We live in a world of significant distractions and priorities. Yet, my ability to be successful depends on my ability to focus and prioritize, when appropriate. The average person in the United States picks up their cell phone about 100-200 times/day. I get a report every Sunday on my device time (currently over four hours every day). I also have to communicate through several channels. In fact, there are at least eight channels that I receive and send communications…

For the purposes of this blog, I focus on the work that goes into networking as well as the executive presence of a leader. I also discuss executive presence as a different, but interrelated aspect of leadership in this blog.

In the book, “AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm” by Jonathan Brill and Stephen Wunker, they discussed in the age of AI the need for organizations to have units with some degree of autonomy. This necessitates a significant amount of transparency within an organization to ensure that everyone is operating with shared knowledge, goals, and alignment. 

According to Google, “The best definition of leadership is the process of influencing and guiding a group toward a shared vision or common goal, focusing on inspiring people, fostering growth, and achieving results, not just holding a title.” Persuasion plays a major role in leading people, especially in the current era, where autocratic leadership has largely become antiquated. 

I believe that the most important leadership skill that I have is communication. In Neal Gabler’s biography of Walt Disney, he described that Walt Disney held firm beliefs that nearly all workplace conflict can be prevented or managed by good communication. I tend to hold the same belief.

Developing OCOM personally changed me. While we were starting up the medical school, I went through some self-reflection and had noticed that I had gained weight (mostly during COVID), and I wasn’t the model of health - something that you might expect from a medical school dean of a school that has wellness as a core value.