Leadership Secrets I Learned From My Boss

We moved to Nashville in 1994, and I worked part-time at a local hospital. Fortunately, as a part-time clinical educator, I found a job doing the same thing I did in my previous job, so this was an excellent opportunity.

Not long after I started, I met the Director of the Cardiac Service line. She was an attractive woman who took command of the room whenever she walked in. She was confident, knowledgeable, and able to inspire people to follow her vision.

I was a nurse educator, teaching new employees cardiac resuscitation and fire safety courses.? Meeting the new people as they came on board was fun, and I enjoyed teaching.?

The Director, SG, ran into me one day in the cardiac department, and we started chatting about our careers, lives, hobbies, and life in general. I felt an immediate respect and suspected she would be fun outside of work.

We maintained a casual acquaintance while we both worked at the same hospital. One day, SG got promoted.? She left the hospital I worked for to become the nursing leader at another nearby hospital.

I was chatting with a colleague one afternoon, and she mentioned that SG was looking to revamp the new employee orientation at her hospital. She encouraged me to reach out and see if I could help her as a consultant. I was looking for extra income, and this was the perfect solution.

I did land the consulting job, and the revised orientation was a huge success. SG asked me to take a full-time job leading the quality department. I told her I would love to work with her more permanently, but I didn't know anything about quality, risk management, or patient safety. She assured me it would be okay; we would learn these things together.

That moment was pivotal in my career.? We learned quality together and continued working together in different areas of the company for nearly ten years.? Not only did I find SG a great boss to work for, but we also became lifelong friends. The opportunity she gave me to learn quality changed my career trajectory. One day, early in my new role, I felt disappointed that I wasn't making a difference to patients anymore. SG told me I was fishing with a pole when I was a bedside nurse. As a leader, I was fishing with a net. I never forgot that, and for the rest of my career, I have thought of my leadership in how I could make the most significant impact on patient care.??

I gleaned invaluable lessons in leadership from SG:

• Don't be late. Start and end your meetings on time. If you are leading a meeting, get there early. People's time is their most valuable commodity, so don't waste it.
• Only ask people to do something you are willing to do yourself.? Our company mandated that anyone in the clinical area get a flu vaccine. I didn't want to get one because I had a patient who had a very rare complication from the flu vaccine, and I was afraid I might get that, too.? SG told me that if I was going to work for her, I needed to be an example for the people who saw me in the clinical area every day.? I got the flu vaccine, and of course, I was fine.? I get one every year now without fail!
• Speak your truth even when others might find it hard to hear. SG was not shy. She was an only child and had grown up with a mother who instilled in her confidence. She wasn't afraid of a crucial conversation and didn't back down when the stakes were high. I admire and respect her leadership to this day, which has influenced my leadership style, to be honest and forthright in my communications.
• Take care of your team. In my years of working with SG, I went through some challenges with kids, graduate school, in-laws getting sick, and the things that disrupt our lives.? She was always supportive, giving me the time and space I needed, and encouraged me to persevere.

SG's influence on my?career was profound.? She provided me with opportunities to grow and advance professionally and bestowed upon me the gift of her friendship. I am deeply grateful for these blessings in my life. Despite our paths diverging, her impact on me remains indelible.??

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