Leading When You Have No Official Authority EP 101
One of the greatest ways to build your influence and leadership abilities is to lead when you have no official authority. We most often encounter this situation when working with volunteers. Host, Laura\xa0Prisc, wasn\u2019t expecting to discover this framework within a hospital, however, that\u2019s exactly what she uncovered when she engaged in a meaningful conversation with Brent Jackson, MD, VP and Chief Medical Officer of Dignity Health, located in Sacramento, CA.\xa0\xa0
While he was a practicing physician and general surgeon for many years, he decided to step away from his practice and shift into an administrative role. While he\u2019s a member of the health center\u2019s Executive Team, the physicians he advocates for, and guides do not report to him in the typical sense. Turns out, they are contracted through the hospital, rather than actual employees.\xa0\xa0
As such, Brent\xa0had to approach leading them a bit differently than we imagine it working. As the liaison between the Executive Team and the Medical Staff, he sees himself functioning as the voice of the physicians, advocating, supporting, and serving them.\xa0\xa0
To do that, he focuses on relationship building, which allows him to earn credibility and build trust over time. They come to see him as transparent, reliable, and having their best interests in mind, and that\u2019s how it works.\xa0\xa0
Not surprisingly, these particular skills \u2013 what many would frame as \u2018soft skills\u2019 \u2013 were not taught in medical school. Medical school teaching was more aligned with the command & control model of leadership, which really doesn\u2019t work well long-term.\xa0\xa0
It wasn\u2019t until Brent went back to earn his MBA that he saw what he\u2019d been missing. He built new and deeper listening skills, came to understand how much it matters for people to understand why things happen the way they do, and recognizes that each of the people with whom he interacts is having a slightly different experience, with a different perspective about how things work.\xa0\xa0
It\u2019s a powerful exploration that touches on all\xa0things\xa0leadership, embracing growth, relationship building, and self-care (hint: one of his practices, which he shares openly, is playing the guitar).\xa0\xa0
Dr. Jackson\u2019s Bio\xa0
Brent C Jackson, MD, MS, MBA, FACS\xa0\u2014\xa0Dr. Jackson is currently the Chief Medical Officer for Mercy General Hospital, a Dignity Health facility in Sacramento, California.\xa0 He was a practicing General Surgeon for 15 years before retiring from clinical practice to pursue a career as a physician leader.\xa0 He went back to school for his MBA while working as a Medical Director for River City Medical Group, a Medi-Cal IPA.\xa0 He then worked as the Physician Advisor for Mercy\xa0General Hospital before being promoted into the VP/CMO role.\xa0 He finished his MBA\xa0in 2020.\xa0 Dr. Jackson also holds a B.A. from UC San Diego in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, an M.S. in Neuroscience from Case Western Reserve University, and an M.D., also from CWRU.\xa0 He also served for eight years in the US Air Force Reserves and earned an Honorable Discharge at the rank of Major.\xa0 In his spare time, he plays guitar, participates in high-performance driving events, and spends time with family,\xa0including\xa0his four grandchildren.\xa0
Connect with\xa0Brent:\xa0
On LinkedIn\xa0\xa0