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Advanced Leadership Training

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Box 1 Another option: graduate study in the science of leadership

John Tomkowiak, MD, MOL, is a psychiatrist and Founding Dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University in Spokane. Before his appointment at Washington State University, he served as dean, acting chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and professor of psychiatry at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin Univer sity of Medicine and Science. He is no stranger to the demands of leadership. John does not hold an MBA or MHA degree. In addition to the MD, he holds a Master of Organizational Lead ership (MOL) degree. When I asked John about his motivation to pursue a graduate degree in leadership (MOL) rather than the MBA or MHA he explained he chose the MOL because “It’s used every day.” It is his belief that all physicians are asked to be leaders. When asked about his early leadership experience, John confessed “I was ignorant.” He was surprised by the ex pectations of others, especially the frequency of situations where he was expected to lead and felt unprepared. A mentor introduced him to the “science of leadership”; he was surprised that there was such a field and it stoked his curiosity. He wanted to gain a better understand the leader’s role in creating intellectual curiosity and passion in followers. He also wanted to know more about how to inspire others and how to get them to follow-up on their responsi bilities. Likewise, he wants to know “the cold, hard facts” about organizational culture and its consequences. Traditional graduate degrees, such as MBA, MHA, MPH, and MPH, did not have the same promise when it came to what he wanted to learn. When he learned the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree specific to leadership was available, he enrolled in the online MOL program and completed it while he was employed full-time in an executive leadership position.

locations. The relationships you develop with your learning partners will be valuable to you in the future when you need consultation or advice on solving daunting problems.

DISCUSSION

There is a plethora of formal leadership training opportunities that result in the award of a certificate or degree ( Box1 ). Making the decision as to the best option requires care ful consideration. Individuals should have a clear understanding as to their motivation for pursuing a certificate or degree. Likewise, they should be able to clearly articulate what they expect to gain given the cost, effort, and attention required. Take the time to speak with persons you trust, especially those persons who may know you better than you know yourself. Their objective observations can offer insight as to whether pursu ing an advance degree is the right course of action for you at this time. You may want to seek the opinion of a career or vocational counselor because they are experts in exploring your options and the consequences of your choices. One of Sir William Osler’s 11 most well-known aphorisms is: “A physician who treats himself has a fool for a patient.” Likewise, physicians who try to function as their own career counselor may be relying on the advice of a fool. 1. Snook S, Nohria N, Khurana R, editors. The handbook for teaching leadership: knowing, doing, and being. Thousand Oaks (CA): SAGE Publications; 2012. 2. Grigsby RK. Five ways to fail as a new leader in academic medicine. Acad Physi cian Sci 2010;4–5. 3. MBA Crystal Ball. Why doctors are joining MBA programs 2017. Available at: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2017/05/31/why-doctors-join-mba/. Ac cessed November 1, 2018. REFERENCES