Am I a leader?
Me looking very serious about something or other in this photo from my high school yearbook!
As the oldest child of six, I was comfortable taking charge. I liked to run things, boss my siblings around. I thought it would be cool to run the high school prom, which was the job of the class president. When I was elected president of my class for the second time, like Sally Field at the Oscars, I felt “You like me, you really like me!” Which is funny, in a way, but it illuminates my early, admittedly misguided, beliefs about what it meant to be a leader.
It wasn’t until my science teacher wrote, “To Sharon, a born leader…” in my senior yearbook, that the thought of myself as a leader occurred to me. Was I a leader? I was having fun and enjoyed being with friends (teamwork), sharing my ideas (brainstorming), getting things done (execution) and contributing to how things unfolded (future focus). Yes!
Fast forward. Practicing for decades as a physician, and often the only woman physician in the room, I have deepened my understanding that leadership is not a mystery, not a popularity contest, nor is it limited to oldest children. I know now that leadership skills are within each of us. And it’s never too late to begin to reveal your inner leader. Whether you are an introvert, extrovert, or none of the above you can lead.
Of course I didn’t do this alone. So many people, true leaders, taught me and came before me, and it is on their shoulders I stand. Leaders have guided me through different phases of my career. In high school, a teacher shared how she had been denied a career in her generation, because once she finished college she needed to return home and work so that her sister could go to college. She encouraged me to pursue my degree without financial support of my family. She taught me perseverance. My program director in residency taught me the importance of a values-based career at the height of the AIDS epidemic in New York City, where physician values were constantly being tested in the wake of great confusion and unrest. Long after I had left the residency I asked him if he would act as a consultant for a grant that I was working on and he made very clear that he did not travel on the weekends because those were for his family. He taught me the value of integrity. When I worked in government, I learned some of what I am sharing with you from one of the wisest women leaders in the world. She taught me patience and mentorship.
Being a physician is a privilege and leadership in healthcare has the potential to help so many people. Leadership opportunities are there for you no matter where you are in your career. I have personally seen and studies prove that when we have diverse voices at the table, we get much better results for ourselves, for our patients and for society.
As a coach I apply a unique framework with my clients to find their voice, develop a plan and guide them toward the leadership roles in their future. I provide a safe space to explore both their immediate goals and impossible dreams. It is a way of giving back to those who helped me.
