5 Key Success Factors from 43 Years on the Job, 16 as a Highly Successful CEO

Healthcare Leadership

with Dan Nielsen dan@americashealthcareleaders.com

 

 

Do you enjoy advice, perspectives, and wisdom from successful leaders who have truly ‘been there and done that?’ Leaders who have great credibility not based on words, but based on their actions, their track record over an extended period of time, and their very positive legacy?

 

I conducted an extensive interview with Maynard Oliverius, former long-time and very successful President and CEO of Stormont Vail Health System in Topeka, Kansas, just before he retired. At the time of the interview, Oliverius had served Stormont Vail for 43 years, 16 of those years as CEO.

 

Obviously, Oliverius was not “run out of town on a rail.” In fact during the interview Oliverius said the following:

 

“I’ve had the career of careers. There is no greater responsibility than caring for those who place their lives in your trust, and no greater reward than working with a team who honor that trust with skill, compassion, and care. I have been privileged to have that career.”

 

I asked Oliverius to list some of the key success factors for his successful tenure and leadership at Stormont Vail. Listen up all you up-and-comers and all healthcare leaders who wish to improve their effectiveness and positive contributions to their people, their organization, and their community.

 

Oliverius’ answer does not sound unusual or profound, until you reflect on his amazing career and the fact that this true gentleman and highly successful leader, over a period of more than four decades at the same organization, is listing the key success factors that resulted in his unusual and life-time success.

Maynard Oliverius said,

 

“Well, these key success factors aren’t necessarily in any rank order, but one is to maintain integrity and trust. Two would be to maintain a strong relationship with the board. Three is maintain high visibility and involvement with the medical staff and community. Four, be a good listener, and five, deliver on commitments.” 

 

There it is. A brief but powerful summary of a lifetime of leadership effectiveness and organizational success:

 

1. Maintain integrity and trust
2. Maintain a strong relationship with the board
3. Maintain high visibility and involvement with the medical staff and community
4. Be a good listener
5. Deliver on commitments

 

I encourage you to learn from this unique, tenured and highly successful leader. No fluff. Not a lot of words. Just pure essence, truth and undeniable key success factors more precious than gold! Take an honest and reality-based look at your leadership. How do these key success factors relate to you? Where can you improve, better lead, and better serve your organization and community?

 

Copyright © 2016 by Dan Nielsen – www.americashealthcareleaders.com