Balancing act

September 23, 2018 | (66) Comments

Maxim no. 6: “Leaders lead people; managers manage an asset, process or thing.”

Leadership Maxim No. 6 is one of my favorite maxims because it highlights two distinct, yet very important, skills that are essential to running an organization like Texas Children’s – leading and managing. With more than 14,000 employees across our system, it takes exceptional leaders and managers throughout every level of the organization to ensure we deliver the best care to our patients.

I spend most of my time leading people, but I also spend a lot of time managing our organization’s operations. People often ask me: What is the difference between leadership and management? I believe the primary difference between management and leadership is that leaders don’t need to be in a management position or have a specific title. Anyone can be a leader.

Alex Sardual is a great example of an outstanding leader and manager. Alex has been with us for a little over a year and is currently the assistant clinical director for the PICU in Legacy Tower. He leads a team of more than 200 employees, including patient care managers and unit-based nursing educators who oversee the day-to-day clinical operations of the PICU. He also manages the human resources, financial and administrative functions in the unit.

Alex has an outstanding leadership philosophy: a leader is someone who believes in and nurtures his or her team and helps them clear the path to success. These principles guide Alex as he cultivates a work environment that engages, encourages and empowers his team. He understands the personal goals of his staff and directs them to areas or projects that keep them challenged, engaged and aligned with our goals as an organization.

Alex believes that if you make sure your staff is acknowledged and they feel heard, they will be empowered to come up with creative solutions to resolve any work challenges that may arise. I completely agree with him.

When Alex prepared his team for the move to Legacy Tower, many members of his team were apprehensive about how everything would work and the planned cohorting of patients and teams. Alex made sure to engage his team and gave everyone an opportunity to provide their suggestions and feedback and then ensured their thoughts were included in the Legacy Tower PICU plans. He and his team replicated what worked well in the old environment and changed some things for a better fit in the new environment.

Throughout it all, Alex kept his team informed and updated and made sure to translate the concerns of his staff back to the leadership team. Alex says he sees himself as the guardian of positive thinking – some days it’s easy to show the bright side of things, and other times, you have to point out the silver lining. That’s perceptive leadership and solid management.

I’d like to hear from you … how do you balance leading and managing in your role?

Take the leadership challenge, and score a spot at a Houston Texans event!

Over the past few weeks, Mark Wallace’s blog has been highlighting employees who demonstrate his Maxims of Leadership. Each blog post poses a leadership question that Texas Children’s employees may respond to in the comments section until October 19. 

Afterward, the Corporate Communications team will randomly select 75 people from the comments to attend a private event with the Houston Texans, including a behind-the-scenes tour of NRG Stadium, an autograph session with two Houston Texans football players and photos with the Texans cheerleaders.

66 Responses to “Balancing act”

  1. Stephen Cox

    Agreed! Anyone can be a leader, regardless of their postition. There is nothing more important in a sucessful company than having management with strong leadership skills. Finding a person who is able to listen and be a voice for his/her team and is also able to communicate in ways that motivate team members to meet or exceed daily goals.

    The difference between management and leadership is that management is a position, and leadership is a virtue.

  2. Delmis Garcia

    Everyday, I pray for the wisdom to make the best choices in life as a mother, wife, sister, and leader. That I lead by example, and trust that through my faith in the Lord, I will do my best work. Each day has new challenges that may arise, but keeping myself humble, to think that I am here to do good onto others, I am strengthen to overcome any obstacles. My mission is to make someone’s situation better, bring a smile to their face, give some hope, encourage, and just lend a hand. This is what motivates me to always bring my A Game.

  3. Prem Oommen

    As a new Assistant Director in pharmacy and with the TCH organization, Maxim no. 6 is vital for our organizational growth as we make the best of our day to take care of needs of the department, staff, and patients.
    My leadership philosophy is about serving the team that I work with me by giving them any tools available to me to help maximize their efforts and have them succeed in the organization. As for management, one has to help the leaders who report to you understand that communication, candor, empathy and delegation are skills that are necessary to stay ahead of the curve in our changing healthcare environment as we strive to stay ahead as a high reliability organization.
    The difference between leading and managing takes time and effort. One has to spend time listening to everyone around you especially front-line staff before making better decisions and looking for better solutions. In the end when everyone in the department achieves greatness in taking care of our patients, you have to find time to thank everyone for a successful project and celebrate as a group. We are all small pieces of the larger puzzle that make this organization a shining light in our Houston community.
    Sincerely,
    Prem Oommen

  4. Prem Oommen

    As a new Assistant Director in pharmacy and with the TCH organization, Maxim no. 6 is vital for our organizational growth as we make the best of our day to take care of needs of the department, staff, and patients.
    My leadership philosophy is about serving the team that I work with me by giving them any tools available to me to help maximize their efforts and have them succeed in the organization. As for management, one has to help the leaders who report to you understand that communication, candor, empathy and delegation are skills that are necessary to stay ahead of the curve in our changing healthcare environment as we strive to stay ahead as a high reliability organization.
    The difference between leading and managing takes time and effort. One has to spend time listening to everyone around you especially front-line staff before making better decisions and looking for better solutions. In the end when everyone in the department achieves greatness in taking care of our patients, you have to find time to thank everyone for a successful project and celebrate as a group. We are all small pieces of the larger puzzle that make this organization a shining light in our Houston community.

  5. Lisa Davenport

    “If serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you.” This is something I try to live out as a servant leader. Good leaders are not afraid to get into the trenches with their staff. Mr. Wallace, I am sure you have read the book ” It’s your ship” but if you haven’t I would highly recommend to all leaders. It is a phenomenal book about how an admiral in the Navy took the worst fleet to the best fleet by his amazing leadership and making every team member feel valued and important.

  6. stephanie Yaus

    In the words of John Maxwell “Leaders become great not because of their power but because of their ability to empower others. As a new TCH employee, I see this all over and I believe it is the key to everyone’s success. We are a team we do this together.

  7. Chelley Weaver

    I agree that everyone has an opportunity to lead. I feel that I lead by treating others with respect, being an advocate for those without a voice and trying my best on a daily basis. Although I am not in a manger role I do have the ability to manage my time and my responsibilities. I balance these by setting achievable goals with a plan to meet those goals and to do my job with the same character and integrity I would expect others to do have.

  8. Heather Eppelheimer

    Good leaders delve into their teams and truly provide a team with help in all situations. I think leading is encouraging people to embrace those same aspects of teamwork and working towards common goals in an efficient manner. I think management can often start with being a leader and then you grow your management skills and help influence process, people and the world around you.

  9. Lauren Westerfield

    I believe that a fundamental part of good leadership is engagement, and specifically engagement on an equalized level. If you engage your teammates and others you’re working with, and don’t hold to pretensions about who has what title but rather respect their individual expertise and talent that they contribute, then you can accomplish more and can have more success in dealing with the tasks you manage. It’s a self-reinforcing cycle, so better to have it be a positive one.

  10. Jerry Garcez

    Managing in my role means to me “completing the task at hand.” Leadership means making sure everyone feels included in the team and not left behind in their work. I will complete my assigned work but i will also make sure my co-workers dont need help along the way.

  11. Isabel De La Tore

    Leadership comes from within yourself, even if you feel that your role doesn’t matter as much. As an admin, the day-to-day support I provide to my directors makes a difference in the work place. The small strides I make lead to them to becoming effective in their roles, when it matters the most to the staff and visitors that come to the hospital. Like the blog said, anyone can be a leader but it’s up to you if you want to choose the path to lead!

  12. Ashley Lloyd

    In my role as an Infection Control Coordinator, I manage the day-to-day review of infection prevention practices such as ensuring appropriate isolation is in place and identifying hospital-acquired infections. I lead by engaging the areas I serve and committing to work collaboratively to improve patient outcomes and ensure employee and patient safety.

  13. “Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.” – Tom Peters

    I try to manage my time and prioritize my work so that I can focus on helping others find their ability to grow and make positive change. I am not in a leadership role at TCH, however as a diabetes educator, it is most important to help empower, and nurture each and every patient and family member.

  14. Clarissa Guzman

    There are valuable differences in leading vs managing. To me, when you manage, you take care of the “behind the scenes” activities to keep your department running. That can entail service recovery, reviewing financials, or ordering supplies for example; all things you generally never have to leave your office to complete. Leading on the other hand, means you are at the “frontline” of your department, leading by example and gaining the confidence of your staff. That means I will jump into staffing to help when needed. My goal in coming to work each day is to manage my clinic but lead my staff! In leading them, I hope to bring out the leader in them as well!

  15. Kristin Thorp

    Leading by example has been a motto of mine from long ago! I use it in all aspects of my life and can find a way to bring almost every answer back to this in both my home and work life. I believe that if we raise the bar in our own actions and attitudes other will elevate to meet us and the entire team will be lifted! Ultimately, we can only control ourselves so why not use that for good and show others the integrity and positivity we want to see in them!

  16. Prem Oommen

    As a new Assistant Director in pharmacy and with the TCH organization, Maxim no. 6 is vital for our organizational growth as we make the best of our day to take care of needs of the department, staff, and patients. My leadership philosophy is about serving the team that I work with me by giving them any tools available to me to help maximize their efforts and have them succeed in the organization. As for management, one has to help the leaders who report to you understand that communication, candor, empathy and delegation are skills that are necessary to stay ahead of the curve in our changing healthcare environment as we strive to stay ahead as a high reliability organization. The difference between leading and managing takes time and effort. One has to spend time listening to everyone around you especially front-line staff before making better decisions and looking for better solutions. In the end when everyone in the department achieves greatness in taking care of our patients, you have to find time to thank everyone for a successful project and celebrate as a group. We are all small pieces of the larger puzzle that make this organization a shining light in our Houston community.

  17. Nyesha Jordan

    A huge part of being a great leader is engaging with your staff on a daily basis and creating an environment where they feel valued. I also try to encourage my staff to push beyond the limits! Doing this while still managing process improvements is my daily goal!!

  18. Tara Aldred

    I try to focus on leading but not lose sight of managing. If I’m focused on the personal relationships imbedded in leading, many of the management tasks are done in service of the care of others. In an attempt to serve those around us, the management tasks get completed.

  19. Lorianne Classen

    Leadership is an opportunity available to everyone, regardless of job title. Leading by example with even the simplest of actions – showing compassion for our patients/families by smiling, holding the elevator, helping them find their way – can have a great impact on others.

  20. Justin Rahman

    Balancing leadership and management for me as a PhD student, an intern, a Teaching Assistant, and an aspiring entrepreneur is imperative. I love the notion of leading in one’s personal life, and will carry that with me. Currently I feel that I can lead by maintaining and spreading a positive attitude/energy, creating thought-provoking questions and research that will change healthcare and public health, and managing day-to-day tasks to reach my goals.

  21. Jennifer Bump

    Leadership is exemplified by example – how someone acts and behaves. Keeping a positive attitude in the face of adversity, taking a deep breath and exhibiting patience with a difficult person, picking up a piece of trash in the hallway, parking in the furthest spot to allow the patients to have the closest parking all exemplify leadership. Management is more a reflection of how well problems are solved – developing specific solutions to specific issues.

  22. Jennifer Tu

    As I have transitioned into a new leadership role within this organization, I strongly believe that I should remain humble and honest with myself and my colleagues in order to have a balance between leading and managing. I want to ensure that I am a leader that can empower others around me to provide that ‘WOW’ experience every day by modeling the way. It is important that I am working alongside my colleagues while providing guidance and leadership.

  23. Alisha B Lee (TCHP)

    WAY TO GO ALEX!!!

    Here in Member Services, I serve has a Team Lead. I believe Leaders Serve, Influence, Motivate, Inspire, and Enable other to contribute to the organization success. Serving, Influence, and Inspiration separates leaders from managers, not power and control.

  24. I am of the mindset that you have to lead by example. Strong leaders lay the groundwork that allows others to succeed. In my role, I maintain high expectations for myself in the care I provide to my patients, acknowledge the roles of everyone on the team and hear their concerns, and create an environment where we collectively share/exchange knowledge to provide the best outcomes for our patients. If you lead by example, managing will come easy because your groundwork will help facilitate a successful culture where your voice is well respected and others seek your guidance.

  25. Adam Cohen

    As a fledgling leader, this is still something I am learning to balance. Ultimately, part of leadership is being involved with the people you lead, seeing how things work, and with that, managing your team should come naturally.

  26. Prem Oommen

    My leadership philosophy is about serving the team that I work with by giving all of them any tools I have at my disposal to help maximize their efforts to help them succeed in the organization. As for management, one has to help leaders who report to you understand that communication, candor, empathy and delegation are skills that are necessary to stay ahead as a high reliability organization. Listen to everyone around you and make decisions with buy-in from front-line staff. In the end, celebrate your accomplishments as a department and thank everyone who has made this organization a shining light in our Houston community.

  27. Ashley Holloway

    The Best Servant of All is also the Best Leader. “The first should be last and the last should be first”. It will be a continuous cycle if the leader served the followers. This makes the followers want to continue to serve/appreciate their leader. Keep up the great work!!!

  28. Marquetta Wise

    Lead Tirelessly is my favorite Value of TCH.. Although I am not in a leadership position or a manger, I never hesitate to take action like a true leader, and I’m pretty influential 😉 A true leader looks out for they’re team and puts the needs of others before their own. A leader has the power to influence. Managers have the power to create opportunities.

  29. Leslie K. Morris

    I wrote a paper on leadership…here is my contribution to this great dialogue…

    “Leadership always influences or determines outcomes- not some of the time, but all of the time” (Mark A. Wallace, CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital, 2014). The debate is the question of are leaders born or made? This question has been plaguing people for years. By studying history, we know that many are made. According to Di Giulio, 2014, p. 1,
    The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.
    A definition from Di Giulio, 2014, p. 1 and 3, that leadership is,
    A process by which a person influences others to accomplish objectives or a goal, by guiding them to ensure a cohesive and coherent direction. Quite simply stated in a statement by Lombardi, (n.d) is “Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”
    The theory of transformational leadership (TL) can be applied here. “Over the past 30 years, TL has been “the single most studied and debated idea within the field of leadership” (Diaz-Saenz, 2011, p. 299)” (McCleskey, 2014, p. 120). The definition from Burns (1978), a TL is “one who raises the followers’ level of consciousness about the importance and value of desired outcomes and the methods of reaching those outcomes (p. 141)” (McCleskey, 2014, p. 120). Explained in greater detail of how a TL functions in their role, “the TL convinced his followers to transcend their self-interest for the sake of the organization, while elevating “the followers’ level of need on Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy from lower-level concerns for safety and security to higher-level needs for achievement and self-actualization” (Bass, 2008, p. 619)” (McCleskey, 2014, p. 120). The four main components of TL are idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (McCleskey, 2014).
    References
    Di Giulio, Justin & Giulio, Di. (2014). Are leaders born or made? Retrieved from:
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270684591_Are_leaders_born_or_made
    Wallace, M.A. (2014). The magic book of maxims. Houston, TX: Texas Children’s Hospital.

  30. Bhavana Babber, MD

    I am a site leader for my office. We hold monthly meetings and daily huddles to keep everyone informed. I also send regular emails to our group. I think communication is a keep aspect of leadership and strive to continually improve our communication and team work at our office.

  31. Management consists of controlling a group and to accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to motivate, influence and enable others to contribute toward Texas Children’s success. Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control.

  32. John Hamm

    I love how Alex focuses on the “nourishment” of his team through engagement, encouragement, and empowerment. A complex project like Legacy tower can bring upon apprehension and as a leader he is demonstrating positive engagement. With the right attitude and people, a leader is able to selfishly engage, organize the effort, and head directly into the wind – confident that he or she will overcome for our patients, members, families, and employees.

  33. Trechelle

    As an ASR II my main responsibilities are verifying cardiology insurance benefits for our patients before their scheduled appointment. I feel that it is very important that I verify their benefits and contact them regarding any financial responsibility ahead of time so that they are prepared and expect to have a wonderful visit without any worries about what the visit or procedure will cost. This is leading by continuing the mission of Texas Children’s Hospital by providing the best possible patient care through informing the patient and managing my role by getting these very important objectives done in a timely manner so the patient can have a smooth, stress free office visit.

  34. James Denham

    There are many great inspiring insights on leadership here. For me, leadership is about seeing and hearing, not knowing. Leaders see their people, hear their desires, see their passion, hear their love. Leaders not only see their people, they see a vision that captures the energy and passion of others who want to follow. Throughout challenges and ups and downs we face, they see what is not easily seen and pull you forward. Leaders see, and that seeing is profoundly contagious!

  35. I balance leadership and managing in my role by making team work my premise on a daily basis. I lead by never making the comment ” that is not my job” because being a part of a team means you have to be willing to do what it takes to make everything flow.

  36. Heidi Thompson

    My personal definition of leadership is: Leadership is a skill where leaders partner with followers to create a vision while providing support and guidance to followers to achieve a common goal. Successful leaders are able to partner with the team to achieve change. Leaders set the vision then support and challenge the team to achieve it.
    Management is completing the tasks. We can teach anyone to be a manager and complete those tasks, but a leader is able to blend the requirements of management and leadership. Learning to be a leader takes work and dedication.

  37. My job description does not necessarily include managing others. I do, however, manage to keep track of some of the ordering. I make sure to dot my I’s and cross my T’s when it comes to that. Nothing I “manage” is very crucial to our clinic. I am constantly surrounded by “superiors”. That doesn’t make me lose pride in what I do though. I still fill an important role. I manage or make sure to do my part and more while staying organized. This is where leadership comes in to play. There are times where I have to think ahead. What possibly could be or what the doctor might need. I believe everyone has responsibilities at work and at home- things we keep track of and account for every single day. How we approach these things can make or break us. You either have people’s respect or you don’t. I manage THINGS and processes. I lead PEOPLE around me. I lead by setting a good example with a difficult patient or stepping up when others don’t want to. I try my best to communicate effectively and listen to others around me. I then take the info they share in to account when working beside them so together we make a better team. Leading means building relationships or rapport in hopes that others follow to move us closer to our goals here at TCH.

  38. Being a PCA, it gets hectic at times because you’re being pulled to play several roles ie secretary, runner, etc. So basically I’m pretty much balancing leading and managing all at the same time. I feel to be an effective leader in your role you have to first know your role, then managing should come with no problem. Managing your role comes with prioritizing what’s important first to least important and having efficient time management skills to complete the shift in a timely manner

  39. Sara Montenegro

    I love that Alex highlights the importance of a leader “believing in their team!” We are blessed with such an amazing team at Texas Children’s Hospital and by believing in our team, we can make our biggest difference, together!

    I love Alex’s leadership philosophy: “a leader is someone who believes in and nurtures his or her team and helps them clear the path to success”

  40. Carmen Roberts

    The Ecmo team works well together. The whole team creates a positive environment to learn from each other. Our leader nurtures each member and acknowledges their achievements.

  41. Cheyl Kelley

    A key ingredient to leadership is to empower and strengthen the leadership abilities of others, big or small. Management ensures the team has what it needs to be successful and leadership ensures the team is being managed appropriately while providing guidance along the way.

  42. M. Grant

    Determining when to lead and when to manage is a sensitive balancing act. The trick is to determine when each role is needed. Leaders are known for guiding, inspiring, steering, and empowering to name a few characteristics. Managers have several roles as well, but to name a few include executing, motivating, and controlling operations. All businesses need both leadership and management to survive and thrive!

  43. Vic Griffis

    Leadership encompasses servanthood. Leaders are first servants in that we provide service to our customers be them TCH users, patients and their families or our co-workers.
    That is the reason we are here.
    To lead our staff to “want to” provide eminent service should be our goal. The success of leadership is in the value you add to those around you.
    Management encompasses the assets that we manage to maximize effectiveness, aesthetics and longevity of the assets that we utilize for service.

  44. Victoria Gomez

    We need to manage every day. But leading your team is building their confidence by focusing on what their are doing right first, while developing their skills and leading by example.

  45. Michael Passalacqua

    Leading people and managing are very different things, and its important to recognize this. Helping others do their best can often be the most valuable thing an employee does. Small tasks that help others keep labs running smoothly!

  46. Olga Chen

    Yes, we lead everywhere we go. Whether it is at our job, with our clients, with our families, or even on the freeway. Sometimes it means having difficult conversations and other times it looks like having listening ear but ultimately it looks like taking opportunities to grow and learn as we serve others. I love that I have the opportunity to lead at Texas Children’s!

  47. Mallory Caldwell

    As always, Mark, you are on the mark!

    Successful teams and successful organizations require BOTH management and leadership. Texas Children’s continues to be charting the path forward!

    Congratulations on the opening of the new Heart Center. Onward and upward!

  48. Elizabeth Davis

    Management is supplying your team with the resources and knowledge needed. Leadership is cultivating a team that has passion for what they do. You need both to give the best possible care to our patients and families.

  49. Stephanie

    In my role as a PCA, I lead by taking the initiative to help fellow co-workers with skills they are uncomfortable performing and I ask to learn from the nurses on how certain skills and procedures can be done different or more effectively. I manage by delegating tasks to myself and co-workers so we can have everything done in a timely manner and pick up where someone left off or if there is no one to help, I manage my time to be able to have all tasks done before the new shift arrives.

  50. Christina Joseph

    Balancing leadership and management is critical in everyone’s day-to-day tasks. Being an intern and a graduate student can be tough at times but understanding the definitions between the two is critical. In every task that I accomplish, I seek to motivate and inspire others to align with the goals of the organization. At TCH, I strive daily to align to the core values in order to align myself with the values set from the head of the organization. My managers are prime examples that managers can be leaders. These inspiring individuals are people who combine both daily management tasks within our department, but also go out of the way in order for the department to feel needed and inspired to do better every single day.

  51. Sheranda Fesler

    This is so true and actually what’s missing in leadership. The role of a leader is to inspire and encourage people to want to do something and not “make them” do something based on their title or potential influence. In the military we lead by example and this is something that I carry with me daily.

  52. The role of a leader is to inspire and encourage people to want to do something and not “make them” do something based on their title or potential influence.Balancing leadership and management is critical in everyone’s day to day tasks.

  53. Heather Lauterbach

    I try to lead by example. It’s my goal to be a positive influence on the unit. I manage my day by staying organized and placing my focus on the patients and their families.

  54. Travis D. Chambers

    Kudos Alex!! The best leaders will lead their teams and manage their work. Relating to each other with an obvious symbiotic relationship, the skills require to be effective at both are distinctive. I believe understanding the difference is key to balancing both in my role. Leading to inspire change, with a vision, and tenacity. All the while managing the transformation, with the ability to interpret the business, and remain service focused. In its simplest form it’s the Vision, Structure, & People!

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