I am a nephrologist by training. I started learning administrative roles as the medical director at the University of Wisconsin and then became a section chief and vice chair in the Department of Medicine. Subsequently, I led a large multispecialty practice at the University of Illinois and then was CEO for the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics before taking on an Associate Dean role and creating a new community medical group and clinically integrated network for the University of Chicago, which I led as President of the UCM Care Network. After that I became Chief Medical Officer for DaVita Integrated Kidney Care and then President of a large multispecialty group at JPS Health Network in Texas prior to taking on another CMO role for VillageMD.

My wife was a transplant fellow at UW-Madison and that schedule is frenetic and tough to predict. We wanted to start a family and my transition to administration allowed me to strike a different balance in my schedule. I also learned it was important to have people in administrative roles who understood the daily work and frustrations of those who are not in administrative roles-people who are trying to address varied aspects of the academic mission or take care of a ton of patients. And if you didn’t actually appreciate some of that you weren’t going to be able to create the best environment for them.

I tend to be one of those people that goes all in; I was moving at a pace that was very different from some of the people I was working with. I had to readjust expectations around performance and understand how to translate language. It necessitated leadership skills across many domains to make that a smooth and positive transition.

There was a lot of self-reflection. I reached out to people outside of my organization for advice. A mentor told me “When leaders stop learning, leaders stop leading.” I spent a lot of time learning basic skills around management, organizational dynamics, finance, and legal and compliance functions. I wanted to understand more about operations and learn how to assess and influence the culture of my organization. With those things in mind, it was easier to ask: how do I look out a little further strategically to lead in the right direction? It’s not just to change management globally, it’s the structured operational processes that make things easier to achieve our goals. And reaching out to smart people in other sectors of industry has been helpful for guidance and links to resources.

First, focus. The constant pressures and changing dynamics in the healthcare space can make it hard to concentrate on what is most important.

Second, think hard about the question you’re trying to answer. Then, learn how to put a question on the table for everybody else to answer. The ability to get multiple minds informing strategy and approach is important.

Find somebody you trust who can be a mentor. People are the most important variable in what we do and if you work at it, you can always find people who are willing to share their time. It is also critical to ask if an administrative role is aligned with your purpose. Taking on administrative roles has many different responsibilities, with varying degrees of joy. Finally, never feel as if you are locked into a path. You can always develop skills, take courses, or shadow somebody who is in a high-level role to learn more.

There are two things that come to mind with this question. When I think about people I have encountered who are exceptional leaders, they’ve been incredibly open and authentic. Great leaders have the ability to understand how to connect across broad audiences simultaneously. Second: bidirectionality. The stuff my kids teach me is massive. Feeling comfortable allowing younger folks to teach senior leaders is a great resource to make your organization better. With younger leaders, you may have to guide them while also clearing the underbrush that gets in their way and giving them enough sunlight and sustenance so they can grow. Taking time as a senior leader to do that work shows interest and engages younger leaders in ways that enhance the organization.