Leadership

“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.” – Paul Hawkin

Our most effective leaders empower others to invoke meaningful change by becoming part of the process in whatever way they can contribute. They take the time to listen to all voices and perspectives, and they process and reflect on what they learn. Sometimes it means being the dumping ground for complaints, other times it may feel like “pulling hens teeth” to get at the facts, and at all times the challenge lies in truly listening and accepting opinions that don’t jive with our own. But what really defines an effective leader is their ability to accept that they don’t have all the answers at the onset.

We live and work in an ever-changing landscape of healthcare, including new diagnostics, wearable devices, augmented intelligence, chat bots, and the elusive Artificial Intelligence. How we deliver medicine is going to change exponentially in the next 10 years. It’s an exciting time.

But it is up to us as physicians to lead this change. And while it may sometimes be challenging to find your passion – something you are really interested in achieving – I encourage you to step up, speak up, and lean into leadership opportunities wherever possible. Help us all to identify and manage the many aspects of our system that are limiting our work and to move us forward in the coming years.

For me personally, it has been both an honour and a pleasure to work with colleagues and partners over the last two decades to make tangible improvements in health care. And Doctors of BC, thru the Divisions of Family Practice and the Medical Staff Associations, continues to  harness the power of increased member engagement in building a tighter community of physicians – both new and experienced – that generate ideas and solutions to common barriers in our healthcare system. We are stronger together and our collective voice resonates more loudly.  

One of the key elements I will focus on throughout my year as President is engaging with physicians. I want to hear from you directly about your passions, your visions, and your innovative solutions to our health care challenges. This is essential to leading meaningful change.

So tell me what’s on your mind by emailing View Email Addresspresident@doctorsofbc.ca. Together we can create a better future for our patients, a respectful workplace for physicians, and a more equitable and sustainable healthcare system. 

- Dr Kathleen Ross