How to establish yourself as a physician leader

Because of their medical authority, every physician is a leader in their organization to some extent. Those who expand their leadership potential tend to have four characteristics.

1. They build relationships with those around them — from the receptionists to the medical assistants to other physicians. They seek to understand their team members' personalities and needs and how they work together.

2. They achieve. This may include successfully advocating for important policy changes, creating effective training protocols, surpassing a productivity or quality metric, or simply being a good doctor.

3. They develop and serve others. This means helping staff develop new skills, creating opportunities for them to exercise their strengths, and giving them the confidence that they will grow professionally or personally under your leadership.

4. They stand for something that matters. It may take an entire career to achieve this goal, but compelling leaders represent something larger than themselves.

Read the full FPM article: “Physician Leadership Lessons From the Business World.”