When you picture a successful healthcare leader, you might envision someone who’s always longed for the top spot. But what about those thrust into leadership unexpectedly? At our upcoming June conference, Kathy Divis, president of Greystone.Net, will share her journey from being “number two” to taking the helm — a transition that shaped her understanding of leadership.

 She recently wrote a chapter about reluctant leadership for Transformative Leadership: Self-Mastery for the New Voice of Business Success. During her presentation, she’ll discuss the leadership lessons she’s learned throughout her healthcare career and take questions from the audience. Danny Fell, Senior Vice President of Health at BVK, also wrote a chapter for the book and will join Divis on stage. 

So, what exactly makes someone a reluctant leader? According to Divis, it’s often circumstantial rather than chosen — something that gets pushed upon a person. Divis will address aspects of transitioning into leadership, including:

• Making decisions: For starters, maybe you don’t want to be No. 1. And that’s OK, says Divis. But make up your mind soon. “If you’re not willing to do it, let somebody else do it,” Divis says.  
• Embrace honest communication: “You’re not doing anybody any good if you’re not being truthful with them; you’re setting them up for failure,” Divis says. 
• Navigate peer-to-leader transitions: A lot of times, leaders get promoted from within.  “That’s tough because you might have oversight and supervision responsibilities over your friends,” Divis says. “You don’t want to lose the friendship, but you still have work to do.” 
• Lean into professional development: Divis recommends a multi-faceted approach to leadership skill development. “Whether that’s going to conferences, webinars, reading books or networking with other people inside and outside your industry, there’s a lot you can learn about leadership.” 
• Be patient with yourself: Take a deep breath. Or maybe three. Divis wishes she could’ve told her younger self, “Give yourself more grace. There’s room to make mistakes and grow.” 

Sign up now to come to our conference, June 4-6 in Atlanta!