Transcript Intentional Leadership How Leaders Can Become More

Why Do We Do This Anyway?
Some Practical Reflections on the Joy
of the Passionate Pursuit of Meaningful Work1,2
Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBA, DLFAPA
Ohio Association of Free Clinics
October 14, 2014
1Thank
you for the exceptional work you do; I am honored to be invited back to work and serve with
you.
2Please let me know how well I served you on your evaluation forms.
Why is this important?
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When I started to work with doctors
right out of high school, I discovered a
lot of them were miserable in their
work.
I wanted my work to be a source of
unspeakable joy.
So I began studying the differences
between miserable and joyful
physicians, and I’ve learned some
things over the years.1,2
I’ve also avoided becoming a
miserable doctor.
Here are some of the strategies that
have helped me.
Perhaps they might help you too.
• After listening to this
presentation, you will be able
to answer the following
questions:
– Why are some of our
colleagues so miserable?
– What are some of the
consequences of being
miserable?
– What are some practical
strategies to avoid being
miserable?
– Why should you employ these
strategies and how can you?
remember exactly when I decided this.
was a senior medical student at MCG and assisting with the removal of a lung.
Why are some of our colleagues so
miserable?
• Sadly, they may be genetically predisposed.
• They may have failed to fix the bugs in their
brain programming.
• They may have reinforced their flawed
programming through neuronal kindling.
• They may have an illness.
• They may have concluded that outrage and
misery are normal.
• They may have mistakenly concluded that
others “make me feel this way.”
What are some of the unpleasant
consequences of being miserable?
• It results in chronic emotional arousal with all of
its unpleasant consequences.
• Chronic anger is not just unpleasant, it is deadly.
• Negative emotional arousal
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Sours your outlook,
Compromises your judgment,
Distorts your perceptions,
Increases professional burnout, and
Triggers impulsive behavior.
• And the joyful people will all avoid thee.
What are some practical strategies to
avoid being miserable?
Practical Strategy
Practical Strategy
Beware feelings of entitlement.
Cultivate a servant heart.
Where do you park?
Would reframing work as ministry help?
View anger as a failure.
Remain patient-centered.
Should you just hang up the phone?
Is our system organized around us or them?
Don’t flaunt your power.
Choke off your rumination.
Should you take your assistant’s bait?
Have you tried a rubber band?
Become a respectful team player.
Stop blaming others.
Is the best idea (about the food) the boss?
Did the devil really make you do it?
Abandon arrogance as a defense.
Write a plan for your life.
Are you feeling inferior today?
Do you have a blueprint?
Avoid negative emotional contagion.
Learn to say “no.”
How much time do you spend in the lounge?
Would you follow this preacher?
So, why do we do this anyway?
• We aspire to lead joyful lives, and we understand that
the passionate pursuit of meaningful work is the path
to achieving that goal.
• We have concluded that feeling chronically outraged
because our feelings of entitlement have been thwarted
does not enrich our lives.
• We have realized that material things are as potentially
addicting and as destructive to the soul as cocaine.
• We have recognized that living lives of service pays
better emotional dividends than lives of leisure.
• We have made choices and we are at peace with the
consequences of the choices we have made.
1I
treated a poor man with a serious chronic illness for many years.
him was a huge challenge; he was very sensitive to my feelings.
3But he brought a small gift to me each time he came.
2Treating
Where can you learn more?
• Join the discussion about practical approaches to more
effective leadership on the SOMC Leadership Blog.
• Read Expectations for SOMC Leaders carefully.
• Learn more about Southern Ohio Medical Center here.
• Review and download this presentation and related
presentations and white papers here.
• Learn more about how to confront others effectively by
reading A Portable Mentor for Organizational Leaders.
• Read the classic, “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal
Experience.”
How can you contact me?
Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBA, DLFAPA
VPMA and Chief Medical Officer
Southern Ohio Medical Center
Chairman & CEO
The SOMC Medical Care Foundation, Inc.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
1805 27th Street
Waller Building
Suite B01
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
740.356.8153
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.somc.org
www.KendallLStewartMD.com
Are there other questions?
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