We Are All Leaders at the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL)
Recently, I was talking to a member of the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL), and she said that she was not a leader because she was just a project manager in her organization. I stopped her in mid-sentence and shared that she was a valued member of her organization and CAHL, that she was NOT “just a” project manager, and that she provided created value to CAHL because we valued her leadership and critical thinking skills in our association, and that everyone at CAHL is a leader – it was not title dependent. I said, “A leader does not need a title to lead as you thought. A leader is someone who understands the “whys” of the organization, commits to working with others to care for our patients or clients (either directly or indirectly), and effectively identifies opportunities to improve operations and solves problems.” The project manager paused, thought about my comments, and rephrased her comments by saying, “I am a project manager, a leader, and part of the team”. At that moment, she demonstrated the capacity to recreate her thinking, explore new opportunities to solve problems and seek support and counsel as needed. She left the conversation with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, a new commitment of hope, and energy toward improved patient care. I was glad we had the conversation because it’s so important for everyone to recognize the importance, value, and impact their position has in their organization and at CAHL.
Everyone who has joined ACHE and CAHL is here for a reason. Their contributions are valued and each person’s role ultimately contributes to our vision, mission, goals, and objectives. Whether one manages projects, consults, abstracts data, leads a hospital or supports a healthcare agency, the position is essential. We value your work at your organization and at CAHL, your efforts to learn and grow, and your focus on doing the best job you can do. And we ask you to always strive to seek ways to improve systems and processes, outcomes, and metrics – for your team, for our association, and for each other.
As CAHL leaders, I challenge you to look at your work and collaborate with others to explore ways that you can improve your business metrics, workflow, and processes. CAHL is committed to being the best healthcare association in California. To accomplish that vision, we must be able to stretch ourselves to be better and do better. It will take great teamwork, consistent discipline, and continued focus to achieve our goals, and will be done through the diverse, talented, and exceptional leadership demonstrated by teams.
And one of the ways that we will be celebrating our CAHL leaders and volunteers is by holding CAHL’s 2022 Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. Please join us for this wonderful opportunity to connect, network, and celebrate with other CAHL members in-person and hear from ACHE’s keynote speaker Anthony A. Armada, FACHE, Chair of ACHE. The event is at the Boundary Oak Golf Course, 3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek, CA on Thursday, August 25, 2022, from 5-7 pm and sponsored by Gurnick Academy, Aramark Healthcare, and IPM. You can register for the free event program by going onto the CAHL website at https://ache-cahl.org.
Be the leader that you’ve capable of being. And feel free to share with me one way that you’ve made a difference in providing leadership to your colleagues or team.
Best Regards,
Michael O’Connell, MHA, FACHE
President, California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL)
Michael.oconnell1981@gmail.com
(216) 212-2895 (cell)