How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series: What is Your Leadership Philosophy?

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

What is Your Leadership Philosophy?

What is your leadership philosophy?

leadership is. Search for leadership

What to you makes a good leader?

books online and you find that there are more than 70,000 available today

This is an incredibly important and

in print!

foundational question, and one you must intentionally choose and

There are, however, themes that arise

discover for yourself.

when we talk about leadership. About what makes someone a good “leader.”

Leadership is a concept so vast and varied that if you were to ask a room

What I want to impart to you, is that

full of leadership experts, you would

you are a leader now. Whether you

get 100 different answers about what

have a position or title, or not. As a

Tammie Chang, MD, LLC

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

physician, you are viewed as the

Leadership is not about titles,

leader of your team. With this comes

positions, or flowcharts. It is about

not only responsibility, but also

one life influencing another

scrutiny by others. Have you noticed

– John Maxwell

how much we pick up on how our own leaders act? What they say – or don’t

Leaders become great, not because of

say-- and how they say it? When they

their power, but because of their

seem tired, or upset, or cross? And

ability to empower others

how this is interpreted by us and

– John Maxwell

others?

A star wants to see herself rise to the Think about a leader you respect,

top. A leader wants to see those

trust, and admire. How does this

around her become stars

person make you feel? What is it about

– Simon Sinek

this person that inspires you? What sets this leader apart?

If you’re not a leader on the bench, don’t call yourself a leader on the

The question to ask yourself is, what

field. You’re either a leader

does leadership mean to you?

everywhere or nowhere – Abby Wambach

The leadership philosophies that resonate most deeply for me are,

Leader is not a title that the world gives to you—it’s an offering that you

Leadership is anyone who takes

give to the world

responsibility for finding the potential

– Abby Wambach

in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential

One powerful framework through

-- Brene Brown

which to begin to think about Tammie Chang, MD, LLC

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

Leadership, is to think through the lens of 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential by John Maxwell, one of the pre-eminent leadership experts.

From lowest level of leadership, to the highest: 1. Position – People follow because they have to. People follow because you have a position or title.

2. Permission – People follow because they want to. People follow because they trust and respect you.

3. Production – People follow because of what you have done for the organization. You produce results and get things done.

4. People Development – People follow because of what you have done for them personally. You are a leader who develops others to become leaders.

5. Pinnacle – People follow because of who you are and what you represent. You are a leader who develops leaders who develop other leaders. Your impact is far greater than any impact you could have on your own.

Questions to consider: How is this framework similar to how you think about leadership?

How is this different?

Think about the leaders in your own life. Where do these leaders fall in this framework?

Where do you fall in this framework as a leader yourself?

Where do you need to grow in your own leadership, to progress upward in this framework as a leader?

Tammie Chang, MD, LLC

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

Another important framework is the concept of Strengths-Based Leadership, developed by Gallup. In a study of more than 1 million teams, 20,000 leaders and 10,000 followers, Gallup published their results in Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams and Why People Follow by Tom Rath.

Gallup’s key findings reveled that the most effective leaders 1. Are always investing in their strengths 2. Surround themselves with the right people and maximize their team 3. Understand their followers needs What are the key needs of followers?

Trust Compassion Stability Hope Followers need to feel like they trust their leader, that their leader cares about them, that their leader will ensure stability, and that their leader inspires hope.

Questions to consider: Think again about the leaders in your life. How are these leaders living into their strengths and maximizing their teams? How do they support the four key needs of followers?

How are you living into your strengths and maximizing your team?

How do you support the four key needs of followers, as a leader?

Tammie Chang, MD, LLC

How to Lead as a Woman Physician Series

Your Assignment: For the next week, consciously observe others around you, whether they hold a position or title, or not. How are others embodying the concepts we introduced in this article, the 5 Levels of Leadership and Strengths-Based Leadership? How are they not embodying these concepts?

Go back and read through your core values, your Why and personal mission/impact statement, and your personal vision statement. What do you think your leadership philosophy is?

Write out your own leadership philosophy. This can be in phrases, words, or full sentences. What feels most aligned with the deepest and most authentic part of you?

Read through the leadership philosophy quotes from this article.

Then look online and find more quotes that resonate for you.

Type or write them out onto a sheet of paper and put this where you can see it each day.

Email me at info@tammiechangmd.com with questions, any time. I am here for you friend…!

Tammie Tammie Chang, MD, LLC