AAN LEADERSHIP ALUMNI NEWSLETTER: October 2018

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, NA TOSHA N. GATSON, MD, PHD

HATS OFF to all of those involved in the development of this 2nd edition of the AAN Leadership Alumni Newsletter! Thinking back to our inaugural April 2018 edition, we focused on the founding people and principles driving the leadership mission and upholding its vision. We provided instructive pearls from leadership educators, and enthusiastically celebrated and welcomed AAN leaders in their respective roles. Our 2nd edition is devoted to a deeper dive! Take note as we highlight specific personal and group achievements which honor our mission and strengthen the bonds that tie our Alums together. Dr. Daniel Simmons, Associate Editor, opens the newsletter with an endorsement of the overarching AAN leadership philosophies during a one-on-one interview with Dr. Jeffrey McClean, Vice Chair, Leadership Development Committee and Chair, Career Leadership Subcommittee. Here, we get a sense for how one leader honed his own skills to become an influencer and the direction he is helping to guide the future of the AAN leadership programs. We then turn the spotlight on the season 2 team of Transforming Leaders who gave form to a member-centered AAN mission-based model, inspired by ubuntu, to connect and strengthen the practice of neurology. Ultimately, this model is designed to drive re-centering neurological subspecialists as neurologist. Intrigued? Keep reading as we move into the Consultant Corner and skill build with Dr. Joanne L. Smikle, Principal Consultant, Smikle Training Services, who offers strategic tips for crafting your career at any level. Then, build on this education by employing effective pearls to navigate organizational politics provided by Barbara L. Hoese, President of Pentecore Coaching LLC. Then, Dr. Yazmin Odia, Associate Editor, asks us to open your minds and hearts as she features our leaders who shared interesting Career-Life intersections that remind us to continue to seek out and celebrate balance external to our careers in neurology. Finally, we end with a range of exciting opportunities and updates to connect and update our leaders around topics centered in promotion and professional development.

It has been an honor and pleasure serving as Editor for these first two editions of the AAN Leadership Alumni Newsletter. The work as Editor was made remarkably seamless by AAN Staff Bonnie Sova, Wendy Vokaty, and Amy Nostdahl. My role as Editor was made personally and professionally rewarding working with Dr. Beau Nakamoto, and the Associate Editors Dr. Yazmin Odia (left photo) and Dr. Daniel Simmons (right photo). Please help me welcome Dr. Odia as I pass the proverbial baton to her as the upcoming newsletter Editor. May this newsletter continue to uplift and connect leaders in neurology and increase the reach of our AAN leadership enterprise. 

We welcome your suggestions for topics at AlumniEditor@aan.com. Please visit our Leadership Synapse community for up-to-date issues related to leadership events.

leadership philosophy/Endorsements

Dr. Jeffrey C. McClean, Vice Chair, Leadership Development Committee, Chair, Career Leadership Subcommittee was interviewed by Dr. Daniel Simmons, Associate Editor, Leadership Alumni Newsletter

1. How did the AAN leadership programs come about?

These programs arose out of a realization by the AAN leadership that it was essential to have an organized way of training future leaders. Historically, people reached leadership positions through personal and institutional connections, but this tended to leave out people who didn’t already have their foot in the door. The leadership programs were aimed at both increasing access to these positions for a more diverse pool of applicants, as well as to provide formal leadership training at various stages in one’s career. Strong leadership will help our organization, our specialty, and our patients as we learn how to best advocate for our value as neurologists.

2. How does the overall mission of the leadership programs align with the AAN as an organization?

The mission of the Leadership Development Committee is "to cultivate and inspire leaders in neurology and foster their engagement with the AAN."  For the AAN to continue to thrive, we must have strong leaders who are prepared to face current and future challenges. After only a few years, the Leadership Programs have developed a group of diverse, highly talented neurologists who are already serving as leaders, whether in their practices, academic institutions, the AAN, or other national organizations. Over time, I firmly believe that these individuals will be indispensable as the AAN continues to achieve its mission to promote the highest quality, patient-centered care and enhance member career satisfaction.

3. How have the AAN leadership programs helped advance your career?

I graduated from the AAN’s Emerging Leaders Forum (now Emerging Leaders Program) in 2014. Prior to this, I had been given some leadership responsibilities but had never had any formal training on how to be an effective leader. My results were inconsistent because I had no real framework to use when approaching a problem or leading a team. After completing the program, I had a much better grasp on how to be a more effective leader, implementing my ideas and vision, and working within a team. This led to much better, more consistent results, and I was given more leadership opportunities at the Academy and at my own institution. Many of the contributions I have made to the AAN are a direct result of my early involvement with the ELF program. Many others have similar stories. For example, the AAN Board of Directors includes two ELP and one TLP graduates, and all major AAN committees have leadership program graduates—so we can see that the investment is paying off.

4. Can you share any plans for the future of the leadership programs?

We are currently working on formulating a core curriculum of fundamental leadership skills that we want all program participants to master. We also would like to encourage more interaction between programs, and we are exploring ways to do this. Finally, in the near future, we will be asking for applications for a new mentorship program which we’ll be piloting. We would love for our leadership alumni to receive training and serve as mentors for our next wave of leadership participants.

Spotlight on Alumni

TLP: Season 2 Group Project Summary

“ubuntu” - A person is a person through other persons.

The AAN Transforming Leaders Program (TLP) engages mid-career and senior neurologists to develop leadership skills through experiential learning, mentorship, one-on-one coaching, and a team project. The TLP season 2 (TLP2) team is comprised of ten neurologists representing seven different neurological subspecialties. The team was challenged by AAN President Ralph Sacco, MD, MS, FAHA, FAAN, to answer the following question: “How does the AAN remain indispensable to neurological subspecialists while keeping the member at the center?”

By researching Academy membership data, the TLP2 team found that there has been an increasing rate of subspecialty identification among AAN members. While this trend was not surprising, the team felt that there was potential for subspecialists to become disconnected from the broader discipline of neurology. This carries a potential risk of reduced collective power for advocacy, education, practice, and scientific advancement. By analogy, the field of internal medicine encompasses nearly a dozen subspecialties with separate boards, different subspecialty organizations, and unique professional roles. Subspecialists such as cardiologists, rheumatologists, or oncologists do not identify themselves as internists despite completing internal medicine residency and board certification. This phenomenon presents a cautionary tale for neurologists, who are far fewer in number.

In response to these findings and the challenge set forth by Dr. Sacco, the TLP2 team created a strategy to unite subspecialists by emphasizing the Academy’s unique role as a home for all neurologists, regardless of subspecialty training. The team proposed the concept of the “AAN Connectome”—a network of people and affiliations within the organization which fosters self-identification as a neurologist. Three steps were specified to accomplish this strategy. The first step uses analytical methods from cognitive neuroscience such as network analysis to assess member connectedness and engagement to the Academy, particularly in relation to subspecialty identification. The second step involves the targeted transformation of subspecialists into leaders within the AAN. In this way, the AAN is indispensable through effectively strengthening its existing collaborative relationships and unifying efforts across neurology. The final step is to build community and is felt by their team to be the most vital. Using the brain as an analogy, the TLP team proposed to move from an old-fashioned way of thinking about the brain (Brodmann’s areas, i.e., specialty groups) to viewing it instead as a compilation of neural networks made up of interconnected individual members. This is the AAN Connectome.

This strategy calls for the reversal of the trend to fortify subspecialty silos and to instead create system change through interacting networks of the Connectome. System changes will emerge from intentional cross-specialty integration or broadly appealing advocacy workshops. The Connectome model allows the Academy to develop champions to strengthen the network connections between member groups, subspecialty organizations, and patient advocate groups. The TLP2 team believes that subspecialist self-identification with their inner neurologist is a critical strategy to bring the network hubs together within the Connectome, increase professional satisfaction, and ultimately benefit patients.

Thus, by using the inspiration of “ubuntu,” all neurologists remain united in science, advocacy, education, and practice for our patients with neurological disorders.  Ergo, a neurologist is a neurologist through other neurologists.

Consultant Corner

Crafting a Strategy at Any  Career Stage

By: Joanne L. Smikle, PhD

Career progression should not be left to chance, happenstance, or serendipity. Instead, it is wise to have a clear, well-developed strategy. An intentional approach is important at any career stage. Whether you are just finishing your fellowship and emerging in neurology, are mid career desiring greater recognition, or wrapping up a distinguished tenure, you will benefit from having clarity of intention. How does a busy physician create time for the planning, implementation, and evaluation required for savvy strategy? This article answers that question and provides practical techniques.

Crafting Your Unique Strategy
Steven Covey, in his classic work The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, advises that we should begin with the end in mind if we are to get lasting results in our lives. That advice is as useful today as it was more than twenty years ago when Covey offered it. It requires that you create quiet time and space to reflect deeply on where you want to invest your life’s limited energy. Yes, limited energy. While the very young may be delusional enough to believe that time and energy are endless resources, in fact they are not. Make the time to focus on how you want to use your energy. What are the results that you want in your personal and professional life? Where do you want to contribute your unique talents? What is your personal vision for success? These are a few of the questions that will help you begin to focus on your personal endgame.  These questions will enable you to develop a guiding objective, an integral component of career strategy.

Once you have clarity on your endgame, the action planning process begins. I suggest identifying no more than three clear goals that will enable you to reach your long-range objective. If, for example, your objective is to become a leading national advocate for health care policy, your goals may include applying for the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Program, reading about the skills required for successful lobbying, and networking with top health care advocacy firm principals. Whatever your objective, you are more likely to reach it if you break it down to manageable goals that you are focused on accomplishing.

Once you begin taking the steps to reach your objective, it is essential that you create additional time for reflection. This means solitude that is used to think very deliberately about what you are accomplishing, whether it has meaning and value to you, and where you need to recalibrate your plans. This is one of the toughest skills for busy people to develop. Yet it is the key competency for directing your energy in an intentional manner that will produce the desired results. Reflection enables you to function with more clarity and purpose. It also helps you hold yourself accountable to using your limited resources in a strategic manner.

Summary
Recognizing that time and energy are limited resources, it is essential that leaders at all levels focus on a well-defined endgame. Your strategic objectives should reflect your values and vision for your life. Do not waste time comparing yourself to others. Craft objectives that have the most meaning for you. Once you have defined your objectives, the effort moves to thoughtful, directed action planning. The work does not end with the planning. The plan has to be consistently executed so that results are evident. Finally, make the time to reflect on your execution to be sure that the path you are traversing is the most fulfilling one for you.

Joanne L. Smikle, PhD, provides consulting services to leading organizations across the country. She is a respected authority on leadership and organization development. She has recently been appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Leadership & Management at Saybrook University. Visit her library at http://smiklespeaks.com/library.html for more thought-provoking articles.

Playing the Game

By: Barbara Hoese, Pentecore Coaching, LLC

"The game's afoot."

Often associated with super sleuth Sherlock Holmes, “the game’s afoot” implies that a situation is already underway or happening. When it comes to organizational politics, the game is already afoot whether or not you’ve been playing it—or even been aware that it is going on.

Michael Jarrett, writing in the Harvard Business Review, defines organizational politics as “a variety of activities associated with the use of influence tactics to improve personal or organizational interests.” Choosing to play can be risky; choosing not to play is equally risky.

Why do people participate in office politics? For the very simple reason that it gets people what they want. In the best circumstances, people employ their political skills to achieve what’s in the best interests of their patients, their team, their group, and themselves. In contrast, what we often associate with office politics are behaviors that we see as cringeworthy.

Being smart about engaging in office politics is often a requirement in the complex world of health care, where material and people resources are limited and there are many worthwhile activities that need such support. Following are some tips for you to practice becoming a savvy player in the game.

1. Tune in. Turn up your observer skills and watch what is happening in meetings, how things get done, who gets what they need, and how they do it. Learn how decisions are made and the unwritten rules of how things get done in your group.
2. Bone up on your EQ. How self-aware are you? Do you know when you are most effective? Are you aware of what your emotional triggers are? Can you improve your impulse control and choose your response to triggers? Managing how you show up (calm, engaging) can increase your political capital.
3. Build your credibility. Those who best play the political game are often those who hold the most influence. The first step in influencing others is to be known as credible: reliable and trustworthy. Do you keep the promises you make to others, such as commitments to deadlines? Can you be trusted with confidential information? Can you be counted on as a “go-to” person?
4. Connect with allies.To connect with others who have influence, you may need to give to get. Are you willing to help others out? Do you bring actionable ideas to the table? Consider your current allies. Are they influential? Reliable? Trustworthy? Are they connected to others who are powerful?

Playing the game doesn’t mean you have to sell your soul. Building and using your political capital may be the difference between getting the resources you need, or not even getting a hearing on your ideas. Sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose, but the biggest losers are those who refuse to play the game.
To learn more about understanding the political terrain of your organization, read “The 4 Types of Organizational Politics” by Michael Jarrett in the Harvard Business Review (2017).

career | Life

Leadership program alumni and their unique life stories are what make these programs and this community so special. Alumni highlight the amazing, successful, and interesting aspects of their lives beyond their careers.

After nearly a year as a Zumba instructor, Alison Alford (PLP ’08) just started her own weekly class. “I love motivating others with healthy habits and the joy and happiness that comes from dancing Zumba. It is truly a passion of mine!”

Holly E. Hinson (ELP ’16) was both a DJ and music director at her college radio station (KTRU/Houston). Drawn to her years in broadcasting, she now serves on the board of a non-profit community radio station in Portland, OR (https://xray.fm/) and occasionally fills in for the Circa Rad show on Wednesday nights. A recent playlist was featured in a Portland retail store called Bridge and Burn. 

Korak Sarkar (ELP ’18) and his wife just welcomed their twin boys, Isaak and Nolan, to the world. Here’s to potential neurologists in the making!

Jen Vermilion (ERLP ’17) is thrilled to announce the birth of her first baby in March 2018. 

Jose Posas (DLP ’17) is part of an award-winning competitive BBQ team. “We have won 2nd place for Ribs and 3rd place for side dish now in a field of 90+ teams. No one on my team is a professional chef. We are just food nerds.” Hogs for the Cause BBQ is a flavorful group providing monetary relief to families with children who have brain cancer.

We proudly recognize our leaders for pursuing life’s varieties and for demonstrating how family, wellness, art, and food are excellent sources of balance outside their careers in neurology. Please join me in congratulating our featured leaders and be sure to visit the respective websites listed near their stories. If you have stories you would like to share, please let us know via our Leadership Synapse community or email us directly at  AlumniEditor@aan.com. We look forward to learning more about each of you!

HIGHLIGHTS

Applications Now Open...

The Diversity Leadership Program (DLP) has been praised for its positive impact on self-confidence, relationship building and comradery, burnout reduction, presentation and management skills as well as AAN engagement. We hope you encourage a qualified colleague to pursue the life-enriching 2019 DLP.

The AAN Enhanced Resident Leadership Program is an in-depth weeklong immersion into the AAN designed to identify, train, and nurture a highly selected group of 10 adult resident and five child resident members who have the motivation, drive, and potential to be future Academy leaders. Nominate or share with a deserving resident today.

Submit an Abstract Today...

The Abstract Submission deadline for the 2019 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, is October 22, 2018.

AWARDS

Scientific Awards: The AAN has awards for senior investigators, young investigators, residents, medical students, and high school students..

Non-Scientific Awards: The AAN also has award opportunities for Patient Safety and Advocacy, Humanitarian efforts, Historical Research, and more!

Apply for an AAN Award today! For more information or questions, please contact awards@aan.com.

CALL FOR 2019 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

We are now accepting applications for the Associate Editor position. If you are interested in learning more, please review the Associate Editor Job Description or contact AlumniEditor@aan.com.

To be considered for the position, please submit the following application materials to AlumniEditor@aan.com by Friday, November 30.

• Letter of Interest
• CV

Leadership Development Committee Vision and Mission:

Vision: All members will achieve their leadership potential.
Mission: To cultivate and inspire leaders in neurology and foster their engagement with the AAN

Editorial Team

• Editor
  Na Tosha N. Gatson, MD, PhD, is Director of the Neuro-Oncology Division at Geisinger Neuroscience Institute, Danville, PA
• Associate Editor
  Yazmin Odia, MD, is Lead Physician of Medical Neuro-Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South FL, Miami, FL
• Associate Editor
  Daniel B. Simmons, MD, is Associate Program Director for the Neurology Residency of the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, Fort Sam Houston, TX

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the Leadership Newsletter. Join us for the next issue due May 2019!