Mastering valiant leadership is not about being a “perfect” leader, it’s about constantly examining your own thought habits and leadership style so that you can become a better leader more of the time. The Cycle of Leadership Valor starts when you choose self-awareness rather than a response that is automatic and routine. When your beliefs, statements, strategies, and actions are rooted not only in skillful leadership practices, but also in who you are and what you most want to accomplish, you will be a more successful leader because you are in harmony with the whole of you are when you are on the job.
*Asking the questions “Who am I?” and “What do I want?” can take you into a deep personal examination of your goals and leadership methods and what can get in the way of achieving your goals. What is your essence? What is most important to you in life? How can you bring those qualities into the dream vision of your workplace?
*If our leadership patterns go unquestioned, they become our prisons. We must explore our own thought processes and how we relate to our co-workers.
*Examining multiple perspectives instead of just our own is a key factor in mastering valiant leadership.
*Integrity is the single most important ingredient in perceived leadership effectiveness.
*To progress your efforts in leading valiantly take time for daily reflection: Get into the habit of thinking about your day from start to finish. What went well? What didn’t go so well? What will you differently the next time?
*Managing yourself is a way of being brave enough to consider the options rather than instantly responding to demanding situations.
*Judge others not just by their behavior, but by their intentions, too. See co-workers with more empathy; accept their humanity as well as your own.
Catherine Robinson-Walker is a renowned and dynamic leadership coach and author who has over 25 years of experience in executive coaching and development. She is President of The Leadership Studio®, and as a Master Certified executive coach she has served as a strategic consultant, team facilitator and keynote speaker for some of the most prestigious organizations, national commissions and academic consortia across the nation. She has been a member of the Leadership Team of the renowned Hudson Institute of Coaching since 2001 and is also one of a small number of executive coaches for the National Center for Healthcare Leadership.
Her new book, Leading Valiantly in Health Care, offers a vital series of concrete steps that enable business leaders to examine their personal goals and management style and develop outstanding practices that motivate their employees and enhance the bottom-line. Catherine’s first book, Women and Leadership in Health Care: The Journey to Authenticity and Power, is a Jossey-Bass health series bestseller. In addition, she is the author of more than 50 continuing education courses and articles, including “The Coaching Forum,” a featured column published in Nurse Leader, the official journal of the American Organization of Nurse Executives/American Hospital Association.
She has worked as an executive leadership resource for a variety of healthcare organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, Sutter Health, the Association of California Nurse Leaders, SSM Health Care, CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County, American Nurses Association, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, John Muir Health, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
For 18 years, Catherine was the founding Executive Director of the Network for Healthcare Management, a multinational 15-university consortium of graduate programs in healthcare management, including the University of California Berkeley, the Kellogg School at Northwestern University, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she has held Executive Director positions with the Chicago-based Joint Commission and the California Health Collaborative. Through the Leadership Studio®, Catherine is a much sought after executive coach and guest speaker. She lives in Oakland, California.
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
