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37 37 CEO/STRATEGY Why Healthcare Needs Inspirational Leaders and How to Become One By Tamara Rosin "If it's to be, it's up to me." T hat is the philosophy that has guided Dan Nielsen, founder, CEO and publisher of America's Healthcare Leaders, through- out his professional career. A quintessential self-starter, Mr. Nielsen le his home in Western Nebraska the night of his high school graduation with just $35 in his pocket. Aer growing up "on the wrong side of town with no money," Mr. Nielsen made a vow to himself to never be poor again. In college, on top of being a full-time student, he worked 40 hours and seven days a week, with jobs including a 55-mile paper route and the graveyard shi at an assembly line. "Most of the time I was dead tired," says Mr. Nielsen. "I had no social life. Yet I was increasingly energized and inspired by the success I was achieving in college. I learned that this poor boy from Nebraska had more potential than I'd ever dreamed." Fueled by his achievements and a powerful intrinsic desire to succeed, Mr. Nielsen eventually went on serve as CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth Medical Center, senior executive at VHA (now Vizient) and a faculty member at several Texas universities. He attributes his successful ca- reer to numerous factors, including an unshakable work ethic, hum- ble beginnings and numerous positive mentors. But most importantly, Mr. Nielsen says he was inspired. Now, Mr. Nielsen says his passion is serving as a source of inspiration to others, and helping leaders across the healthcare industry refine their leadership skills and inspire their own employees. Becoming an inspirational leader In his book, Be an Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, Mr. Nielsen emphasizes that one needn't be a "born leader" to be an in- spirational one. In fact, he basically dismisses the notion that born leaders exist at all. Instead, he says the traits that make an individual an exceptional leader can all be acquired from a combination of expe- rience, formal leadership training and mentorship. ere are a few steps individuals can take to become an inspirational leader. e first is committing to your goal and making leadership de- velopment a lifelong habit. "On a daily basis, ask yourself: 'What spe- cific steps can I take to better engage and inspire people?'" Mr. Nielsen says. Leaders who tailor their actions to the needs, desires and motiva- tions of their employees become sources of inspiration. Another essential practice: always seek opportunities to learn from others. Whether that comes in the form of enlisting a career coach, seeking numerous mentors or reading leadership books, one can al- ways learn something new from others' experiences. Why healthcare needs inspirational leaders Numerous studies have reaffirmed the same sad finding: millions of Americans are not engaged in their work. Gallup's latest State of the American Workplace report indicates just 30 percent of the American workforce is engaged in their work, meaning 70 percent of workers are not reaching their full potential. In healthcare, low engagement among clinical staff could contribute to poor patient outcomes and hurt the bottom line. While numerous fac- tors influence employees' degree of engagement, inspirational leaders can help build it up and reawaken the sense of calling that first drew them into the field of healthcare to begin with. According to Mr. Nielsen, inspirational leaders inherently promote engagement in the following ways. 1. They engage people individually and collectively. "When you're looking at someone — whether they're your employee, patient or client — imagine they have a sign on their head that says 'engage me,'" says Mr. Nielsen. Leaders who successfully engage employees as indi- viduals and in groups know how to tailor their communication based on the people, setting and situation. ey don't speak in generics — they take the time to learn about those they lead and communicate in a way that will appeal to their personal drives and motivations. 2. They empower others. No matter one's position or status in the organization, inspirational leaders make sure each employee knows how he or she contributes to the greater organizational mis- sion. ey know that individuals feel empowered when they feel their work is meaningful. 3. They are authentic. In his book, Mr. Nielsen explains that inspira- tional leaders are distinguishable from their peers because they possess the following nine key traits: accountability, authenticity, desire to learn, approachability, responsiveness, flexibility, engaging, inspiring and em- powering. Of these, Mr. Nielsen says authenticity is the most important. "Authenticity is the foundation of all true success and highly success- ful leadership," he says. "It doesn't take long to identify true authen- ticity or the opposite. People can tell in a New York minute if you're a phony, and people don't trust phonies." n Automation Slashes 220 Jobs at Express Scripts By Ayla Ellison E xpress Scripts, a St. Louis-based pharmacy bene- fits manager, will lay off 220 workers when it closes its office in Trevose, Pa., according to The Philadel- phia Inquirer. Express Scripts spokesman Brian Henry told The Phil- adelphia Inquirer the office will close May 26. The 220 layoffs represent about 11 percent of the company's 2,000-person workforce in Pennsylvania. Mr. Henry said the office in Trevose is no longer needed, as computerized systems have reduced the number of workers necessary to process prescriptions. This is the second round of layoffs Express Scripts an- nounced this year. The company plans to cut more than 300 jobs when it closes a call center in Pueblo, Colo., this month. n