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Leadership in medicine isn’t confined to titles or seniority. It begins early and grows with each step of the journey and can take many different shapes and paths. Whether it’s a pre-med student organizing a community clinic, a resident guiding a team during a night shift, or a new physician shaping the culture of their practice, leadership is defined by action, empathy and vision.
Today, we’ll explore what it means to lead in today’s healthcare environment through the eyes of our spotlighted members. Each reflects on the qualities they believe make a great leader, moments they helped others grow into leadership and what they would recommend to others in their journey through medicine on how to become an effective leader.
What is the top quality that defines a leader?
There are so many answers that jump into my mind, but I would have to choose integrity. There is so much that I could speak about when it comes to leading with integrity! My short answer is that this boils down to standing strong on one’s own morals and values and leading with honesty. Without integrity, I feel one’s credibility and trust could come into question. My longer answer is that integrity should encompass aspects of authenticity, self-awareness, vulnerability and a strong ability to empower others.
By bringing your true and honest self into all spaces, you have the power to create a platform where people feel safe, empowered and brave enough to shine. Creating this transparent relationship, in turn, establishes a deeper level of trust that can encourage people to embrace differences and imperfections, as well as help to better navigate any tensions that exist. Leaders who are not afraid to acknowledge their vulnerabilities and biases humanizes this dynamic and allows them to make the world a better place. Standing out as a leader among leaders, to me, boils down to integrity.
Describe a time when you not only helped lead someone but also inspired them to become a leader themselves.
Rather than give a specific answer about someone, I’ll share how I have strived to create a space for leadership for others out of my own experiences. I really took a deep dive into leadership when I was in my first year of medical school, particularly when I joined the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). I attended my first SOMA conference that spring and immediately was starstruck at how we, as students, can uniquely apply our voices and contribute to the betterment of osteopathic medicine. In particular, I was shocked at how there are so many opportunities right within our grasp that I could immediately get involved with. I was also surprised to see how advocacy can come in many forms.
By immersing myself into a crowd of leaders and embracing new experiences and perspectives, I had begun to envision a new direction in my medical journey that I never thought I would pursue. Taking my excitement back to my school, I saw a huge opportunity to show my peers that there are lots of ways one can pursue leadership, whether your passion is policy, community outreach, professional development, mentorship or research, to name a few.
Obviously, I was passionate enough to pursue a chance at becoming a national leader within SOMA, and I was successful; I joined the National SOMA Board of Trustees, which is an opportunity I will be forever grateful for. I wanted to share my passion and excitement with my friends and peers because I felt like more students would be engaged if they saw others engaged.
As a newer college of osteopathic medicine (COM)—and as an OMS I/OMS II—is totally normal to be apprehensive about taking on some responsibility for fear of overwhelming oneself. I wanted to show an example of how leadership opportunities can recharge you and can make you a better student (and help prevent burnout). Fast-forward to present day at my COM, there are numerous students engaging with policy and resolution-writing (some of which have authored resolutions that have passed and now serve as policy in SOMA), diving deeper into their passions by serving on various committees or subcommittees across a breadth of organizations.
The students are also advocating at the state level by engaging with our state society, the Tennessee Osteopathic Medical Association (TOMA), and I know of at least two other students that have achieved leadership positions on a national level. I now serve as the national president of SOMA and continue to use my platform in inspiring others on how they can rise as a leader in osteopathic medicine.
What would you recommend to people, both earlier in their medical journey and at your current stage, to foster leadership skills that build on each other?
I love this question. When I look back on my journey in medicine thus far, it looks quite different than I anticipated with some of my most unexpected experiences having become key defining parts of my story. Perspective is really what has been a game-changer for me, time and time again. Seeking out perspectives has granted me growth, insight and maturity consistently throughout my 20s and well throughout my pre-medicine era. Observing and learning by leaning into perspectives outside one’s own can open your eyes, open new doors and provide you with insights about the world and your place in it. For me, I like to say perspective is how I broke through my own glass ceiling and how I was able to attain new heights as a leader.
To my undergraduate, graduate and pre-medical peers, I want you to know that you are not alone despite how unique your struggles may feel. Striving to keep your mind open is a powerful step you can take to learn from people who may navigate the world differently than you do. Perspective can bring you into foreign dynamics and help you challenge your own predispositions and assumptions.
To my medical student peers, I say successful leadership is just as much about listening as it is speaking. At any stage, you can choose to step outside your framework and learn something new. We all should surround ourselves with people who can help propel us forward in our goals and dreams. Be brave enough to think outside the box because attaining new perspectives in life may just inspire you in ways you weren’t expecting.
Finally, be intentional with your growth, lean into your passions and remember that you can stay rooted in your values while embracing new avenues into leadership. Being your true, authentic self is one of the best recipes for fostering growth and becoming an effective leader.
What is the top quality that defines a leader?
A truly great leader lives by example. They are disciplined, diligent and have an abundance of integrity. Their actions in life serve as a way of handling themselves that serves as a goal for their peers. Whether they are actively leading or just living their life, they exhibit these qualities in all circumstances or scenarios, behind closed doors or out in a public setting. Being a great leader is not about just doing things; it’s about serving as a role model for those who follow you, while at the same time demonstrating the standard qualities that all leaders should have.
Describe a time when you not only helped lead someone but also inspired them to become a leader themselves.
My medical school has a mentorship program where, starting in our second year, we are paired with a first-year medical student to be a source for them and guide them through the path of medical school. I was fortunate to be paired with someone who was a classmate of mine during my undergraduate education. I was very lucky because she is a great person, extremely motivated and very intelligent, so working with her has been a pleasure.
When she had questions about becoming more involved and balancing extracurricular involvement with medical school education, I was able to provide my insights to give her some guidance on this delicate balance. She excelled in medical school and matched into her top choice for residency. However, she also has continued to develop her own leadership skills and joined national committees and is now leading others. She has now taken over interviews that I once conducted and represents herself as a truly brilliant leader.
What would you recommend to people, both earlier in their medical journey and at your current stage, to foster leadership skills that build on each other?
It is easy for a medical student to feel overwhelmed and lost. Trying to develop leadership skills while balancing the never-ending stress of didactics, boards and match can make this feel overwhelming. However, my advice to stay involved and find your passion. You do not have to be involved with everything, and frankly it is probably going to be impossible to be involved with everything. But find your niche in medical school; find what makes you happy, find what makes you passionate and stay involved with it. Find a balance between your passion with leadership and the necessary didactic and clinical obligations you have.
Stay true to who you are and who you were before medical school; be a good person, and your leadership skills will follow to allow you to be a strong leader and strong clinician. As a resident, I have found it difficult to balance leadership with residency obligations, because the hours can be taxing and it is difficult to find the time to devote to both leadership and clinical obligations.
However, still being a resident myself, I give similar advice to residents to what I give to medical students: find your niche, find your passion and give your extracurricular time to that area. Whether it be the AOA, your specialty college, your state society or another organization, find what makes you happy and give your nonclinical time to that passion. Stay involved, stay true to yourself and lead by example.
What is the top quality that defines a leader?
The top quality that defines a leader is tenacity. Once you have a goal, you need to build a team around you and inspire them to complete this goal. A good leader’s tenacity is contagious and intoxicating.
Describe a time when you not only helped lead someone but also inspired them to become a leader themselves.
An example of a time that I guided a peer into leadership was when I was relaunching an organization during undergrad at Michigan State University (MSU), the Golden Key International Honor Society. I had a vision of restarting this organization so students could have more volunteer opportunities. I knew I couldn’t do it by myself and that I needed a team. I asked several of my driven friends if they would like to hold executive board positions and they were excited to do so. We successfully led this team and then when it came time for me to matriculate into medical school, my friends on the executive board gracefully took over and the organization is still alive today.
What would you recommend to people, both earlier in their medical journey and at your current stage, to foster leadership skills that build on each other?
The advice I would give to others in their medical journey looking into leadership would be to pursue all opportunities that come their way. You never know when you will be invited to participate in something that will change your life.
Leadership isn’t a destination; just like medicine, it’s a practice. It evolves with each transition and often takes root in the small moments that others may overlook.
We hope these stories encourage you to reflect on your own leadership journey and goals, wherever you may be on the path.
The next generation of physician-leaders is already among us. The future of medicine depends not only on clinical skills, but on the strength of those who choose to move medicine forward.