Becker's Hospital Review

160 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP zation is to reconcile the big picture, where we need to go as an orga- nization, with the needs of different departments and individuals. You must focus on being true to your organizational principles, being true to yourself, and acting in accordance with the values and the culture of the organization. My transition to CEO with the Cleveland Clinic was made easier be- cause [former CEO Toby Cosgrove, MD] was phenomenal and con- tinues to be a great ally and a huge help. We had a very well sched- uled transition that happened over a period of four months where we were literally joined at the hip. We toured the entire organization and he would introduce me to different parts of the Cleveland Clinic. I learned a lot about what is going on in the enterprise during those four months. He was, and continues to be, immensely helpful. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your day? TM: e most rewarding part is when I receive a letter or a phone call or somebody approaches me and compliments me on the care that they received at the Cleveland Clinic. at's by far the most rewarding part of my day. Also, to have caregivers who approach me and thank me for the opportunity to work in our organization. Just this past weekend, we had our first-ever family day at Jacobs Field, where the Cleveland Indians play. It was a wonderful opportunity to invite many of our caregivers to get together and bring their families with them. As I said, we work here as a family, we use the family relationship as a principle for everything we do at the Cleveland Clinic. It was great. We had the kids of our caregivers, and many of the care- givers themselves, run the bases and to go out on the field. It was just a wonderful reminder about how great this organization is and how deep- ly people care about the Cleveland Clinic. We're the largest employer in Cleveland and second largest in the state of Ohio. We play a phenome- nally important role in a community, so having a family day was a small token of appreciation for the hard work people put into that. Q: What's the last thing you do before you leave your office? TM: Typically, I want to make sure my inbox is empty. I tend to be pretty good at it. I usually leave around 6 or 7 p.m. Four or five times a week I have some type of reception, dinner or event to go to. But I try to clean my inbox so things do not agglomerate. Q: How do you unwind when you get home? TM: I do not usually carry much work home with me. By the time I'm home, I'm done. I'm an early bird, so I try to get to bed on time because having enough sleep is important. at is something I've learned as an executive. As a leader you meet hundreds and hundreds of people a day, and every interaction you have with folks is being measured and perceived differently. ese conversations may be just one conversa- tion out of dozens and dozens in a day for me, but to the person I'm speaking with it may be the most important conversation they will have in an entire year. So, to be completely focused and dedicate the appropriate amount of attention and respect in conversations with your coworkers, you have to be at the top of your game every single day. You cannot do that unless you take good care of yourself. I do not watch television, but I like to read. I always have books every- where. Before bed I'll get a good read and that's about it. I tend to read several books at the same time, and I'm currently reading a book by Steven Pinker called Enlightenment Now. It's very interesting. Another one I just completed was a book of essays called Watermark by Joseph Brodsky about his winters in Venice. It was a wonderful read. n 4,200+ ATTENDEES FROM HOSPITALS AND HEALTH SYSTEMS ACROSS THE NATION REGISTER BY MARCH 1, 2019 AND SAVE! CELEBRITY KEYNOTES BY 10TH ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 1-4, 2019 HYATT REGENCY | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS REGISTER HERE www.beckershospitalreview.com/conference registration@beckershealthcare.com, jcole@beckershealthcare.com, sbecker@ beckershealthcare.com or 800.417.2035. Great topics and speakers focused on strategy, health system alignment and growth, physician integration, improving profitability, ACOs, key specialties and more 300+ GREAT HOSPITAL AND HEALTH SYSTEM LEADERS SPEAKING George W. Bush 43rd President of the United States of America and Founder of the George W. Bush Presidential Center President Bill Clinton Founder of the Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States of America Katie Couric Storied News Anchor, Producer, and Documentarian

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