Herding Lions

One thing that medical providers and other clinicians often fail to realize is that they’re de facto leaders, whether they want to be or not. Their position comes with status, influence and responsibilities that set them apart from many of their co-workers, and that has a profound influence on their relationships and culture around them.

Some providers find it hard to see themselves this way. For most of their training, they climbed the lower rungs of a strict hierarchical ladder that left them feeling anything but empowered. And even when that training ended, they didn’t feel magically transformed. If anything, they were more aware than ever of their inexperience and steep learning curve. Their new status as leaders may never have occurred to them.

For those of us whose job it is to lead other providers, this presents a challenge. On the one hand, those providers are smart, insightful, and positioned to have a huge positive impact on the culture and the staff around them. On the other hand, they often have little or no training in leadership, and may be unaware of how profoundly their actions affect others. They can be fiercely independent and forceful in their opinions, yet feel disempowered and passive when it comes to finding solutions.

You’ve heard the expression “herding cats.” The task for medical leadership is to herd lions. It’s to help every provider understand that they’re leaders in their own right. It’s to give them not only the awareness and skills to accept that position of leadership, but also the influence, autonomy and acknowledgement that go with it. It’s a tricky, complicated process--one that we ourselves may feel untrained and unprepared to guide. But the first step is clear. Providers are leaders. Let’s treat them that way.