So, you want to be a leader?

Abstract

Every physician is a leader. We often lead teams of people, whether it is in an ambulatory clinic, the ICU, or the operating room. We have responsibility for our patients, and need to ensure our colleagues, advanced practice providers, and support teams are doing their jobs correctly. On a small scale, it is a physician in a solo practice or a surgeon in an operating room. On a larger scale it can be an academic chair or a dean. This article serves as a primer for those who will journey down the path of becoming a leader. Starting with a brief historical background of modern leadership theory, and a discussion on managing versus leading, we will then touch on what we believe are the key steps required to become a successful leader. We have drilled this down to four steps: 1) know yourself, 2) know others, 3) reality test your skill set, and finally, 4) become a servant leader. Numerous vignettes are written to help illustrate some of the lessons that should be learned when embarking on this journey.