Live Happy - The 4 W's to make it happen in your life...

"Happineszs a state of well-being, contentment, a satisfying experience, and good fortune"(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness)

Think about your life right now in this moment.  Are you truly happy?  Are you pursuing the things in life that add to your happiness?  Have you thought about the importance of happiness to our existence as human beings?  Finally, does happiness really matter?  I'd like to share the 4 W's that I believe are important to Living Happy.

Why Happiness?

Being happy is truly a mind, body, and spirit experience that has lasting benefits in our lives.  It has been supported by scientific research for many decades.  More recently scientific research is diving into the topic more with the changes in health care reform and the rise of disease.  What's evident  if you read any health or psychology articles is that being a happy person has a positive effect on our entire being.

Some of the research has shown significance in how happiness can create the following benefits:

• Becoming a genius - Being happy may not get you to be a card carrying member of Mensa, but studies have shown clearly that happiness has some significant benefits to our cognition.  Some of these benefits include:
• Improved problem solving skills
• Greater imagination and thought production
• Increased ability to assimilate new information - I was smiling and that's why I used those big words - wow it really works - Awesome!!! :)

• Becoming an Adonis - Sorry to disappoint, but being happy won't make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger's identical twin, but it has been proven to have these helpful effects on the body:
• Decreases the workload of the heart by lowering BP and HR
• Decreases Cortisol (a hormone that exists to help manage our body's response to stress, but high levels of it are detrimental and cause decreased immunity, increased belly fat, decreased muscle, and decreased thyroid)
• Decrease the risk of heart disease by limiting bad blood plasma like cholesterol

• Becoming the Life of the Party - This could actually happen by being a happy person.  Studies show that people with the following traits are able to be more successful at creating meaningful relationships.  Those traits are:
• Enthusiasm - nobody wants to be around Debbie Downer (except us SNL fans)
• Gratefulness - understanding and appreciating the many good things in our lives.
• Optimism - that glass is half -full I tell you - the ability to see beyond the negative

Listed below are some links to some good information about the benefits of happiness on our bodies, minds, and spirits.  

Happiness and health

Smile your way to happiness

Happiness and making a buck

Being mindful of happiness

What Happiness looks like in action

In order to enjoy these benefits we must take action in our lives to "Be Happy - don't worry" - good song.  Seriously, it is important to understand some practices we can implement in our lives to promote the happiness that leads to our holistic improvement.

Here are the 3 G's of Happiness:

•  Gratitude - Gratitude means thanks and appreciation.  It's the warm feeling you get when you remember the person who told you to drop your 1980's hairstyle and get with the new millennium already.  It also opens ourselves to new opportunities and possibilities.

• Giving - Another way this could be said is being generous with your time, your emotions, and your finances.  When you give to another person it fills a special place in our hearts.  How did it feel when you gave an unexpected person something from your heart?  They smiled, and you had this warm fuzzy feeling in your heart.  That may not be the scientific wording for that reaction, but you know what I mean.

• Greatness - Not being a pompous jerk, but pursuing excellence in your own life that can positively impact others.  Having that drive to make a difference in this world.  This means taking action to look for these opportunities in your life, and knowing...

When Happiness starts to make a difference

Happiness will only occur when you decide to actually take action.  Then happiness can start to invade lives in a way that creates positive change.  When you walk down the street or through the office, do look for the opportunity to make another person's day?  How much effort does it take to say thank you or give a smile?  When you take the time in that moment it can make all the difference to both the giver and receiver.  So when should you start looking to make a difference?  Yesterday.  If I've learned anything from the privilege of helping hospice patients and their families, don't wait for tomorrow.  Therefore, just like any goal, we have to put a plan into action for success.  Here are some practical things you can do to start making a difference:

Three ways to put happiness into action:

• Give your Mind - This means in all your interactions you need to be present.  Whether it's in your relationship or your friendship you need to give your attention.  This promotes happiness because you've just validated the other person's importance to you, and made them feel valued. Working on being a better communicator and listener in our everyday interactions can promote happiness.

• Give Your Heart - Look for ways to put your caring for others into action without making sign that says, "See what I did".  When you look for opportunities to make others feel better it can create increased happiness and fulfillment in our lives.  Look for opportunities with your family, your friends, the person on the corner, or an official organization where you can give to others.  Do you remember what happened to the Grinch when he gave to the Who's?  Let your heart grow today as you give some of it away to others in need.

• Give Your Hand - Scientific research supports the effects of human affection from the time we're babies in the nursery.  Without the touch of another human our growth and development become stagnate.  Therefore, having touch in our lives is important to building happiness.  As a staff nurse I always would get down to eye level with my patients, and gently touch there shoulder to let them know I would be there to meet their needs.  Each of us can do this each day with those we love, know, and meet.

Where Happiness can Grow

Being happy in life takes understanding why it's important, knowing what actions can produce the happiness we seek, how to generate happiness in our interactions with others, and finally we have to have a place where we can let happiness grow.

Here are 3 locations where you can let your happiness grow:

• Place full of purpose - We each need to have a sense that what we do in our life makes a difference.  Being happy won't occur if you don't have a location for your happiness to grow. Is it the smile of my little 3 year old when Daddy comes home at night?  Is is your visit to a sick relative that provides them comfort as you sit with them in that strange place?  Or is on the corner in your car at the traffic light as you hand a dollar out your window to another person in need?  Only you know where that place should be for you, but to be happy you have to find that location for your purpose.

• Place where you can grow - Each and every one of us need to and hopefully want to become better people.  To be happy in our lives we need to have a place that promotes our personal growth.  A small group, a friendship, and non-profit organization.  Or it could be your own routine of reading, meditating, or exercising.  All these actions provide the environment for you to grow and increase your happiness.  Look at your life today, and find that place you can grow.

• Place where you can share - It is amazing to me that with so many people on the face of this earth not one of us is the same.  That's great news because we are all special individuals with unique gifts and talents that can be used to improve our life, and the lives of others.  Do you have a place where you share your gift?  Do you know what your gift is?  Most often your gift is that thing or things you do that come naturally to you that you enjoy, and can impact others positively.  Are you a great artist?  Do you have talent baking?  Are you a compassionate person that knows how to make others feel better?  Or are you talented at inspiring others to be their best?  There are a bunch of great books out there that can help with the process, and then you need to find a place to unleash your greatness on the world.

So are you ready to Live Happy, and make it a part of your everyday life?  Would you like to know of a place that might possibly be your opportunity to change your life and others?  If so, reach out to me about a great opportunity to make a difference... here's a sneak peek

           A Place to Make a Difference

Embracing Servant Leadership - The 3 C's to create an impact with those you lead...

How often have you come across challenges with the bosses and managers in your life as an employee?  Have you been exposed to someone you've considered a leader?  What was the difference that elevated their role from that of an administrative supervisor to a person who created an impact as a leader?  The act of serving others should be foremost in the minds of people who want to truly lead others.  This concept has been present throughout human history that is evidenced by the following:

Servant leadership can be found in many religious texts, though the philosophy itself transcends any particular religious tradition. In the Christian tradition, this passage from the Gospel of Mark is often quoted in discussions of servant leadership:

"42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

Chanakya wrote, in the 4th century BCE, in his book Arthashastra:

"the king [leader] shall consider as good, not what pleases himself but what pleases his subjects [followers]" "the king [leader] is a paid servant and enjoys the resources of the state together with the people."

Servant leadership is an ancient philosophy. There are passages that relate to servant leadership in the Tao Te Ching, attributed to Lao-Tzu, who is believed to have lived in China sometime between 570 BCE and 490 BCE:

The highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware. Next comes one whom they love and praise. Next comes one whom they fear. Next comes one whom they despise and defy.  When you are lacking in faith, Others will be unfaithful to you.  The Sage is self-effacing and scanty of words. When his task is accomplished and things have been completed, All the people say, ‘We ourselves have achieved it!’

Servant leadership is both a leadership philosophy and set of leadership practices. Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid.” By comparison, the servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_leadership)

Even though this concept has been present throughout human history, it began to develop more attention in the 1970's when the term was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf  in an essay he wrote about leadership:

“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.”

“The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“

Sadly very few of us have had the privilege of experiencing this type of leadership in our professional careers.  Most often people are exposed to negative styles of leadership rather than having a positive experience.  Here are both some positive and negative styles that are most prevalent today :

Laissez-Faire

A laissez-faire leader lacks direct supervision of employees and fails to provide regular feedback to those under his supervision. Highly experienced and trained employees requiring little supervision fall under the laissez-faire leadership style. However, not all employees possess those characteristics. This leadership style hinders the production of employees needing supervision. The laissez-faire style produces no leadership or supervision efforts from managers, which can lead to poor production, lack of control and increasing costs.

Autocratic

The autocratic leadership style allows managers to make decisions alone without the input of others. Managers possess total authority and impose their will on employees. No one challenges the decisions of autocratic leaders. Countries such as Cuba and North Korea operate under the autocratic leadership style. This leadership style benefits employees who require close supervision. Creative employees who thrive in group functions detest this leadership style.

Participative

Often called the democratic leadership style, participative leadership values the input of team members and peers, but the responsibility of making the final decision rests with the participative leader. Participative leadership boosts employee morale because employees make contributions to the decision-making process. It causes them to feel as if their opinions matter. When a company needs to make changes within the organization, the participative leadership style helps employees accept changes easily because they play a role in the process. This style meets challenges when companies need to make a decision in a short period.

Transactional

Managers using the transactional leadership style receive certain tasks to perform and provide rewards or punishments to team members based on performance results. Managers and team members set predetermined goals together, and employees agree to follow the direction and leadership of the manager to accomplish those goals. The manager possesses power to review results and train or correct employees when team members fail to meet goals. Employees receive rewards, such as bonuses, when they accomplish goals.

Transformational

The transformational leadership style depends on high levels of communication from management to meet goals. Leaders motivate employees and enhance productivity and efficiency through communication and high visibility. This style of leadership requires the involvement of management to meet goals. Leaders focus on the big picture within an organization and delegate smaller tasks to the team to accomplish goals.(http://smallbusiness.chron.com/5-different-types-leadership-styles-17584.html)

With all these styles to choose from why should managers or supervisors look to becoming a servant leader to have a greater impact with those they lead?  A servant leader looks at those in their ranks with a different perspective that is encapsulated by using the 3 C's of Servant Leadership:

Compassion - As a servant leader people must see those they lead as another human being with the same needs and challenges they face in life.  They have to look at the big picture, and remember that life is greater than what exists within the walls of the office or confines of the cubicle.  When a leader gets to know those in their ranks they're able to uncover diamonds that may have been in the ruff.  They don't need to know every detail of that person's life, but can show true sincerity by caring about the future personal and professional growth of those they lead.  Then the servant leader is able to be both a counselor and mentor focused on trying to help those they lead achieve their potential. This result only occurs by leaders who are willing to sacrifice their needs to be present with their staff.  

Collaboration - When leaders take the time with staff the relationship changes from us and them to colleagues dedicated to achieving the same goal.  Servant leadership is grounded in understanding that those you lead possess the knowledge and skills that can create success for you and your organization.  What motivates a servant leader is the desire to achieve the best outcome for all involved without any need for receiving the recognition. 

Conviction - A servant leader is able to step out of the spotlight, and allow their staff to take control of a project with complete confidence that they will achieve success.  These actions occur because they come from a leader who possesses intrinsic beliefs and convictions about serving others.  Servant leaders believe that they are in their position to enhance the lives of others.  When leaders are driven by the desire to create an impact through serving others then great things can happen.  Cultures can be changed within companies by embracing the contributions of their staff, policies can be created that ensure justice is delivered to those working for the organization, and compassionate direction can be offered that inspires people to contribute by giving their best each day. 

Aspiring to be a servant leader means going against the traditional leadership styles embraced by organizations, and pushing the envelope to ensure that positive change occurs by creating a culture of service.  It can be a challenging road to take, but what a difference it can make.  What would your company look like if it was filled with servant leaders?  How would it feel to be motivated by meeting the needs of others each day?  If you're leader then I encourage to look at how can strive to be a servant leader.  Start by focusing on those you lead, and serve by meeting their needs.

“Serving others prepares you to lead others.”

Jim George

Thoughts for the Day - What type of Leadership is Best???

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
― Ronald Reagan 

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
― Peter F. Drucker, Essential Drucker: Management, the Individual and Society  

 “A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom

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Who's the Best to Follow? 4 Ways to Promote Effective Leadership that can Drive Health care Reform

As we look down the road at solving the challenges faced in our current health system, we must ask what can be some of the solutions that will resolve the dilemma we face?  Can it be improved access to providers by offering telemedicine access to patients?  Improving communication between health care entities by seeking better interoperability between EMRs?  Striving to achieve continual advances aimed at improving the safety and quality of care for people across the continuum?  It is actually each of those endeavors, but may also include another intervention that is often overlooked when speaking about reform.  It is the leadership necessary to successfully achieve the outcomes for health care reform.

Each of us has been exposed to various leadership types throughout our professional lives that has either created negative or positive effects for us.  Whether it was the little league coach who taught what was needed to win the t-ball trophy when you were a kid, or an executive who led you and a team of professionals to deliver a new innovative solution that could change the world. None of these ventures could be possible without the type of leadership that acts as a rudder in leading a team to achieving success.  As we head into the storm of health care reform we need a presence at the helm that can be successful in leading teams to the common goal of providing care for all Americans. With such an important task at hand it is imperative to choose leaders who can inspire and mobilize others to action.

Throughout our history people have been attending business schools, joining military academies, and playing on sports teams to cultivate the skills necessary to become the leaders of our society. In each of these organizations specific leadership styles are studied that have been proven to be effective in achieving results.  Here are some of the most common types of leadership styles:

According to the book, Leadership and the One Minute Manager (Blanchard, Zigarmi, and Zigarmi. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1985), there are 4 common leadership styles used to move teams to action:

• Directing: This style uses high directive and low supportive behavior and is best matched to the D1 (low competence and high commitment).
• Coaching: Uses high directive and high supportive behavior and is best matched to D2 (low to some competence and low commitment).
• Supporting: This has has highly supportive and low directive behavior, it is best matched to D3 (moderate to high competence and variable commitment).
• Delegating: This style combines low supportive and directive behavior and it's best for D4 (high commitment and high competence)Directive behavior is described as giving direction and feedback. It can range from low to high depending on the developmental level of the person it is aimed at. Supportive behavior on the other hand  is more about encouragement and motivation to boost confidence.

In the Harvard Business Review, the 2000 article Leadership That Gets Results, Daniel Goleman outlined six leadership styles he felt were most commonly used in the workplace.

• Coercive Style - Demands immediate compliance.
• Authoritative - Mobilizes people toward a common vision.
• Affiliative - Creates harmony and builds emotional bonds.
• Democratic - Forges consensus through participation.
• Pace setting - Sets high standards for performance.
• Coaching - Develops people for their future.

The authors of these works may have chosen different styles to highlight, but the same themes were present in both publications.  If leadership is a key component to succeeding at driving health care reform, how can leaders put these styles into action to generate the positive results necessary? 

Here are the 4 ways successful leaders can drive the change needed for health care reform. 

1. Create a common bond with those they lead - How often does your boss give you a daily greeting or acknowledge the work that you've done?  Creating a bond with others requires showing in tangible ways that they hold value in your eyes.  By saying a simple hello, asking how they're doing, or saying thank you when they complete a task can be the simple actions that can go a long way in creating bonds with the teams you lead.  Generating the bond is the first step if a leader wants to gain the attention of those they lead.                                                               
2. Help their teams gain a common vision for success - How does the organization define success?  What are the strategic goals that have been identified for the upcoming year?  In order to create a common vision, this information must be shared with the team. Transparency is the only way to generate the trust necessary to ask others to follow.  When information is shared freely with teams it decreases apprehension, it builds trust, and ultimately creates partners who will share in a common vision because they feel like valued team members who are necessary for achieving success.                                                                                                  
3. Inspire those they lead to do their best every day - Every organization starts with forming a mission, vision, and possibly a set of core values that guide the actions of those completing the work.  Leaders need to set the example by adhering to their organizational standards, and striving to be the best.  This may require letting staff see you acknowledge your shortcomings, and then allowing them to see a plan of action where the leader learns from the failure.  If leaders are going to ask teams to do their best they must be prepared to be an example each day in their own personal quest for excellence.  Actions truly speak louder than words.                                                                                                                                             
4. Motivate their team to grow professionally, and become future leaders - How much time to leaders take to focus on the personal strengths of the teams they lead?  Are they willing to know each person?  Do they look for opportunities to support and advocate for the members of their team?  Do they create ways for their team members to grow personally or encourage them in their professional growth?  If an organization wants to remain viable in the future it must have a dedication to cultivating new leaders.  By taking the time to mentor team members and help them reach their potential, leaders need to create opportunities for their team to see how being in a leadership role can provide the ability to be the catalyst for creating positive change.

The road to health care reform may have it's challenges, but with the proper leadership in place there can be a bright future that includes better access to care for all.  When organizations take the time to fill their ranks with leaders who can motivate teams to a common vision, successfully inspire them to achieve excellence daily, and grow professionally by utilizing their personal strengths to improve the quality of life for others as the next generation of health care leaders.  Then we will be on our way to successfully achieving better health care for all Americans.

What is the Role that Could Heal Healthcare??? 5 Ways Nurses can be the Answer to Reform

Nurses have a long legacy of caring for our fellow citizens.  From the originator of our profession (Florence Nightingale) to modern day men like me, nurses everywhere hold this privilege to care for the needs of others as what defines us.  The role of the nurse has expanded greatly over the years as our influence has impacted almost every aspect of medicine.  Nurses have become versatile professionals that can be the answer to healing our current system.

Here are 5 ways that nurses could make an impact in changing the face of health care:

We are the Advocates - Currently there is much discussion in health care about empathy and patient centered care, but nurses have been providing a holistic approach that focuses on delivering care to the individual since the Crimean War.  We know what it is to provide dignity in undignified moments, and to care for that patient as your own family.  With this knowledge and experience we serve as the best advocates for knowing what patients and their families need when they're in our care.

We are the Balance - Our schooling requires that we grasp the concepts of what makes a body healthy and sick, but we also come to understand that sometimes the answers may be elusive unless you stop to listen to the patient.  Many of us have learned over the years that patients are the best diagnosticians, and believe that trusting what patients and families tell you versus what may be in a published study or book.  As nurses we provide the balance necessary to humanize medical science, so people are able to receive competent compassionate care.

We are the Continual Presence - Very few other health care professions interact with patients and families like nurses.  We are found in every aspect throughout the continuum, which leads to our thorough understanding of what is necessary to create positive outcomes for those in our care.  We are found at every stop along the path because we care for both those being born and those leaving this world. 

We are the Foundation - Our long and proud history has caused us to be the only discipline who is asked to function in multiple capacities.  At times we may be the social advocate figuring out how to keep the lights on for those we serve, or may be the spiritual presence as we hold the hand of one who's life is moving on.  As the foundational role in medicine we represent the largest number of any health care profession.  Therefore, we need to use our voice to build the foundation of a system that will meet the needs of all we serve.

We are the Answer - Nurses are continually put in autonomous roles where they have to think and lead quickly to save lives and resources.  Most of us are comfortable in these situations, and have used this ability to move into greater roles of responsibility.  Now is the time for nurses to take a more important role in changing health care by becoming the leaders of tomorrow.  We need to provide our expertise in caring for patients, our understanding of what is necessary to give staff the tools to effectively deliver care, and our perspective of what the answers are to creating a system of both quality and satisfaction for those we serve.

It is my duty
Dawn Butler, RN
(Pennsylvania)
I walk through those doors with pride,
Who's life will i save tonight?
Someone is waiting for me,
Someone is alive today because of my duty.
Sometimes we cry cause we can't save them all,
God sometimes won't let us interfere when he calls.
A baby's first breath when he looks at me,
The joy of my first delivery.
The tear i wipe a way with my own hands,
The life ending of a gentle old man.
The night seems so dark and the morning so bright.
Being a nurse you see life in a different light.
Who will i save tonight?
Who will hold my hand during their last breath with no fright?
Who will enter this world on my shift?
How many mothers will greet their babies with a kiss?
I don't know who these special people are
but i will meet them with every call
I will hold them tight and help the pain
I will hold them up when they feel faint.
I will be strong when i am needed
That is my job, I am a nurse..that is my duty. 

My hope is that those who read this believe as I do that nurses can be the positive force to drive change in America's health care system.  I would encourage my fellow nursing professionals that each of us look for new and innovative ways to create a greater impact in our spheres of influence, and step up to the plate if you really want to see things change.  

Take care.   Dave

The Vanishing Leadership behind Healthcare Reform - Why Emerging Leaders Must Play 3 Roles to Ensure Continued Progress

We are currently in the midst of tremendous changes in our health system here in America.  Just like any organization or group, change in health care comes from the top.  One of the biggest challenges facing the health system today is the soon to be disappearing leadership.  With a huge number of senior leaders edging closer to retirement, there will soon be a void of decision makers trying to reform a broken system.  The need for new emerging leaders is evident, but how can they continue the work?  Driving positive health care change will require new leaders that will ensure they can make an impact on those they lead, the organizations they support, and the patients and families they serve.

When was the last time you looked in the mirror?  Did you stand there and ponder how other people see you in the world?  Most of us at some point in our lives stand in front of that mirror, and look at the image of our life wondering the same thing.  Have we done enough, been enough, or pursued enough?  How much more important is this action for those people who lead organizations or have the ability to affect others lives.  Learning to lead can be a daunting task that may not come naturally to some, but these emerging leaders can be successful when they learn to function in 3 specific leadership roles that can deliver dramatic results.  

• Be a Custodian - Where would we be without that dedicated force that ensures that the person or building receives the best care?  Can you imagine what it would look like without the involvement of a custodian who humbly does their job with little gratitude.  To be a successful as a Custodian a leader must have two defining traits:

• Confidence - When you do a job that others may not value or appreciate you have to be confident in who you are, and the mission that you're trying to support.

• Consistency - Secondly, to ensure the support of those you lead requires creating a consistent presence that acts proactively, plans for challenges, and provides a calming presence in times of change.

• Be a Curator - According to the dictionary this is someone who cares for a museum.  What is in a museum?  Things of great value.  Therefore, an emerging leader needs to learn that they've been put in a position to oversee the valuable commodity of the team they lead.  Success as a curator requires two characteristics:

• Caring - As a leader you must care for those valuable people who've been entrusted to you.  Your role is to help them see their potential, and stay encouraged about carrying out the mission of the organization.  In the case of health care, it is the patients and families that are the recipients of our care.

• Collaborative - No man is an island, and new leaders need to be taught that without their team nothing will get accomplished.  Therefore, it's vital to tap into this valuable resource, and collaborate to ensure the best outcomes for those you serve.

• Be a Counselor - The final role each leader needs to play to ensure they make an impact is a Counselor. What is it that a counselor does?  Their title speaks to one of their functions of guiding people to achieve personal success in their lives, but successful counselors also act by using two other actions:

• Challenge - A seasoned counselor challenges their clients or those in their care to be better people.  They ask the hard questions, they say the tough things people need to hear, and they're dedicated to seeing that person reaches their potential.

• Compassion - Success as a leader can only occur when the people you lead believe in your sincerity, and that you have their best interest at heart.  Being a compassionate leader means understanding that life and people are not perfect, and it means giving others the benefit of the doubt until they cause you to change your mind.

With so much work ahead of us in creating a health system that provides for the needs of the many, we need to ensure that we have leaders who won't falter when times become challenging.  When these emerging people learn to become the Custodians of our care, the Curators of collaborative innovation, and Counselors led by a compassion then we can be confident that we'll have a new generation of prepared leaders.  They will be able to look back at the image in the mirror, and prove they are enough to continue the good work.