s what they are here for. I also suggest you consider organizing virtual discussion groups with your fellow classmates, professors and friends. It’s amazing what you can discuss when you bring a group of trusted friends or advisors together.
Leadership – taking the helm and ensuring everyone who begins the journey with you ends with you.
I encourage you to embrace these tenets as you continue your professional and personal journeys.
Be safe, practice social distancing, wear a mask when around others and continue to wash your hands frequently. We are SALUS STRONG! – You are the current and future leaders of your professions – embrace that responsibility and build on it!
Mike
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