Management Perspectives

What is the secret to leadership? How can a leader impact each team member’s drive and passion for their jobs while also improving their overall health and well-being? In the end, how can an organisation achieve excellence?

After a journey of over 30 years in a variety of leadership tours in navy medicine, as well as working the past ten years with a diverse array of hospitals, corporations, non-profits, and sports organisations in 21 countries— including the Indian Health Service—I learned that the key to effective leadership is actually quite simple: earn the trust of your team members by taking care of them. Lead with care and compassion.

My crucible leadership experience came during my command tour at Naval Hospital Bremerton in Bremerton, Washington. What I learned during those profoundly impactful three years is that effective leadership is not about command and control, but about compassion and caring. A caring leader is a trusted leader, and a trusted leader is an effective leader. The bottom line: A subordinate’s trust in their leader is ‘the’ most important factor in the success of any organisation.

About a week before my command tour was to commence, I had a bit of a revelation. It occurred to me—and no doubt numerous other colleagues—that there were many other senior officers more qualified for that job. As a pharmacy officer, my experience regarding hospital operations was not as extensive as others who had competed for that much sought-after job—Naval Hospital Bremerton was one of only five Navy Family Practice Teaching Hospitals worldwide. Given my relative lack of knowledge in hospital operations, I knew our success hinged on earning the trust of all the 1,500 members of my team. My goal was to ensure that each team member understood the value of their work and found joy in it as well. I was acutely aware that the sooner they knew I cared for them—genuinely—the sooner they would begin to trust me. Only when they felt comfortable around me and had confidence and faith in my leadership would we be able to successfully navigate the unknown, inevitable, and innumerable changes, crises, and challenges that lay in our path.

What happened over those next three years in command had a profound impact on me. I witnessed first-hand how caring for my team members created intense trust and how that transformed a complex organisation of 1,500 diverse individuals into a highfunctioning team. Because of that trust, members of my team told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear. Collectively, we made good decisions because inputs from team members who better understood the issue, whatever it was, were received and appropriately acted upon. I was fortunate to have been surrounded by many, extremely talented people.

In large part, because of their dedication, loyalty, and support, the hospital performed at an extremely high level during my three years in command. We enjoyed abundant success, winning more awards than the other nine Naval hospitals in the vast Pacific Area of Operations.

How does a leader appropriately build a relationship with team members? What are the specific acts of caring that help build trust up and down the chain of command? My experience, as well as extensive research, shows that the answer to those two questions can be found by employing the following six behaviours:

- Know your staff;
- Be visible;
- Always treat all staff with dignity and respect;
- Do not ignore good or poor performance;
- Be optimistic; and
- Continuously learn the art of leadership

While these behaviours are powerful, they are not complex. Employing them takes energy, time, and discipline. Who is able to employ them? Anyone. In my book Lessons from the Navy: How to Earn Trust, Lead Teams and Achieve Organizational Excellence, I provide practical and applicable tips to successfully employ each behaviour in your daily routine. I also describe the destructive nature of fear and intimidation. It is important for leaders to remain mindful that their title—be it CEO, Commanding Officer, or simply ‘boss’—brings with it some level of authority. With that authority comes intimidation, which, in turn, generates fear. Team members who work in fear are not focused on doing better; rather, they are focused on not making a mistake. Whether a leader becomes more intimidating and generates fear or less intimidating and earns trust is dependent upon the leader’s behaviours. Many leaders may not be aware of this vitally important concept. By by proactively employing these six behaviours, any leader at any level can reverse this natural state of affairs. These behaviours drive out fear, earn trust, build high-performing teams, and help achieve organisational excellence.

Here is the good news: opportunities which earn trust and show you care occur hundreds of times each day. They are in abundance and lay dormant in every interaction—at a meeting, when passing someone in the hallway, in a text message or post, or during a social event, among a host of others. Great leaders appreciate that the key to unlocking the power of these interactions is in managing their own behaviour during the interaction. Great leaders know that employees emulate behaviours, which creates a culture—one that determines team performance. Great leaders also understand, respect, and fully embrace the staggering power of their own behaviours. In the end, great leaders recognise that the only things they control 100 per cent of the time are their own behaviours, and it is these behaviours that drive team performance. Be a great leader. Embrace the profound impact of your behaviours. Build trust by leading with care and compassion.