What Does Leadership Look Like?
AAEM NEWS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Lisa A. Moreno, MD MS MSCR FAAEM FIFEM – President, AAEM
(HINT: It looks like you…)
L
eadership Academy is a tradition at AAEM, and this year, we kicked it up a notch. Instead of the usual approximately 25 potential leaders identified by the board, we invited the Chairs and Vice Chairs of all the sections, committees, interest groups and chapter divisions, the boards of YPS and AAEM/RSA, and sought nominations from other AAEM leaders outside the board of directors. I am proud to announce that 92 of AAEM’s future leaders attended the Leadership Academy and the discussion was vibrant with the fresh ideas and concerns they brought. The Leadership Academy was taught by some of the top faculty in emergency medicine, and we plan to make the presentations available on AAEM Online. The most important thing to understand about leadership was said succinctly by Vince Lombardi: That great leaders are not born, they are made through a process of hard work and dedication. Through the challenges of 2020, we have globally expressed concern about the crisis in leadership, but the boon of the pandemic is that from this crisis have emerged unexpected heroes and leaders of integrity. In this and my next President’s Message, I will share some of
the wisdom that emerged from the Leadership Academy. And if you recognize the leader in yourself and were not invited to attend this year’s Leadership Academy, take the bold step, and contact me so that we can include you next year. A big part of being a great leader is stepping up. 1. Great leaders learn from great leaders. 2. Great leaders surround themselves with brilliant, trusted experts. 3. Great leaders listen to all voices. 4. Great leaders think about their legacy. 5. Great leaders recognize the responsibility to create other great leaders. 6. Great leaders make decisions, knowing that they will make enemies. 7. Great leaders know it’s about the organization first. 8. Great leaders do not engage in personal attacks. 9. Great leaders accept the ultimate responsibility for everything that happens in the organization. 10. Great leaders give responsibility for success to those around them.
Great leaders learn from great leaders.
There are hundreds of books available about how to be a great leader but think about who the authors are. They may have made a tremendous amount of money for themselves and their cohorts. They may have taken a company out of obscurity. If, however, we consider
the leaders who have made a profound difference in the lives of others, the leaders whose names and philosophies are known decades and even centuries after their passing, you will not find a how to book writer among them. They were too busy doing the right thing. These are the people you want to emulate and from whose wisdom you want to learn. As different as Dr. John Snow is from Mohandas Gandhi is from St. Catherine of Sienna is from Martin Luther King, they have so much in common. They were passionate about doing the right thing, even when they were criticized, mocked, and sometimes hated. They persevered against astonishing odds. There was no “try” for them; only “do.” (Thank you, Yoda.) They put the wellbeing of others ahead of their own interests and were willing to sacrifice to make the lives of others better. They were willing to be unpopular. They led by example. True greatness does not come from making a lot of money. True greatness comes from doing the right thing. Said St. Catherine of Sienna, “Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire.” Think about who you were born to be and move forward to your greatness. Look at those who you admire and want to be like. Study their lives and policies, and don’t hesitate to ask for advice and mentorship. Most leaders derive pleasure from mentoring others and recognize their obligation to do so (see #5).
Great leaders surround themselves with brilliant, trusted experts.
Now more than in any previous decade, it is impossible for anyone to be an expert on
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Through the challenges of 2020, we have
globally expressed concern about the crisis in leadership, but the boon of the pandemic is that from this crisis have emerged unexpected heroes and leaders of integrity.” COMMON SENSE MARCH/APRIL 2021
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