We asked Mark Dixon, a senior healthcare executive with over 30 years of leadership experience, for his perspective on what the most important strategies are for long-term success as a healthcare leader—personally, professionally, and organizationally. Dixon, a former hospital CEO and current president of The Mark Dixon Group, LLC, graciously offered the following perspectives and advice.
For more about Mark Dixon, please click here.
“I’ve had the privilege of serving in three different healthcare organizations as an executive over my career. I was also fortunate to have incredible mentors who helped me learn how to be more effective in my personal and professional lives. A few key lessons I have learned along the path include:
- Patients are the reason we exist, our people are the reason we excel, and effective systems support the work.
- You, and only you, are responsible for making patients’ healthcare experience safe, simple, and effective.
- Be relationship driven—the source of true power! Be human and be approachable.
- Celebrate often.
- Strive to leave your organization stronger tomorrow than today—keep a 5 year horizon to balance the short-term decisions one must make.
- Always make decisions and analyze things from 1-2 levels above yourself—you’ll make better organizational decisions.
- Create a vision, share the vision, and be consistent.
- Articulate desired results and outcomes.
- Be customer focused, meeting and exceeding customer (patient, physician, and employee) requirements
- Live a culture of safety—a key role for all of us. Walk the talk.
- Surround yourself with stars.
- To create and nurture a high-performing team, expect your team to spend at least 20% of their time supporting each other. Break down silos.
- Be clear on accountability, authority, and responsibility.”
Excellent advice from a humble but wise senior healthcare leader. We will be hearing more from Mark Dixon in the coming months, so stay tuned for more great insights!