The Harvard Macy Institute (HMI) changed my life. As result of what I learned at HMI, the thousands of trainees and faculty with whom I have worked have also been positively impacted by the insights I gained, and their lives have been changed as well. While completing my newly released book, A Prescription for Caring in Healthcare Leadership: Building a Culture of Compassion and Excellence, I often thought of how HMI shines as an example of an organization that truly cares about its people, empowering them to optimize the mission of healthcare and education in the medical and health professions globally .
The premise of the book is that if we, as leaders, take care of our people then they can take care of the mission. Caring-inspired leadership, the term used for this type of leadership, occurs when every action we take as leaders is guided by our desire and intent to care for our people. The book outlines specific “prescriptions” or caring acts that leaders can employ to set them and their organizations up for success. By being caring-inspired leaders, we can foster the cultures that we want and deserve in medicine.
Throughout this blog post, I will use HMI to illustrate the concept of caring-inspired leadership. The goal is to provide lessons that can be applied wherever you lead. Your caring-inspired leadership can change lives.
Care about People
While this action may seem simple, do we consistently lead in healthcare in a way that demonstrates we care about everyone on our team? From the very first day I met Elizabeth Armstrong, the founder and director of HMI for nearly 30 years, it was clear that she, along with the other HMI faculty, really care. They care about me, and they care about making healthcare a better place to work, train, and live. Their leadership, inspired by genuine care, helps build an organization committed to investing in people. Reflect on your own HMI experiences. What makes you believe the HMI faculty and leaders care about you? What makes you trust that other members of our community care about you?
My belief in HMI’s caring comes from their meticulous approach to ensuring that their training is on target. They make sure that our time, money, and effort is well spent during our time together and long after we finish the courses. The leaders make a point to get to know us as individuals and understand what is important to us. HMI is more than just a series of courses; it’s about building relationships. Leadership ultimately hinges on the influence you have with others, and that comes from relationships.
How are you investing in building relationships with your colleagues? How do you demonstrate your care for them, both personally and professionally?
Communicate a Clear Mission and Vision
HMI was established to support and nurture a community of educators that could transform health professions education. As reflected in this quote on the HMI website, “The Harvard Macy Institute educates, connects, and serves health care leaders around the globe,” with the goal of providing you with the tools, resources, and insights to teach and lead effectively. They want you to become part of this amazing network of people dedicated to the same mission. By the time you leave, you are not only more equipped with knowledge and skills, but you have a robust new community to support your work and the broader work of the medical community.
Do the people you work with have a unified mission around which you can align your work? Do they all feel like they are connected and part of the team impacting that mission?
Invest in People
HMI has developed a model where the community grows and invests in each other. Truly caring for our people means equipping them and training them to excel in their roles. Few gestures are more appreciated than helping someone advance in their career, and HMI excels in this respect. The learning that takes place during courses is vital, but equally significant is the investment in alumni. Encouraging them to return as faculty provides tremendous benefits for ongoing career development.
Many of you have likely received valuable advice, mentorship, or career opportunities from HMI faculty. Everyone within HMI is generous with their time and wisdom. The community has created a culture where people care about each other and want to invest in one another.
What steps are you taking to invest in the careers of those you lead? Could you mentor or sponsor more individuals? Who are you coaching to improve a skill that they need to further their career?
Are you a Caring-Inspired Leader?
HMI has created a cultural legacy that demonstrates to all of us how to lead from a place of caring. Are you building that same legacy as a leader? Medicine is faced with numerous challenges currently with high rates of burnout of physicians and nurses deciding to leave medicine. While we cannot individually change the whole system, we may be able to change the lives of those we lead.
The investments in the people you lead as outlined above are Caring Acts of Leadership. Make them a leadership habit. Each of us has the opportunity every day to change the lives of those we lead for the better. We can lead in our spheres of influence and create cultures that allow those within healthcare to thrive. Will you join me? Lead with caring my friends!
Did you know that the Harvard Macy Institute Community Blog has had more than 440 posts? Previous blog posts have explored topics including sanokondu, advocacy leadership training, and design thinking for leadership?
Disclaimers: The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private ones of the author and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Department of Defense, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or any other agency of the U.S. Government.
Joshua Hartzell
