Podcast | Joshua Sharp on Authentic Leadership

Dec 8, 2024 | Articles, Podcast

Joshua Sharp is the California Central Valley Market Director of Facilities Management, Energy, and Infrastructure for CommonSpirit Health.  Josh has a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from California State University, Bakersfield and a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.  Josh is a College of Healthcare Executives Fellow (FACHE) and Mentor, an American Hospital Association Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM), American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) Member, and Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Member.  Josh also mentors locally at East Bakersfield High School as part of their Health Careers Academy and sits on Greater Bakersfield Chamber Leadership Bakersfield Program Advisory Council.

 

Moderated by Michael O’Connell. This Q&A has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Listen to the full podcast on CAHL’s YouTube channel here. 

 

CAHL/Mr. O’Connell:  Josh, you have a diverse background. How do you define authentic leadership and why is it important to you?

 

Sharp:  Authenticity is about being yourself and sharing that with others. It’s also about sharing those strategies and encouraging them to always be their best.

 

CAHL/Mr. O’Connell:  You have responsibility for security.  How can you be an effective leader in terms of providing an environment that is safe and secure?

 

SharpWe sent out a survey to our staff to determine how safe they feel on our campus.  We are located in a high crime region.  Cars are broken into regularly.  We want our staff to know that they are being heard and that we will address their concerns.  We obtained some good information and we began to work with leadership and the security management team.  We made some recommendations and we implemented some of the suggestions such as installing more security cameras and more lighting around the campus.  

 

CAHL/Mr. O’Connell:  How do you prioritize open communication and transparency as key elements of authentic leadership in healthcare especially in times when you must keep some things confidential?

 

Sharp: I am definitely a proponent in communicating as much as I can, especially with my staff and the managers that report to me. It opens up trust.  Yes, a certain level of privacy must be maintained but at least internally, with my team, it’s important that they understand the “whys” so that they can do their jobs.

 

CAHL/Mr. O’Connell:  How do you coach your team to espouse the values of the authentic leader you are?

 

Sharp:  It starts with hiring the right people. I feel I have been successful as a leader secondary to my drive and that one of my core values is striving for excellence and setting SMART goals.

For example, when I returned to school to obtain my masters degree, I realized how much I had improved in my written communication since I was an undergraduate.  I encourage my team members who do not have college degrees, to consider doing so.

 

CAHL/Mr. O’Connell:  You’re involved in a lot of functions that most of us are not really aware of like heating, ventilation and air conditioning which people are happy with when they are working but not so when they’re not.  You’re also involved in emergency preparedness which can include natural catastrophes as well as fires, where people are not their best selves.  So how do you maintain your authenticity in those situations?

 

Sharp:  I think working in healthcare, we are working in some emergency state every day but there are those unexpected situations like power loss.  My department strives to maintain open and clear communication under those circumstances.  We want the staff to realize we are aware that their needs are a priority and provide assurance that we are working in a timely manner to resolve the issues to provide the optimal environment they need to provide quality care.

 

Michael O’Connell, MHA, FACMPE, FACHE, CAHL , past CAHL president.  Mr. O’Connell provides team-based leadership and oversight to strategic operational initiatives in both medical practice and hospital operations. He has over 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry, serving in various executive roles at RWJBarnabas Health, Stanford Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, and other leading organizations.