Grace Under Pressure: Leadership in Emergency Medicine

Physicians in general, including emergency physicians (EPs), are trained in the diagnostic, therapeutic, and administrative aspects of patient care but not so much in the theoretical and practical aspects of assuming and delivery of leadership. EPs are always taught to focus on their performance, to excel and achieve, to be accountable for their own clinical decisions, and to appreciate feedback and peer-to-peer review. Currently, if there are some semblances of formal or semi-formal leadership instruction, the organized theoretical curriculum often does not formally include very structured and planned departmental leadership and management elements. Leadership is a process for a person (“the leader”) to lead, influence, and engage a group or organization to accomplish their objectives and mission. To do this, the leader must understand a variety of issues of working, interacting, and integrating with people, the environment and both, the intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and elements that have an impact on the industry or area he/she is leading in. Leadership in emergency medicine (EM) is even more challenging, with its unique focus, issues, and trajectory, moving into the new century, with new considerations. No single strategy is sufficient to ace EM leadership and no single specific leadership model is complete. This paper shares some current views on medical/EM leadership. The author shares her views and some suggested proposals for more formal and structured leadership, implementation, and succession to help nurture and groom Eps who will become leaders in EM in the near future.