Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1468176
22 CEO / STRATEGY What separates good leaders from great ones? By Kelly Gooch and Alia Paavola E xtensive research has shown that lead- ers, regardless of a formal title, shape the culture, life and performance of an organization. at's why it's imperative to have great leaders. But, the question remains: What separates the "good" from the "great?" Here, Becker's asked eight leaders to identify the characteristics and attributes that separate great leaders from good leaders. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity. Tim Dentry. President and CEO of Northern Light Health (Brewer, Maine): I have known many good leaders who have been very capable and get the job done. e great leaders I have known are those who are genuine, lead from the front and encourage those around them to believe in themselves and in the higher cause of service. Personally, I subscribe to the principles of servant leadership, with humility, by encour- aging diversity of thought, creating a culture of caring and trust, all with an unselfish mindset. Great leaders show their true colors during the most trying of times; during the height of the pandemic these principles were invaluable as we quickly rallied the teams, created a nimble and effective decision-making process, and empowered all members of the organization to do the right thing first, with a culture of "yes." I also believe a great leader maintains a sense of humanity, connects with people ear- ly and oen to balance reality with hope and confidence, and continuously is an inquisitive student of others. Marc Edelman. Senior Vice President and COO of Northern Light Eastern Maine Med- ical Center (Bangor): A good leader knows when to lead, run with the pack or stay out of the way. Great leaders provide mentorship to develop the team to drive the organization to success. It is a we and us, not an I. Judy Frum, BSN, RN. COO of Broward Health Medical Center (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.): Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "A good leader inspires people to have confidence in their leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves." roughout the course of my life and career, I have been privileged to work with many lead- ers, both good and great. ere are those who are unforgettable and those who simply help us to the next chapter. What are characteristics that set apart these influential, progressive peo- ple? We've all had plenty of good leaders who are committed and hardworking. Consistent, they get the job done while staying within the confines of the box. Believing in themselves, the team and the vision, yet oen, they are not as inspiring as we would like them to be. Great leaders, on the other hand, are game-changers, leading from a place of self- lessness, energy and passion. Never worrying about being in the spotlight, they provide un- conditional support to ensure every member of the team feels valued and special. ere is an undeniable feeling that anything is possible when you are on their team. Great leaders are present, authentic and cou- rageous. ey don't settle for mediocrity and have an innate ability to be disruptive if the outcome serves the greater good. Never shying away from the hard conversations, they don't make excuses or find fault. e goal is helping the team find their greatness. To those great leaders who chose me to be on their team, you have inspired and empowered me to believe anything is possible. Jill Hoggard Green, PhD, RN. President and CEO of the Queen's Health Systems (Hono- lulu): ere are leaders that are clinicians at the front lines, there are leaders that are managers and directors and there are executive leaders. In all cases, a leader needs to have a vision, a picture of where we can be that is greater than where we are today. Vision is important, but that is only a piece of what great leadership is. For me, it is essential that leaders partner with the people they serve. For example, as CEO of a health system, I need to be able to part- ner with the patients we are serving and the broader community, in addition to working with individuals in government. Addition- ally, I need to partner with other leaders and the front-line teams that are your privilege to serve and support. We are here, in leadership, to serve and create an environment to allow our teams to be the most effective at achieving our mission. Overall, the thing that separates the good leaders from great is not just having a vision and being able to direct. It is truly being able to serve, partner with and support the pa- tients you serve, the community you serve and clinicians you serve. I'd also add who a great leader knows how to build the team, who directly works with them as well as creates teams throughout their orga- nization. Nothing is done without teams and we must work together to support each other and take on new challenges every day. When I hire leaders, I expect that they have the humility of continuous learning and a spirit of generosity to educate and support in whatever way the people they are working with need. To me, that is great leadership. In terms of characteristics of great leaders, I'd say it's really important to have strength, oen in the form of moral strength, as well 8 best health systems to work for: Fortune By Ayla Ellison E ight health systems made Fortune's 100 Best Compa- nies to Work for list this year. For its list, Fortune surveyed more than 870,000 employ- ees. The survey enabled employees to share confidential quantitative and qualitative feedback about their compa- ny's culture by responding to 60 statements on a five-point scale and answering two open-ended questions. All com- panies on the list employ at least 1,000 people. Here are the eight health systems that made the list, ordered by their corresponding number in the overall 100 companies. 37. Texas Health Resources (Arlington) 64. Southern Ohio Medical Center (Portsmouth) 75. Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) 79. Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables) 82. OhioHealth (Columbus) 87. Scripps Health (San Diego) 90. Wellstar Health System (Marietta, Ga.) 91. Atlantic Health System (Morristown, N.J.) n