Leadership is an integral part of what doctors do.
All physicians lead, not just those with "official" leadership titles, such as CMO or Chief of Surgery. If leadership can be defined as influencing thought and behavior to achieve desired results, then clearly it isn't something physicians work toward only as a later-career goal. Leadership is a skillset physicians practice every day. Whether persuading a patient to stop smoking, a lab to return speedy results, or a surgical team to understand what needs to happen in the OR, physicians lead. Leadership is baked into the job.
In fact, we already look to physicians as leaders. We expect them to make critical healthcare decisions, inspire treatment teams, influence patients' behaviors, communicate impeccably, and be exemplars of professional conduct. Few roles in society carry more built-in leadership expectations then that of physician.
And yet, most physicians receive little focused training in leadership. While clinical skills are drilled into every physician-in-training for years, leadership skills are left largely to chance. All Physicians Lead seeks to change that. Primarily aimed at physicians, it offers an intro course in physician-leadership, using a "concentric circles" model: As a physician, progressing from learning to lead yourself, to leading other individuals, to leading teams, and finally, to leading organizations, can improve healthcare team performance and patient outcomes. Fundamentally, self-awareness underpins every stage of leadership.
The book also speaks to those in charge of medical schools, healthcare organizations, and physicians' professional associations, arguing that leadership should be considered a core competency throughout every doctor's career and structured education in leadership fundamentals should begin the first day as a medical student. Better physician leadership results in higher-performing healthcare teams, improved patient satisfaction, and better health outcomes for patients.
Authored by a prominent neurosurgeon and seasoned healthcare leader who literally "wrote the book" on physician leadership for the U.S. Army, All Physicians Lead is more than a book title, it is a rallying cry for change.
E. Moores, Leon: -
LEON MOORES has studied and practiced leadership for over 40 years in military and civilian settings. After graduating from West Point, he was commissioned an Infantry officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. He earned his MD from the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine and his Doctor of Science in Healthcare Leadership from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Moores has served as Chief of Surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Deputy Commander for Integration at the National Naval Medical Center, Neurosurgical Consultant to the Army Surgeon General and most recently as CEO and President of the largest medical group in northern Virginia. He has earned top graduation leadership awards at West Point, the Army Infantry Officer Basic Course, the USU School of Medicine, and the War College. He was twice named the Army Surgeon General's physician leader of the year. A practicing professor of pediatric neurosurgery, he has been designated "top doctor" by the Washingtonian and several Virginia magazines. He is a sought-after speaker, author, and consultant in physician leadership.
