Regardless of where you find yourself on your career path, from entry level position to senior management, the ability to lead effectively is a common ingredient for a successful career. Some good news: Leadership skills can be learned.

“It’s possible ‘born leaders’ exist, but I would guess they weren’t born with the skills needed but instead were open-minded and willing to learn them along the way,” says Meghan Kriner, COA, OSC.

Here, several accomplished ophthalmic professionals share practical leadership lessons that are helping guide their careers.

Balance ‘human’ and ‘management’ needs

Through the challenges, frustrations, and heartbreak of the past 18 months, the greatest leadership lesson I have learned is to balance “human” and “management” needs.

Managing is tough. As administrators, we must implement fair and impartial policies that apply to all. Yet, does a work schedule that accommodates one employee’s late arrival, so that they can drop their child off at school, place an undue burden on others? Should employees cover different roles on days that we are short staffed?

From a management perspective, employees should arrive at their scheduled arrival time and plan to accommodate the needs of their families during work hours. It is reasonable for employees to work wherever they are most needed and to be moved as needed. But does this management perspective agree with the human perspective?

The one thing I know wholeheartedly is that the more we follow the human perspective, the better we will all be long-term. Of course, it is OK to alter an employee’s work schedule to meet the needs of their family. Basic manners tell us that asking for help goes a lot further than commanding employees. Getting back to basics, when we sprinkle management with human kindness, we just may be surprised at the response in return. —ABM

Practice the most important communication skill

In my leadership journey, I’ve focused a lot of my attention on the art of communication. Interestingly, the longer I’ve studied this topic, the more I’ve discovered how much there is to learn.

Early on, I focused on how to express myself verbally and in writing, honing my writing and public speaking skills, and focusing on expressing myself succinctly and clearly. As I matured as a leader, I realized that these skills, while important, were only part of strong communication.

I’ve concluded that the most important facet of a gifted communicator isn’t the mastery of a broad vocabulary or ability to dazzle. It’s the ability to listen. As leaders, we are led to believe we must provide answers and give direction. However, the most effective leaders take the time to listen and understand other perspectives. In meetings, (especially one-on-ones), the question, “Could you tell me more about that?” often elicits a wealth of information. Pausing before offering solutions, guidance, and advice, while allowing the person to talk through their position, often creates the space for growth and development.

More than ever, our teams want to be heard and understood. By listening, we can model for our teams to become more impactful, engaging leaders. —MC

Understand yourself and others

During my 20-plus years as an ophthalmic leader, I discovered that emotional intelligence and vulnerability are more important leadership skills than knowing how to build a killer spreadsheet or read a P&L statement. Today’s leader needs to understand the needs of the team, listen to other’s ideas and opinions, and foster trust. Nurturing team growth while empathizing with the daily challenges and struggles takes deep self-awareness.

I’ve embraced the mantra “progress over perfection” and remind my team of this often. Giving myself the grace to not be perfect and having the vulnerability to share my imperfections has allowed me to truly connect with my team and become a stronger leader.

There was no truer test than the COVID-19 pandemic and having to shut down my practice for eight weeks in 2020. During that time, I furloughed 90% of my team and ran with a skeleton crew answering phones, seeing emergencies, and quickly transitioning to telehealth. This took a huge toll on the team that was still coming into work every day. I started a daily morning yoga practice in our office conference room to start the day with connection and peace. Through a daily morning yoga practice, the team created a deep connection that continues. —CJ

When mistakes happen, ‘move on to the next play’

Over the years, I have learned things will never be perfect. We are all human. Mistakes are made. We are perfectly imperfect. To use a sports cliché, we have to “move on to the next play.”

Maybe a tough decision didn’t go the way I wanted. Maybe one of my staff members made a mistake that manifested itself into an issue. Bottom line, we now have a problem. Instead of feeling bad, sad or, mad, “move on to the next play.”

So, what is the next play? Resolve the problem, get back on course, and learn from the situation. Should we implement new or additional policies and procedures to prevent the problem from reoccurring? Should we provide additional training? Should we have access to more educational resources? Should we develop more checks and balances?

All problems have solutions. The sooner the problem is resolved, the sooner you will feel relief and the faster you can put the problem in your rear-view mirror. It is like ripping off a band-aid.

Just keep in mind that there is no light at the end of this tunnel. Be realistic. There will always be problems. Resolve it and move on. And learn from the issue to make yourself, your team, and your practice even better. —BDR

Begin with self-awareness and accountability

Sure, a great leader knows how to problem solve, thinks critically, understands the EMR system, and has the knowledge to work alongside their team. But being a great leader requires a lot more. It starts with self-awareness and accountability.

As a young technician working my way into a training role, I started to realize that new technicians all had different learning styles, timelines, and motivations. I learned to adjust my approach with each person depending on what worked best for them.

As a scribe, I learned that each doctor had very different preferences. Having discussions about their expectations helped me to become a better scribe.

As I worked my way into leadership, I resolved employee disputes and patient complaints. Even if I felt like I did my best, I would ask myself, “What can I do better next time I run into this situation?” Every interaction is an opportunity to learn.

Being accountable for my mistakes and learning to be better from them, has shown doctors and administration that I have integrity and am trustworthy. I have built respect with my peers. Being honest with myself and challenging myself to change for the better has had an enormous impact on the growth of my career. —MK OP