Monthly Archives: June 2013

Secrets of Success: Dr. Catherine Gordon

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This is a segment in a series of profiles of values based leaders in all walks of life.  It is part of GEN Shelton’s book, Secrets of Success.  This post focuses on Dr. Catherine Gordon, a highly acclaimed medical researcher in the Boston area.

  • Over the years I’ve realized what an important role leadership plays in my work.  I was blessed by some wonderful mentors and, for young scientists, a mentor is so important.  So part of my mission is to coach young scientists the way I’ve been coached, taking the time to give them both positive and negative feedback.  As academic doctors, we are so busy in the hospital; there’s always a sick patient, a class to teach, a grant due.  There’s no room for error with patients, so it’s easy to forget to take the time to give your team positive feedback.  But I try to remember to mix the positive feedback with the negative, that good leaders will always take the time to discuss what’s going well and why. 

5 Key Thoughts and Principles of Leadership (Part 5 of 5)

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This is the last in the series of key thoughts and principles of leadership from an interview with a CEO.  You can find the previous key thoughts and principles below:

Part 1: Know Who You Are     Part 2: Be a Listener/Listen Broadly

Part 3: Courage and Attitude   Part 4: What is your Philosophy of Leadership

5-COMMUNICATION-What do you believe in and how can you communicate that most effectively?  You say more by saying less. Be authentic and genuine. We all can learn a lot and do a better job with this.  Style never displaces substance.  you have to avoid the situation where your team says…”Pass me the hemlock please”.  You have to work on your communication skills all the time-you always can improve.  You deploy the right style with the right audience , then tailor the message-length, style, substance.

Are leaders and great communicators born or made? I get this question a lot.  I believe that lots of leadership skills that can be learned. Even if you are not wired that way-you can get over that.

Two questions you need to ask yourself:

1-Before you say anything that is emotionally charged, ask yourself “Is what I am about to say necessary?” I have to ask you…If you sit in meetings, how much commentary would not pass that test?    Ask yourself, “Will what I am about to say advance the discussion, add a new dimension that matters and is relevant and important OR is what I have to say a regurgitation of what others have said?”   If what you want to say needs to be backed up, it is necessary. But if it is argumentative for sake of disagreeing, you don’t do it. This works in families as well.

2-Is what I am about to say, kind?  I mean this in an exploratory and inquiry based way, not sugar and spice.  How you say things is more important than what you are going to say.  Will you say it in the right way and will it be constructive or destructive?  How many times have we seen a relevant point delivered in the wrong way?

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Key Thoughts and Principles of Leadership (part 4 of 5)

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(Note-you can find the first post that outlines the background of this series here and here. This is the fourth in the series.

4-WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP? The CEO I listened to noted this as a cornerstone of leadership: ” I believe in lots of servant leadership. I try when people come in and sit down, I ask a 5 word question-“How can I help you?” (NOT What do you want?).  I mean that-think about how those words sound.  This sets the stage from the start.  People come to you because they may be anxious, fearful, afraid of you or what you might do.  I get it but I don’t get it.”

“You have to create an environment where you can get at the issue and solving it.  It is at the core of servant leadership.  It is a primary job to serve.   If you are not deploying your skils in the service of others or the organization, you will be less effective.  History is filled with all sorts of leadership styles-fear ultimately destroys the leader and those around him or her, even if the cause was righteous.”