Kevin Reilly — Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker
Lessons From Linebackers to Five-Star Generals
How does an orthopaedic surgeon develop into a brilliant leader – someone who can harness the power of a team and lead them to transform health care in a substantive way?
Forum Participants Will Explore Six Core Values:
- Integrity – Every leader must demonstrate consistently high moral and ethical standards. This sets the example for how a team should behave, how well they work together, and whether they will succeed.
- Vision – The vision for a project and a leader’s ability to communicate it gives the project team a clear, shared goal to work towards.
- Trust – A leader who has earned the trust and respect of their gives their team members the to showcase their unique talents.
- Sincerity – Leading others in an honest, open manner signals the group that everyone’s best interests are at heart, enabling people to make valued contributions to the project.
- Consistency – A stable and fair environment will foster a more positive and productive team.
- Decisiveness – To keep a project moving forward, a leader needs to make decisions in an expedient and effective way. Early, clear communication about why decisions are made help cement group cohesiveness.
Fostering Leaders: The Penn Leadership Forum
“Our primary goal is to educate orthopaedic residents to become the next generation of physician leaders,” explains John D. Kelly, IV, MD, Director, Shoulder Sports Medicine and Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery. Together with L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Michael Useem, Director of the Center for leadership and Change Management at the Wharton School, and a team of other physician educators, Penn has created the Penn Leadership Forum – a series of lectures, seminars, and leadership grand rounds to provide residents with the tools and ethical framework for successful leadership. The program was inspired by the Feagin Leadership Program at Duke University, honoring John A. Feagin, Jr., MD, Duke University Emeritus Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery – the first program of its kind in the country – with Penn’s program being the second.
Leadership Lessons From Everywhere
At the first annual Leadership Forum in May 2017, attendees learned from experts in medicine, business, and sports. Michael Useem delivered the keynote on “The Real Leader’s Checklist,” Kevin Reilly, a former Eagles Linebacker discussed leadership lessons learned from NFL coaches, and Dr. Levin spoke about Servant Leadership – a paradigm that turns traditional leadership models upside down, with leaders serving the needs of the team, not vice versa.
Core Values: A Leader Must Walk the Walk
The Forum emphasizes that an individual’s moral authority is the core value. Dr. Kelly explains, “If a leader does not embody integrity, the group will not trust nor respect the leader.” Using a quote from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Dr. Kelly notes that without integrity, “no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office”
The Forum provides leaders-to-be with the tools to communicate a clear vision and build a strong organization. Gaining consensus, a critical component, means working with the naysayers and obstructionists who exist in every group, providing them with tools to move forward.
A leader must genuinely demonstrate benevolence to those team members who struggle due to work or life-related problems. Every group watches their leader or boss for cues about the parameters of desired behavior. It’s up to the leader to stand on the highest ethical ground and set the best example.
It Will Not Be Easy
The trials and tribulations of leading people, especially bright people, can be challenging. The forum aims to provide a toolbox of skills to combat these challenges and enable forum participants to be effective leaders in the field.
For Dr. Levin and Dr. Kelly, the words of Dr. John Feagin, Jr. are a clarion call: “Building trust means working from a personal, selfless core value of doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason.” This kind of leadership can create the environment that changes the world of healthcare.