Transforming Leaders Program Helps Graduate See Herself as Part of Bigger Picture

Often, in both work and life, the benefits of concentrating on the big picture—the most important facts about a situation and the effects of that situation on other things—rather than getting bogged down and distracted by details, is not a new concept. But acknowledging the concept and actually applying it to one’s life and career is a whole different story. For AAN Transforming Leaders Program graduate Aiesha Ahmed, MD, honing the ability to see herself as part of a larger whole and not focus simply on her role proved a career-altering revelation.

“In our initial session, our coach, Barbara Hoese, talked about Systems Thinking. I believe it was a perfect introduction to help us develop the critical thinking necessary to see ourselves as part of larger systems—at the macro economical level—and not focus on just our roles within our divisions, departments, and organizations,” said Ahmed. A key component of the Transforming Leaders Program is the one-on-one mentoring, and “program leaders went to great lengths to find the right mentor for me,” said Ahmed. “As I was looking to develop and refine my Systems Thinking approach, I wanted to have a mentor who practiced that on a daily basis. I was very fortunate to benefit from the mentorship of Dr. John Mazziotta, who is the Vice Chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences and CEO of UCLA Health. He took time to talk to me on a regular basis and introduced me to his core team of administrative leaders. Talking to him and meeting his team helped me understand how different organizations are structured, what traits are valuable in a team, what are the core strengths of a leader, and how successful teams decide on their strategic direction in an ever changing/evolving health care landscape.” It didn’t take long for Ahmed to realize how her newfound perspective could be used as a tool to apply to any setting for problem solving and process improvement. “I immediately started seeing myself not only as a neurologist dealing with problems specific to my practice, but also broadly at a national level,” explained Ahmed. “This allowed me to appreciate the purpose and value of a national organization like the AAN and the need for me/us to be engaged.”

As neurologists are seeing an increase in chronic neurologic diseases due to an aging population, Ahmed now “thinks more and more about care delivery in the form of preventive care or population-based models focused on long-term management instead of acute interventions,” adding “I’m interested in aligning value for all stakeholders and the Systems Thinking has changed the way I define and see stakeholders.” Ahmed

Through her new Systems Thinking, Ahmed also learned to recognize that her desire for professional growth necessitated exploring options outside of the traditional academic department at Penn State Health in Hershey, PA, where she had been for 10 years. “So, I’m starting my next chapter as the chief of neuroscience at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI,” she relayed with great enthusiasm, crediting her mentor, Mazziotta, with being “a great sounding board for me as I explored multiple career opportunities for my next move and finally made the decision to join Spectrum Health. “

Ahmed went on to explain how the Spectrum Health department is set up as multiple service lines and includes different specialties. “What’s exciting for me is that the service line setup is the perfect infrastructure to allow piloting different models of care delivery that can provide value to patients, as well as the health care system,” she said. “The care delivery is approached from symptom/disease standpoint allowing specialists from different training background such as neurology, neurosurgery, physiatry, and pain management to work together cohesively. I believe these types of models can help us understand and plan for cost efficiency while improving quality and providing value, so I hope to contribute as part of the Spectrum Health team that focuses on this mission.”

Ahmed’s passion for care delivery doesn’t end there. The Academy also benefits greatly from her drive and knowledge through her involvement in the AAN’s Care Delivery Subcommittee, which is a subcommittee of the Medical Economics and Practice Committee.

The Transforming Leaders Program was created for innovative leaders with aspirations to transform their practice community and field of neurology, and to help turn those aspirations into reality through executive-level coaching and a fully customized intensive leadership development training program. For more information, visit AAN.com/view/TLP. 