Fifty-six ASC leaders shared the most important things they've learned during their leadership tenures with Becker's on Oct. 2.
Here are 10 takeaways from their insights:
1. Collaboration is vital. Firas Abdul, MD, director of anesthesiology at Orlando (Fla.) Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, told Becker's that collaboration and relationship-building are "fundamental to successful leadership."
"There will be many hard decisions to make, but having a relationship where ideas can be discussed and then decided upon as a team is stronger and more sound than one individual making a decision. A leader will still have to ultimately decide, but a reasoned decision with collective wisdom will be more reliable over time."
2. ASC leaders must be adaptable and open to learning. "Running an ambulatory surgery center with a focus on technology, one must be ready to embrace change quickly, whether it's in regulatory requirements, patient care standards or new technologies," Usman Ali, MD, a physician at Trenton, N.J.-based Capital Health, told Becker's.
Elisa Auguste, an administrator at Precision Care Surgery Center in East Setauket, N.Y., added that humbleness and acknowledgement that a leader is still a part of a team are how leaders can learn and grow with their business.
"The effectiveness of a leader is determined by the quality of their team and their willingness to follow," she said. "An effective leader empowers their team to be active participants in decision-making and utilizes the strengths of their individual team members to maximize results."
3. Focus on inclusion. "An aspect of leadership that I continuously reiterate is that everyone on your team should feel as though they have a seat at the table and feel heard," Joseph Booker, an administrator of Rush Surgicenter in Chicago, told Becker's. "I also believe that, as a leader, it is important to remember that it is a greater platform of service to both your team and your patients."
4. Invest in and retain talent. Many leaders emphasized the need for ASC leaders to surround themselves with the best team they can assemble in their field and to make those team members feel valued.
"You can't consistently deliver high-performance results if your staff keeps turning over because of poor culture or inadequate compensation. It's better to pay more for top talent than to try and save money with mediocrity," Ron Bullen, executive director of ProHealth Care Moreland Surgery Center in Waukesha, Wis., told Becker's. "Eventually, you end up paying more for turnover and substandard business performance. Prioritizing talent, with a focus on quality, efficiency and financial viability, is a winning formula."
5. Leaders must de-center themselves. "The biggest lesson in leadership is that it is not all about you," Todd Currier, administrator at Bend (Ore.) Surgery Center. "It is about your staff and team and providing them a platform to thrive. Be open, and listen to your Staff. Having honest and straightforward conversations to understand the good and bad components of our business, regarding operations, finances, personnel matters and community, has led to more trust and transparency.
6. Managing expectations. Jeffrey Dottl, principal at Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Physicians Surgery Centers, told Becker's that tempering expectations — from billing issues to operational changes and legal situations — is the best way to keep everyone on the same page.
"[D]ealing with various people adds many variables to situations. Many are good, but some are challenging. When you are able to properly assess how your team works, then you can build more reasonable expectations," he said.
7. "Be proactive, rather than reactive," Bruce Feldman, MS, an administrator at Eastern Orange Ambulatory Surgery Center in Cornwall, N.Y., told Becker's.
"The ASC industry is rapidly changing as we see more and more cases shifting from the hospital to the ASC setting," he continued. "These cases are often of a higher acuity level. ASC leaders today need to be proactive in addressing these changes and preparing for this continued trend. You need to be flexible and pivot accordingly so you can head off issues associated with these changes."
8. Consistency is crucial. Michael Gale, administrative director of Sentara Health's Obici Surgery Center in Suffolk, Va., told Becker's that consistency and competency are "fundamental" to earning the respect of team members and try into other leadership skills, such as self-discipline, confidence and integrity.
"Consistency is the glue that binds all these principles of leadership together, especially in corporate management," he said. "A leader needs to establish themself as reliable. Their judgment should be well-informed and their decisions reasoned, but this can all be defeated by its inconsistent application."
9. Remember to take a pause. Part of being a good leader means being the first to take initiative and tackle problems head-on. But Brian Gantwerker, MD, a neurosurgeon at Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles, notes the importance of pausing and evaluating situations as they arise.
"Ask yourself: Am I the right person to do this? Do I feel like I can take responsibility for the outcomes of my decisions? As physicians, we have to be able to lead because it’s bred into us very early on," he told Becker's. "I think that is why it has been difficult to adjust to people asking us to distill down our responsibilities, knowledge and ethics into a cookbook recipe to either put it back upon us to benefit their bottom line or wholly remove us from the equation. Being a reluctant leader does not mean not leading, but it means thinking about your own strengths and weaknesses and taking up the mantle fully and gratefully."
10. Be an active listener. Melissa Ladd, BSN, RN, director of nursing at Michigan Surgical Utica, emphasizes the value of being a "servant leader, ... which focuses on the growth and well-being of our team and patients," she told Becker's. "First, we must always remain active listeners. No matter where we are on our leadership journey, it is vital that our team members feel valued and heard, and we remain receptive to their feedback."