PHYSICIAN LEADERS
1 . Be curious . Puppies are curious . Miles constantly wants to follow the squirrel , greet another dog or sniff around in the package that I am about to open . He is constantly on the lookout and in search of whatever sound he ’ s heard or smell he ’ s just detected . As leaders , we need to remain curious as well . We need to keep asking the tough questions , looking under the surface and asking why , especially when we are wanting to make a change . When we stop being curious , we risk losing new perspectives , and without new perspectives , we cannot strive to be better .
2 . Always be on alert and listen . In addition to Miles ’ curiosity , he is also always on the alert and listening to everything around him . Even when he is napping , I can see one ear perk up when he hears someone walking into the room . He can hear the delivery man walking up to the door and start barking way before the delivery man rings our doorbell . As leaders , we , too , must always be on the alert and listen to our surroundings . When we are in tune with our environment and to those whom we are leading , then we can listen fully when concerns are voiced . We can troubleshoot issues before they become major problems , and we can create an environment of problem-solving and collaboration , rather than being reactionary .
3 . Focus not just on the task , but on the people involved . When we started working with our trainer , Tom , he was very prescriptive in how he would help us train Miles . Tom first worked with Miles and me without anyone else around to help Miles focus . We worked on “ sit ” for almost an entire hour , followed by other simple commands . Each time he introduced a new command to us , he made sure Miles was not distracted and could focus . Eventually , he started adding distractions to see if Miles would stay focused on the commands that I give , which surprisingly , he did . We have since graduated to group training where Miles continues to stay focused despite being in a group of dogs , who are also focused on the commands us owners yell out . During these sessions with Tom , I always thought they were specifically for Miles , but they were for me too . During those sessions , I made sure to not answer my phone or be distracted by the to-do list in my head , but just focus my attention on Miles . Not only did my focus on Miles help him listen to me , but it reminded me of the importance of focusing not just on what I wanted him to do , but on how he was responding to me . As leaders , it is so easy to get caught up in the task that we are trying to accomplish that we forget about the people whom we need to accomplish it . Sometimes , focusing on the people and addressing their needs , rather than focusing solely on the task , will help complete the task more efficiently and effectively .
4 . Consistency to hardwire change . Not only did Tom emphasize the importance of focus , but he also emphasized the importance of consistency . Even though Miles and I only met with Tom once a week , the expectation was that Miles and I would be doing our homework the rest of the time . And Miles ’ behavior at our weekly sessions would prove to Tom if we had done our homework or not . As leaders , consistency with our team is just as important as any task that we accomplish . It is difficult to get consistent results if we are sporadic in our actions . Consistency also takes time . For long-lasting results , we must invest the time in our team , in being consistent with our actions and staying persistent in fostering the best out of every team member .
5 . Be flexible and adapt . As Miles has grown from the 35lb puppy to the 80 + lb dog he is now , we have all had to adapt and be flexible to his growing needs . It has been interesting to watch him as he navigates his way under our dining room table , trying not to get stuck while reaching for crumbs my son leaves behind at meals , though now he is tall enough to just lay his chin on the table while we eat . During the winter , he figured out how to warm himself in front of the fire and now with the start of summer , he ’ s figured out how to cool himself by lying on the hardwood floor near the air conditioning . In the short time we have had him , he has learned his way around our home , has gotten used to the irregularity of our schedules and just seems to go with the flow . As leaders , it is important that we , too , must be able to go with the flow and adapt to what is around us . When our environment changes , we must be ready to change as well and adapt to whatever the environment brings us . If we are not flexible to the changes around us or we are not nimble to change , then we risk being left behind while everyone around us moves forward .
6 . Continue to challenge yourself and others . Once we taught Miles the basic commands of “ sit ,” “ come ” and “ down ,” I thought we were done and good to go . Then , at one of our group training sessions , we met Sadie and her owner and Django and his owner . Sadie and Django were rock stars . They could “ sit ” midway from being called to “ come ,” and then do a series of “ down ” and “ sit ,” or what Tom calls , “ doggy push-ups .” Their owners could walk away from them , and they would “ stay ” whereas when I walked away from Miles and tried to get him to “ stay ,” he would just follow me . So , I took it as a challenge that Miles would be a rock star too , and for weeks , I worked with him to “ wait ” when I walked away . A few training sessions later , Miles showed that he , too , knew how to “ wait ,” and joined the ranks of Sadie and Django , at least for “ wait .” As leaders , it is so easy to sit on our laurels , especially when things are going well . However , that is the time that we really need to challenge ourselves . Whether it is learning something new or making something better , the challenge keeps things fresh such that when a change is needed , you will be ready for it .
7 . Positive reinforcement goes a long way . When training Miles , we used a training collar when working with Tom , but many
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