The #1 Reason a Physician Hires a Coach in 2020

For physician leaders in 2020, there’s a huge opportunity on the table.

Here’s what I mean:

When my clients started out, they trained and worked harder than their peers.  

They set their sights high, on becoming the best physician they could be. And as they excelled as clinicians, they found themselves landing in leadership roles as Medical Directors and CMOs.  Most of the time, that part of their story was unexpected.

Then, somewhere along the way, they stagnated and the status quo set in.

Enter COVID-19.

We needed 100% telehealth adoption in 2 weeks, not 5 years.

We needed to make 100 masks work for 200 physicians.

We needed to understand the signal in the noise.

Our healthcare systems were jolted, creating leadership gaps that only clinicians could fill.

And a lot of great physicians rushed to fill those gaps.

Most of my clients reported feeling alive with purpose in ways they hadn’t felt in years. 

Then the adrenaline wore off.

And some physicians started to realize something: 

The “come together and do what’s necessary” approach had worked, but it wasn’t going to sustain them for the long-haul.

And the same principle applies to clinical leadership beyond COVID-19.

The mindsets and skills that make you a great physician, alone, will not sustain you to be great leaders.

Great leaders can’t afford to get stuck in academics and science alone. 

They can't stay in the comfort zone of black and white thinking. They have to think scientifically AND strategically, guiding those around them with the bigger picture. Conflict management, emotional intelligence and change management are just the beginning.

For high-performing physicians to become great leaders, they have to inject new ways of thinking into their approach.  

Life works in strange ways.

A lot of physicians have been frustrated with policies and processes for years.

Now that this pandemic has put a global spotlight on the need for clinical leaders -- it’s opened the doors for physicians to make a big difference in the not-so-distant future of healthcare.

Simply put, COVID-19 has put an opportunity on the table for great physicians to change healthcare for the better.

Just like elite athletes, entrepreneurs and physicians push themselves -- physicians in leadership roles are going to start pushing the boundaries of what they thought they were capable of physically, mentally and emotionally.  

Now is the time to step up.

Now is the time to inspire.

Now is the time to drive patient-centered change.

Physicians in leadership roles have a choice right now.

Option 1:

Go back to working and living the way they were before this pandemic. No hard feelings or judgement from me.

Option 2:

Set your sights higher than ever before: to become more than a great physician -- to become someone that changes healthcare for the better.

For the few of you that decide to go with Option 2 -- the questions you’ll need to ask yourself are:

• "Do I have what it takes to lead others through uncharted waters?"
• "Do I have what it takes to help to change healthcare for the better?"

Here’s the truth:  

The courage to seek the answers to these questions -- is what separates the good from the great.

If you truly want the answers to those questions, the path forward is simple:

Find a mentor or coach, make a plan and find out.

That's the #1 reason physicians are hiring coaches in 2020.

They’re retooling their skills to shape the future.

They’re reimagining their strengths and finding ways to leverage them for this next chapter.

They’re being pushed and held accountable by someone who’s only interest is their growth and success.

With a coach, physicians have a confidential place to be vulnerable with how they see themselves.  

They’re naming their self-imposed limitations, addressing their root causes and watching them melt away like butter.  

They’re getting that familiar taste of what it’s like to live a life of purpose again.

If you want to tackle the leadership challenges that've been breathing down your neck...

If you’re ready to push the limits of what you thought was possible for your life...

If you want to become someone who helps change healthcare for the better...

The world is waiting for you.

To the not-so-distant future,

PS: Exciting news!

Our signature 1:1 Executive Coaching program has been approved for CME credit. 

If you've been interested in coaching but haven't hired one because of money, now's the time to take action and make an investment in yourself (with CME funds!).  

Just send me a private message "Interested in CME Coaching" and we'll add your name to the waiting list, following-up with details as slots become available.