Ep: 016 Patience Pays: Why Slow and Steady Wins the Leadership Race

0:23Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back, bridge builders to another amazing episode of Bread to Lead. I am your host, Dr. Jake Taylor Jacobs, and today we're diving into a topic that's crucial for every aspiring healthcare leader, which is the power of patience in your leadership journey. And before we jump into our main topic, let's take a moment to reflect on last week's episode about Next Step Leadership. Many of you have actually reached out with aspiring and inspiring stories about how you're implementing these principles in your organizations. It's truly heartening to see so many of you taking proactive steps to develop the next generation of healthcare leaders.

1:08Your commitment to building bridges and fostering growth in your teams is exactly what we need in today's healthcare landscape. So give yourself a round of applause. Give yourself a round of applause for all of the hard work that you're implementing as a bridge builder in this space. So if you want to leave comments of successes of you listening to this podcast and seeing change within your organization, please do not hesitate to go to breadtolead.com and on the site, you will see where you can actually leave your responses and testimonials of what you're implementing so that we can give you a shout out on the show.

1:44It is a top 50 podcast show in the entire country, United States of America. So it's definitely a great place for you to build your brand, say your name and talk about the great things that you're doing. at the facilities and organizations that you're currently at. So listen, this podcast is founded by SIPP Healthcare Solutions, a workforce management and staffing firm that specializes in turning around central sterile processing departments within healthcare systems and providing support in other areas and perioperative services before, during, and after a patient surgery. But although this podcast is in a healthcare leadership podcast, We believe that this podcast has become top 50 in the country because of its ability to teach leadership that can be applied in any industry or any facet.

2:33So if you are listening to this podcast for the first time, you're going to hear me talk a little bit about health care here and there. But that's just because that's the standard health care is the industry that we're currently in. However, all of these leadership tools and techniques can actually be applied to many different industries, as I have taught and trained more than 15 ,000 business and leader professionals and leaders all over the world, 22 countries to be exact. And when I look at organizations and their ability to create amazing change and innovate things in a ways that you can't even imagine, their staff, their team, their leaders are second to none.

3:12And this is even included in companies that aren't as technology advanced, technologically advanced as other companies. However, their core leaders are so amazing at what they do. They outperform companies with amazing technology. So leadership pays when technology is absent. Leadership pays when resources are few. Leadership pays when the road is not as bright and leadership is ever rewarding. If you have all those things working in your favor, as well as amazing leadership, you're looking at a company and organizations that absolutely can change that and change any industry moving forward. So let's take our time and let's transition on over.

4:06To our actual topic for today, patience pays, write this down, patience pays while slow and steady wins the race. If you do not know much about Dr. Jake Taylor Jacobs by trade, I did go to school for education before I became very up in business. If somebody forwarded you this podcast, please listen to the podcast before researching me. I don't want you researching me and that influencing you on why you should listen. I would encourage you to listen to episode one and then also listen to this podcast and you'll get a great sense of what qualifies our ability to talk here. So we're talking about patience pays and why slow and steady wins the leadership race.

4:51And in our fast paced health care environment, there's often immense pressure to climb the corporate ladder or career ladder, so to speak, as quickly as possible. And it's the same in every industry, but it's faster, always better. This is the question that we should be asking is faster, always better. Today, we'll explore while taking the time to master your role can lead to more sustainable, impactful leadership in the long run. So we want to talk about this thing, right? The difference of the is faster, truly better when it comes to growing and excelling in the position. And we're also going to talk about why I believe taking your time to master your role can absolutely lead to more sustainable, impactful leadership growth in a long haul.

5:40OK, so let's start by addressing a common scenario in health care leadership. I think that'll be great. I want you to close your eyes and just imagine, just imagine all the things that we could be. Imagine all the places we can go and see. Imagine nations fun for you and me. we could go to the moon we could be anything build a castle while playing pretend I'm kidding y 'all but I do want you to close your eyes and imagine if you are driving please do not close your eyes but I want you to imagine Alex and Jamie both started their careers in hospital administration at the same time Alex is ambitious and jumps every promotion opportunity possible moving to a new role every year or two.

6:32Jamie, on the other hand, takes a more measured approach, spending three to five years in each role before moving up. Five years down the line, Alex appears to be ahead. They've reached the senior management position and are earning a higher salary. Jamie is still in a mid-level role, but let's fast forward another five years. So five years later, Alex appears to be ahead. They're in senior management. Jamie's in mid-management. And so it appears that Alex is going to continue to progress faster than Jamie. Alex is struggling. We're going to fast forward another five years in this senior management role.

7:16Alex is struggling in their executive role, feeling overwhelmed, battling imposter syndrome, while Jamie has mastered each position's role and just moved into the executive position and is thriving. So Alex has been in this senior executive position for now five years. Jamie, five years later, is now coming into a senior executive role and is killing it day one. This scenario illustrates the core of our discussions today. While rapid advancement might seem appealing Taking time to truly master each role Often leads to more sustainable success And fulfillment in the long haul And I just want to be clear about something There's a lot of people that struggle with imposter syndrome When you walk into a certain room And the reason why others that come into that same room That's new just like you may survive or may thrive faster Is because your preparation before the promotion matters How you're preparing for that starter position, as we would say in sports, will also vividly be shown when the lights actually hit you and the going is tough.

8:30So a lot of people, especially younger leaders within any organization or sector, typically wants to take the every year and a half, two years they should be promoting. But when you end up in a room of your peers now that's in senior management that all have 10, 15, 20 years of experience and you only have five. Yes, you must. You may have had innovative thoughts or innovative strategies that you've used in smaller departments or smaller facilities. But when you start to get to a senior management, you're managing the entire organization or the entire system of department within the system, the entire systems department.

9:12Then you have to look at things from a much from a grainier level to a much more macro level and experience absolutely matters. What you mastered in certain roles absolutely matters. And what I begin to start seeing is that people that are typically dealing with this imposter syndrome, you feel uncomfortable in certain rooms versus others where you know that you're you're you're you are mastering them. There's there's a difference between having imposter syndrome and being nervous because it's new to you. Being nervous says, hey, I know that when things kick in, I'm going to be able to step in.

9:49Imposter syndrome is having the feeling like, you know, you don't belong. And that's a big thing. Faking it till you make it. This is the cause and effect of that. Being great at interviews, always being willing to step up in a line will make it favorable for your growth and promotion. But those that are like Jamie that says, hey, listen, I don't want to move from this spot until I feel like I've mastered everything of this position. It's very important because when you start to look at senior leadership and when you get above mid management or the mid leadership role, you become more of a coach, more of a people, your sport or your game or your specific measurements are people performing, not necessarily tasks being done.

10:32And so as you begin to grow in the scope of your positioning as a leader, now you go from managing doing the task to managing someone doing the task to now managing someone who manages someone that does the task to now managing someone that oversees someone who manages someone who manages the person that actually does the task. So when you're talking about leadership at multiple levels down before your word gets out or down to the lowest level, you have to start asking yourself, if I have not mastered every level, how can I ensure my communication down is effective? And this is typically what we're seeing within miscommunications between departments within hospitals, perioperative departments or services, to be exact, from the OR to SPD, from SPD to supply chain and materials.

11:22We're having this miscommunication because there are a lot of people that have been battlefield promoted, promoted because last man standing, not promoted because you're the next and best up. And I get it in a health care space in most industries, most companies, you have to kind of deal with what you have. But if we keep living in a reactionary status or a reactionary stage, we can't truly ask for the best versions and most innovative leaders to actually show themselves approved when mastering. Mastering each role is very important because when you master each role, you actually become more efficient in operating as a leader.

12:02We'll talk about that a little bit after our first little break. I hate to break up all the good information that you're receiving from this podcast, but Bridge Builders, if you're looking to enhance your leadership skills and advance your career in health care, look no further than SIPPS Healthcare Leadership Institute. Our comprehensive programs are designed to help you master your current role and prepare for future advancement at the right pace. Don't rush your leadership journey. Invest in yourself with SIPPS Healthcare. Visit our website at SipsHealthCare.com forward slash leadership to learn more about our programs and how your organization can sponsor a cohort and take your leadership to the moon.

12:42You heard it there. Listen, now we're back to the podcast. And again, like I said in a commercial or a commercial break, listen, if you're looking for training institutionally with your facility to help develop majority of your leaders all at one time. Hey, listen, we do have a service offerings when it comes to training for an entire cohort of leaders within your organization moving and operating together. Now, let's break down why patience pays off in leadership. One, if you have not, again, been a part of this podcast, you're going to find out that I am a stickler for telling you what to write down.

13:17I believe that if you're just listening to a podcast without applying the information from it, it's not helping you at all. You might as well just listen to a song that's destructive. So we're going to talk break down a couple of reasons why patience pays off in leadership I'm gonna give you five points So this is the first one I want you to write down why patience pays off in leadership number one skill development The number one reason why patience pays off in leadership is skill development When you spend more time in a role You have the opportunity to develop a broader deeper skill set You encounter a wider variety of situations and challenges that allows you to build a robust toolkit for problem solving.

14:03For an example, a study in the Journal of Health Care Management found that hospital administrators who spent at least three years in a row before promotions were 40 percent more likely to successfully navigate complex organizational challenges and changes in their next position. And what I see in a lot of people's resumes on a lot of people's resumes or even on LinkedIn getting a snapshot of where they've been I see a lot of leaders who are progressively moving fast every year and a half two years They're getting a different role or they're moving to another hospital system Because there may be more money or better road The issue with not mastering the space that you're in is that you're cutting yourself short on certain skill developments Yes, I know you know how to do the hard task job But do you know how to do the job when you don't have all your resources?

14:54Now, do you know how to do the job in a trauma one? Now, do you know how to do a job in a specialty space that does specialty surgeries? Now, do you know how to do your job when it comes to having no staff or too many staff? When you are able to see your skill develop through different scenarios and you're confident in that space, that's when you're entering the level of mastery. And there are a couple of phases before mastery is received. One, you have a confidence in your ability of knowing and you can get it done. Confidence comes when, hey, I've been trained. I feel confident. I can get it done.

15:33I just need help. A little here and there. That's confidence. I'm still going to make mistakes. So that's the first level of skill development. The second level of skill development is efficiency. Now you can do the job with little wasted time, little wasted resources, little wasted energy. You're as efficient as you can be until bigger problems arise. OK, so you go from confident to efficient to proficient. Proficient is the third level of skill development. In proficiency, now you can overcome many different complex scenarios and situations and still get the job done efficiently. That's when you know, hey, I'm getting it good.

16:14It may take me a little bit, but I'm getting faster and more efficient when things are going. The fourth level of skill development is mastery. This is when you can put me in any weather, in any heat, in any facility, in any space, and I can turn it around. And so me being a corporate turnaround specialist or an expert or an executive in corporate turnaround, you can put me pretty much in any environment. And I don't even really have to really understand the full flow of the company because every organization typically has those fail shoots that are all the same. And I can feel my way through and still be efficient.

16:48This is typically the levels that you want to start processing before you ask for a promotion. I know you want bigger raise. I know you want to make more money, but it's not just about making more money. It's about making impact and not being pushed away or being underprepared when getting that promotion. OK, so the four levels of skill development, I repeat them confidence. Then it's being efficient. Then it is being proficient. Then it is mastery. OK, so that was the number one thing that why patience pays off in leadership. The number two thing of why patience plays off in leadership is relationship building.

17:30Leadership fundamentally is about influencing people for the betterment of themselves or the organization. OK, so the longer that you're in a role, the stronger and more diverse your network becomes. You build trust, understand the nuances of different departments and create lasting relationships that can support you throughout your career. That is arguably maybe one B if it's not fully to it's not one. A skill sets are important, but relationship building is a very big thing because you never know who's speaking positively or negatively about you in certain rooms. So being impressionable is absolutely important in cultivating those leadership skills prior to promoting is important.

18:18Here's why. Because when people start to see you ready for the position before you get the position, it's easier for you to transition amongst your peers. OK, now, the second thing is when it comes to relationship building in health care or any other industry, whatever niche that you're in, it is small. The circle, it is smaller than you think. As far as the people who actually can influence change, the circle is always small. So when you're being impressionable with every position that you're in, you're mastering every step. You're thinking about the long haul of the organization of the department or the people that you're servicing.

18:53those relationships will begin to start creating doors or sowing seeds in areas that you have not been yet and scripture says Jesus told his disciples he said you will reap a harvest that you did not bear or that you did not sow so what that means is sowing the seed as you're doing the work you're meeting the people reaping a harvest for things that you did not sow sows favor and favor comes through diligence in what you do and how you do it so when I'm mastering my skills I'm being impressionable. I'm building relationships. I'm understanding the dynamics of different people where they come from, the diversity, not just in the color of their skin, but in their upbringing and how they see the world.

19:34Those are the things that allow for you to build a great base as you're building relationships and why patience pays off in leadership. Because if you move too fast, you don't build the staple of relationships that you need before you move on. Number three, the third reason why patience pays off in leadership is organizational understanding. Healthcare organizations are complex systems, no different than any business, but healthcare is a little bit more complex and a little bit more nuanced. And there's a lot of gray area than they are black and white. By taking time in each role, you gain a deeper understanding of how different parts of the organizations interact.

20:19this system this system this systemic understanding is very crucial for effective leadership at high levels here's the reason if you only know spd and you get promoted over periop and periop is before during and after service services and departments when you get promoted yes you were able to smooth your way up into the director role but do you really really understand the nuances of every position. Now, I am a firm believer that there are certain things you have to learn while you're in the seat, but I'm also a firm believer of proper preparation prepares the day and prepares your future. So if I know that I want the director role, I'm going to start asking maybe as an SPD manager on my off days, on my off time, when I got a little extra room or energy in my schedule, I don't really want to go home.

21:10I'm going to ask for other tasks and services in the peri-op departments so that I can fully understand how every department is interconnected. What I am seeing within leadership, within healthcare is that every person that is leading a specific department feels that their department is the only most important thing or the sole most important thing in a hospital. But the last I checked, you need every position in order to make sure that that patient has the best chance of recovering and surviving whatever their ailment is. So if I do not have true organizational understanding and I'm looking at my promotion track as a linear track up and down to get to where I want to go, I'm not going to understand the complexities, complexities within the department.

21:56So whether you're running a different organization, you're in a healthcare, you're in a different industry. Yes, you may be great at sales, but being great at sales is not the same thing as being operationally efficient. Hello, hold on. I got a sound for that. Being Being great in sales is not the same thing as an understanding operational efficiency. One more time. So understanding how every department is interconnected is step one and becoming a much greater leader. The number four, the fifth, the fourth reason why patient pays off in leadership is credibility. When you've mastered a role, you build what we call credibility with your both your peers and your subordinates.

22:44This credibility is essential for effective leadership, especially when you need to guide your team through challenging times. The thing that made me such a good business executive or turnaround expert or specialist is the fact that in my own companies that I bought and that are sold, that I built, I've had to come back from almost Hades in order to make turn the company completely around. helping and advising companies that were in the dark getting them more profitable getting them more efficient dealing with dark times built up my credibility to where most people in our services as a company with SIPS Healthcare most people are a word of mouth spreading the news of SIPS Healthcare and not advertisement advertisement and marketing is something that we're doing new now but the credibility of our ability to go and do what we say that we're going to do a lot of times pays more dividends than trying to build a big marketing ploy or branding with social media or whatever at conferences.

23:50It can pay a higher dividends. The cost of acquiring promotions or building relationships is a lot lower. That wall or that barrier in between your next promotion or your next opportunity becomes a lot thinner and a lot smaller the more credible you are in a set position. So I know a lot of people are like, man, I really want to be a manager. My question is, are you the best at who you are right now? My favorite story in the scripture is of David, King David. As a little boy, he was told that he will be king one day, but it wasn't until 30 years later that David from a little child actually became a king.

24:28So what does this mean? He played a lot of different roles. So his first role was supporting the soldiers by bringing bread to the first line. Why is this important? When you understand the importance of bringing food to the first line defenders, that lets you know that even the people that are just passing food are important. Then the second role he played was understanding the harp and how to control emotions. He had to play the harp for King Saul because King Saul had anxiety issues. So understanding the importance of controlling your emotions and controlling the way that you deal with certain and tough news is important.

25:03So he got to have a bird's eye view of what anxiety looks like when you're lacking preparation as a leader. And he also had the ability to become the best heart player in the world. So he was also number one, one at serving people first line. Two, he was number one at what? Controlling anxiety and emotions. Three, he was number one at what? Herding sheep. A lot of people don't know about King David's story as a sheep herder. He was a sheep herder and his number one job, while everybody else mocked him for being a sheep herder, the sheep actually were currency for the family. So being able to manage the sheep actually showed his shrewd capability in managing resources and ensuring that all resources stayed intact.

25:50Why? When you are leading an organization, you have to understand the financial impact of every decision that is being made within your organization. So he understood finance. He understood serving the military. He understood controlling your anxiety. The next thing that David understood was the importance of taking advantage of moments to show your preparation, period. What do you mean? David had to kill Goliath and defeat Goliath to save his people, and he wasn't even the most likely choice. What does that mean? A lot of times you won't be the most likely choice, but in leadership, when proper preparation meets the moment, acceleration of your goals and dreams happen there.

26:35So he was preparing for a moment, not realizing his moment will be on the battlefield. The question is, are you preparing for your battlefield moment? Hello. Are you preparing for the moment where you have to show up and everything that you've been doing in the dark will actually be shown right here in the middle of the battlefield and when you're getting promoted too fast and you haven't had the ability to develop the skill sets that you need to be successful when those lights hit you they burn bright baby when the lights hit you they burn your skin when you're not prepared anxiety comes in versus if you were prepared for the moment before the moment happened now what happens is when that light hits you baby you shine bright shine bright like a diamond that's exactly what David did and He began to master every role that he was in.

27:24So by the time he became king, he had a track record of being number one at everything. My question to you is on your road to leadership, how many things were you number one at? That will let me know exactly what type of leader you will be in the position that you're in. The greatest leaders that lead organizations were number one at the very thing that they did. Mark Zuckerberg was number one at ideation. Number two, number one at finding ideas that people were not executing on and executing faster than them. Number three, number one at coding and developing talent. Number four, he was great at those things, which are all the things that people, his predecessors came after him and he can train on in your organization.

28:12sitting in the seat that you sit in, are you the best at what you do? Regardless of if you're in a leadership role right now or if you're the lowest person on the totem pole, are you the best person at the lowest end? Because how you are at the low end will let me know who you will be at the top. Credibility absolutely matters and mastering the small things so when the big things come, they appear small to you too as well. And number five, number five, Why patience pays off in leadership Reduce stress and burnout Moving up too quickly can lead to stress and burnout As you constantly grapple with new challenges Without solid foundation A study in the Journal of Nursing Administration Found that nurse managers Who had been in their role for at least two years Reported 30 % lower burnout rates Than those who had been promoted within the last year Think about that Think about that A study in the Journal of Nursing Administration found that Nurse managers who had been in their role for at least two years Reported 30 % lower burnout rates than those who had been promoted within the last year Now let's look at some data comparing the long-term outcomes for those who take the time to master their roles versus those who jump at every promotion opportunity.

29:42A study by Payscale found that while rapid job hoppers might see short-term salary gains over a 10-year period, those who stayed in positions three to five years before moving up earned on average 15 % more than those who change positions every year to two years. When it comes to performance, a Harvard Business Review study found that executives who had at least 15 years of experience in their industry before becoming CEO were 25 percent more likely to lead their companies to long term success. In health care specifically, a study published in Health Care Management Review found that hospitals led by CEOs who had spent at least five years in a COO or similar role first had a 20 percent better financial performance and 15 percent higher patient satisfaction scores compared to those led by CEOs who fast track their way to the top.

30:49sometimes getting to the top too fast will be the number one reason why you a butt show uh-oh why you a butt show