Group Culture

False Positives and Medical Group Leadership

10/09/2013

False positives. A significant problem in medicine.

And I’m not even talking about diagnostic tests, I am talking about the indicators that many physicians believe demonstrate leadership ability.

Consider a physician who is seen as “tough” in connection with business.

“We should demand an increase in our stipend from the hospital!”

“We are paying our employees too much!”

“We need to negotiate a lower rate with our billing service!”

Yet the same physician habitually shows up late for work, launches into rants, complains to referral sources, and generally pisses people off left and right.

Toughness is not itself good business sense. It is itself not leadership. Yet many believe it to be a positive trait.

On its own, in context, toughness may be a trait of leaders, at least of some leaders, but it is not a determinative trait and it certainly is not leadership or business acumen in and of itself.

It can also be the trait of a jerk. Of someone who will destroy your group, its relationships and its practice.



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