This is a brief introduction to Dan Nielsen, Founder and CEO of AHL. While Dan will not be one of our upcoming featured leaders, we put together this intro as an example of what’s to come as we introduce our featured leaders every month.
Organization
America’s Healthcare Leaders (AHL)
Title
Founder & CEO
Leadership Experience & Background
A lifetime fellow of ACHE, Dan spent 15 years as CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth Medical Center, and 14 years as VHA’s VP of Education & Networking. He has also founded several successful businesses, including the National Institute for Healthcare Leaderschip (NIHCL).
Since supposedly “retiring” in 2003, Dan has stayed very involved in the healthcare industry, helping create the Healthcare Supplier/Provider Institute, and serving as a speaker and facilitor at various national healthcare events.
Passions
In addition to pursing his lifelong passion for healthcare leadership, Dan is a leader with a very broad area of interest. A speaker and author, Dan both speaks and writes about leadership excellence and achieving greater success. His first book, Presidential Leadership: Learning from United States Presidential Libraries & Museums, was published in 2013, and he is currently working on another one.
Hobbies
Dan loves photography and traveling, and especially loves combining the two—traveling all across America the beautiful in his faithful motorhome, which he calls his “Inspirational Vehicle.” He has been to 49 of the 50 states and has taken over 200,000 photographs during his travels. Many of Dan’s keynote presentations feature his photography.
5 Questions About Leadership
1. What has been your greatest leadership challenge?
“Wow, that’s an excellent question. Really excellent question. I guess I would say… learning to see things from others’ perspectives. That’s definitely been a challenge, to continuously remember that my perspective might be very different, and the way I see things and the way I do things isn’t the only way and isn’t necessarily the right way.”
2. Can you share about one leader who has personally had a big impact on you?
“Absolutely. A wonderful man by the name of Max Coppom. I had the privilege to work with Max really early in my career, and that experience has had a profound, lifelong impact on my life and personal leadership style.”
3. When did you first realize that you wanted to be a healthcare leader?
“When I was in college. I was a business major, but it took me awhile to figure out exactly what kind of business I wanted to go into. But as time went on, I became more and more aware of the huge impact that healthcare has on the lives of each and every person in America—and the world—and I realized I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.”
4. Every leader has also been a “follower.” What have you learned as a follower that has helped you as a leader?
“That communication is essential. Without good communication, a leader’s influence is weak and his or her impact will errode. With good communication, a leader’s vision can ignite the hearts of those he or she leads—and that’s powerful.”
5. What do you enjoy most about working with your current team?
“We have fun. We have a lot of fun. They put up with me! Everyone on my team has a great sense of humor, and I love that. I know that I can crack jokes and poke fun—and they can do the same—and it just makes everyone’s job that much better.”
5 Questions Just for Fun
1. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
“Is This Seat Taken? It’s Never Too Late to Find the Right Seat by Kristin Kaufman. What a wonderful book. Absolutely full of incredible stories and life-changing principles applicable to anyone at any stage of life. I definitely recommend it!”
2. What was your first paid job?
“I scrubbed dishes in a little restaurant at the airport. A truly foundational experience in my life.”
3. Do you have any hidden talents?
“Haha! Well… I guess most people wouldn’t know that I can play a mean game of pool. I wouldn’t say I’m a pool shark, but I’ll admit I have a pretty good record.”
4. Which one and why: Alaska or Hawaii?
“Alaska. Simply because it is the one and only state in America the beautiful that I have not been to yet. But Hawaii is very beautiful—I wouldn’t mind going back!”
5. Fastfood guilty pleasure?
“Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I love me a greasy cheeseburger! Don’t tell my doctor.”