AABB23: Cultivating Leadership in the Lab

In workplaces, community organizations, or even at home, ineffective leadership can present challenges wherever it rears its head. With medical laboratories grappling with unprecedented staffing issues, the need to develop robust leadership skills within the lab environment has never been more critical.

At a Monday afternoon Annual Meeting session, Edward Griffin, MBA, MS, CLS, MLS(ASCP)SBB, CQA(ASQ), PMP, director of transfusion medicine at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; and Daniela Hermelin, MD, CABP, chief medical officer at ImpactLife, explored the topic of leadership and highlighted the “soft” and “hard” skills that laboratory professionals must cultivate to propel their personal growth and improve their workplaces.

Setting the Stage: Leadership as a Mindset

Hermelin kicked off the discussion with a fundamental question: What is leadership?

She emphasized that leadership isn't defined by a title, but rather by a mindset. Leadership, in essence, is the ability to influence others to follow you – a choice that can be honed, a mindset that can be developed, and a process that requires nurturing. Hermelin underscored the distinction between leadership and management, noting that managers do things correctly, while leaders do the right things. True leaders are perpetual learners who earn credibility by demonstrating care and a genuine desire to assist others.

Hermelin shared her own leadership journey, beginning with her role as the oldest child, followed by formal leadership positions at her synagogue, chief resident status and her current role as CMO of ImpactLife. Despite her numerous leadership roles, Hermelin revealed that it wasn't until recently that she began to perceive herself as a leader. "It wasn't because of my title," she explained. "It's because of my self-awareness."

Hermelin then introduced John C. Maxwell's concept of the "leadership lid," as described in Maxwell's book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The idea posits that a person's leadership ability serves as the lid that determines their effectiveness.

Qualities of an Effective Leader

With the audience now acquainted with the concept of a leadership mindset, Hermelin shifted her focus to the skills that make leaders effective, distinguishing between "hard" and "soft" skills.

Hard skills are tangible and measurable abilities that define the "what" of leadership. On the other hand, soft skills, intangible by nature, encompass interpersonal qualities such as communication and empathy, which are instrumental in building effective relationships and fostering teamwork – these constitute the "how" of leadership.

So, how can laboratory professionals cultivate these skills? Hermelin recommended that attendees start by honing their time management skills to allocate more time for developing their leadership skills. She then outlined several useful tools:

• The Pareto Principle: Acknowledging that roughly 80% of outcomes result from 20% of causes. In the context of leadership, this means identifying activities that yield the most success or satisfaction and dedicating time to them.
• The Eisenhower Matrix: Categorizing tasks into four buckets based on urgency and importance, with corresponding actions for each.
• The 3 Rs: Required, Return, and Reward. Identifying responsibilities, considering delegation options, and focusing on activities that energize and motivate.

Unpacking the “Soft” Leadership Skills

In the latter part of the session, Griffin explored the realm of soft leadership skills, emphasizing that these abilities are often learned outside of traditional education but are vital for achieving success as a leader. Griffin offered brief insights into each skill, along with examples from his own career:

• Emotional Intelligence: Recognizing, understanding and managing our own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.
• Adaptability: Adjusting to changing circumstances and new information without losing composure.
• Conflict resolution: Addressing disputes constructively through effective communication and team-building.
• Delegation: Assigning tasks based on individual strengths and trusting team members to execute them – a challenging but essential duty for leaders.
• Integrity: Acting with honesty, transparency and fairness.

Griffin also touched upon what laboratory employees expect from their leaders, which includes support and resources, recognition and appreciation, clear vision and direction, opportunities for growth, and an accessible and approachable leadership style.