Effective Physician Leadership Notes

In today’s podcast episode, I present my take on things the CMO should never say to the CEO. 

[fusebox_track_player url=”https://traffic.libsyn.com/physiciannonclinicalcareers/4_Things_the_CMO_Should_Never_Say_to_the_CEO.mp3″]

These admonitions apply to anybody in management, not just the CMO. For reference purposes, the term “senior management team” refers to the CEO and all the CEO’s direct reports. This includes the CNO, the senior VP for HR, the CFO, the COO, and other senior-level positions.

The principles I learned apply to any highly functional senior management team. Whether you’re an executive in a hospital, pharma company, insurance company, or other large corporation, these leadership concepts apply.

Many nonclinical positions involve management from the very start. But others (e.g., physician advisor, medical writer, or medical director) may not involve management at first. But it is quite common for physicians to move into management positions quickly because they are seen as leaders by others.

As a result, learning these principles can be useful for almost any physician, and other clinicians in alternative careers.

Our Sponsor

We’re proud to have the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA Program, offered by the Haslam College of Business, as the sponsor of this podcast.

The UT PEMBA is the longest-running, and most highly respected physician-only MBA in the country. It has over 700 graduates. And, the program only takes one year to complete. 

By joining the UT Physician Executive MBA, you will develop the business and management skills you need to find a career that you love. To find out more, contact Dr. Kate Atchley’s office at (865) 974-6526 or go to nonclinicalphysicians.com/physicianmba.

4 Things the CMO Should Never Say

There are probably many more. But here are things the CMO should never say because they reflect negatively on accountability and commitment to the success of the organization.

“We’ve tried that before and it has never worked.”

This is a common refrain of those who are unwilling to revisit old goals.  But leaders need to accept the fact that goals that were formerly unattainable might now be possible with new technology, new ways of doing things or renewed energy and enthusiasm. 

“I completed my assignments, but somebody else dropped the ball.”

This is a comment that would make us cringe. The COO, CNO, CFO, and CMO should never say these words.

A team member fails to complete an assignment and the plan does not come together as hoped. While that comment may be accurate, it demonstrates that the person making it is not a true leader. A leader is going to take the bull by the horns and get it done, even if it means taking on more responsibility or monitoring the other team members’ progress and assisting them when needed.

It’s not that you need to babysit everybody. The point is to get the project done. And a leader is generally the most proactive in helping others to meet their commitments.

“I disagree with the decision on this and I cannot support moving in that direction.”

The way it works on a good team, the leader of the team gives everybody a chance to chime in, and share their input. However, organizations are not led by consensus. Once everyone is heard, a decision will be made by the CEO or whoever is in charge of the project.

Then, even if you didn’t strongly support it, or vehemently argued against it, once the decision is made, you must fully get behind the decision. And everybody should then work together to accomplish the goals of the project. If it fails, the team can revisit the other recommendations later.

“I’m sorry IF…” 

There are apologies for doing something wrong, and apologies for making mistakes, but we’re talking here about apologies for not doing what you said you would do. Everybody on a senior management team needs to be 100% accountable for doing what they said they would do, when they said they would, the way they said they would.

There should not be any contingency in an apology such as “I’m sorry if you don’t believe that I did this properly,” or “I’m sorry if things didn’t turn out okay.” That’s not an apology. The word “if” should never be used. You must take ownership.

It should be, “Look, I’m sorry. I dropped the ball on this.” Admit that you made a mistake. Then, “I commit to correcting this and I will come back in one week and have everything that I committed to accomplished.” And finally, “This won’t happen again.”

Apologize appropriately and keep your word.

Summary

There are certain things that any leader including the CMO should never say to the CEO.

If you’re in a leadership position, you can undermine your standing by making one of these four blunders. It can be career-ending.

On the other hand, if you demonstrate integrity and accountability by not making excuses, not blaming others, not being defensive, and by apologizing appropriately, you’ll be well on your way to being an exemplary leader.

NOTE: Look below for a transcript of today’s episode.

EXCLUSIVE: Get a daily dose of inspiration, information, news, training opportunities, and amusing stories by CLICKING HERE.

Links for Today’s Episode:

Download This Episode:

Right Click Here and “Save As” to download this podcast episode to your computer.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, share it on Twitter and Facebook, and leave a review on iTunes.

Podcast Editing & Production Services are provided by Oscar Hamilton

[fusebox_transcript]
Disclaimers:

Many of the links that I refer you to are affiliate links. That means that I receive a payment from the seller if you purchase the affiliate item using my link. Doing so has no effect on the price you are charged. And I only promote products and services that I believe are of high quality and will be useful to you.

The opinions expressed here are mine and my guest’s. While the information provided on the podcast is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, there is no express or implied guarantee that using the methods discussed here will lead to success in your career, life, or business.

The information presented on this blog and related podcast is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. I do not provide medical, legal, tax, or emotional advice. If you take action on the information provided on the blog or podcast, it is at your own risk. Always consult an attorney, accountant, career counselor, or other professional before making any major decisions about your career.