Jeni Williams
Senior Editor, HFMA
Great leaders don’t just motivate their employees--they inspire their followers to action, Gen. Colin Powell, USA (Ret.), told HFMA members during Monday’s opening session of HFMA's 2007 Annual National Institute in San Diego.
“Leadership is about followership,” he told HFMA members. The best leaders build the trust of their followers through their integrity and their own commitment to the mission of the organization, Powell says, and when they are successful, their followers “are inspired to achieve the great purpose laid before them.”
Great leaders also put their followers in the best possible position to achieve the goals of the organization.
“Your goal is to empower your followers to accomplish great things,” Powell said. “You will accomplish great things as a leader if your followers accomplish great things.”
During his keynote presentation “Leadership: Taking Charge,” Powell offered several tips to HFMA members for inspiring their employees to achieve the goals of their organizations.
Powell has been a powerful leader for most of his life. Considered one of the most admired men in America, Powell has commanded military troops, chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and served as Secretary of State. Throughout his presentation at ANI, he drew on examples garnered from experience as both a leader on the world stage and an eyewitness to leadership in action in providing insight on what it takes to be a great leader.
There are five characteristics that great leaders have in common, he says. In addition to inspiring their employees, great leaders also share these traits:
Great leaders invest the time and the resources necessary to properly train their employees. They combine the best possible equipment with the best possible training, and they are careful to hire the right people for their organizations. “Troops know whether you believe in the mission at hand by how well you have prepared them for battle,” Powell says.
They reward their followers for their hard work and commitment. Consider thanking not only your followers for the time and talents they’ve invested in your organization, but also their spouses. “Show more kindness,” Powell advises. Write handwritten notes of thanks whenever possible. Powell related the story of one leader who discovered his handwritten note of thanks to a follower was later framed in the follower’s office.
They know when it’s time to prune a follower from the organization. If a follower isn’t pulling his weight, his presence will negatively affect other followers--and will ultimately have a detrimental effect on the organization’s performance. “The best leaders make a difference by facing the reality of the problem and getting rid of those who aren’t getting the job done,” he says. Great leaders have “feelers” in all levels of the organization to determine where problems exist--and they act upon this information.
Great leaders build trust among their followers by giving their followers a moral example to follow. “Leadership is about execution as much as vision and planning,” Powell says. The followers of great leaders respect their leaders’ decisions--and they follow them. “You have to know that when you make a decision, your followers are going to follow it,” he says.
Additionally, great leaders used modern tools that help them compete with their competitors. They are open to using new tools processes not only to get information faster, but to improve they way they do business. “It’s a digital world,” says Powell, who admits he’s an “information nut,” “and anybody who can’t play gets left behind.”
Powell, author of the best-selling autobiography My American Journey, served in the U.S. Army for 35 years, rising to the rank of four-star general and serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993). In this role, Powell oversaw the resolutions of 28 crises, including Operation Desert Storm and the Persian Gulf War. He was a key aide to the Secretary of Defense and National Security Adviser to President Reagan. He later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, the first African American to hold this title.
Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations. His civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President’s Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. He is also the founding chairman of America’s Promise--The Alliance for Youth, a national crusade to improve the lives of our nation’s youth.
During Monday’s keynote address, Powell discussed his involvement with “Revolution Health Group,” a new company designed to transform how people approach their health and wellness. Powell is a member of Revolution Health’s board of directors. The cornerstone of Revolution Health is its web site, www.revolutionhealth.com, a free service that provides information on a variety of health topics, allows consumers to compare insurance products, puts consumers in touch with insurance brokers, and offers tips on maintaining health and wellness. “It’s a place where patients can get the transparency they need to make informed healthcare choices,” Powell says. Ultimately, the site plans to serve as a place where consumers can store their healthcare information. “We’re in touch with Dick (Clarke, HFMA President and CEO) to see what potential areas of collaboration might exist,” he says.
At the end of his presentation, HFMA members had the opportunity to ask Powell a few questions. One member thanked Powell, who received a standing ovation before and after his presentation, for his service to our country. Another asked Powell for his thoughts on the future of health care in the United States and the options for care that are available in the public and private sector. “That’s a question I should be asking you,” Powell responded. He believes the biggest challenge facing the American healthcare system is how to make our overall cost structure for healthcare services more affordable.
“You’ve got your work cut out for you,” he told the audience of healthcare finance professionals.
