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“The key characteristics to look for when selecting people are a winning attitude and a strong work ethic.”

I am asked all the time, “Mark, how do you make decisions about picking new leaders? What are the characteristics you’re looking for?” Of course there are a lot of important things to look for when we’re selecting people to come here. Texas Children’s is a very special place, and every person who becomes part of our team and our family subsequently becomes critical to our mission. So we must be selective and thoughtful when choosing them.

There’s a lot of great potential when a person has a positive attitude and a strong work ethic to match. I’ve seen people succeed time and again because of these two qualities. Education is important, honesty and integrity, that’s a given. But a great attitude drives a passion for excellence, and a strong work ethic sees it through.

Staff and employees who possess this winning combination are always seeing the good in a situation and the possibility to do something greater. Dialysis technician Rudy Garza exemplifies this notion. Rudy joined Texas Children’s more than 20 years ago as part of the Materials Management Department. At the time, he was simply focused on securing health insurance. He and his wife were about to have their first child, and his band – albeit very successful – didn’t offer a health plan.

Little did Rudy know that his new gig and his old one would eventually come together. Throughout his career at Texas Children’s, Rudy always strived to become better at his job and do more than is asked of him. To get a position working closer with patients, he tapped into our tuition reimbursement program and earned his nurses aid certificate, which paved his way to becoming a dialysis technician in our Chronic Renal Dialysis Department.

Shortly after starting the position, Rudy’s enthusiasm for his job landed him an opportunity to volunteer at Camp Okawehna near Nashville, Tennessee. Texas Children’s clinical staff volunteers annually at this camp, which supports children with end-stage renal disease. Rudy suggested to camp organizers that he bring his band, Vital, to Camp Okawehna to play for the children. He’d kept the band alive for years by playing on the weekends. The camp goers loved the music so much that Rudy and his bandmates have now been going back to perform for more than 10 years.

In appreciation of Rudy’s dedication to the camp and to children with renal disease, leaders of Camp Okawehna inducted Rudy into the Camp Okawehna Hall of Fame last year. Rudy graciously accepted the honor, calling it a blessing.

I love that Rudy is such a hard worker with a can-do spirit. He has a knack for humbly seizing opportunities and turning them into something that helps him help others. He is a true asset to Texas Children’s, and we are happy to have him as a member of our family.

I’d like to hear from you … what key characteristics do you think makes someone a good leader and why?

“We all should have our own personal definition of leadership.”

Leadership Maxim No. 4 is essential to becoming an effective leader. Think about it…how can you truly lead if you have not defined what leadership means to you? It is difficult to lead without a compass and that is why it is so important that we each have our own personal definition of leadership. That definition should reflect our core values, beliefs, guiding principles and personalities.

Coming up with something so important and personal takes some time and effort. It took me an entire year. When I was starting out as a young hospital administrator, I gave a presentation at a conference in California. After my talk, someone in the audience asked me how I defined leadership.

I didn’t have a good answer, because I hadn’t really given it much thought. So, I came up with something in the moment and left the conference determined to have a thoughtful answer to this question, even if it was just for myself. After a tremendous amount of reading, speaking with colleagues and thinking about leadership, I crafted my definition, which still holds true for me today. I believe that leadership is the sum of three things: vision + structure + PEOPLE, with people by far being the most important element or ingredient in the leadership definition and equation.

These words guide my actions and decisions every day as the leader of Texas Children’s, and in many other areas of my life. I am proud to say that I know many of you have developed your own definition of leadership and it helps guide you both professionally and personally.

Hannah Conley, has been with Texas Children’s for 10 years and is currently a supervisor at the Texas Children’s Pediatrics Cypresswood location. She has spent a significant amount of time developing her personal definition of leadership and was heavily influenced by some of her past leaders. Over the years, Hannah has had some really amazing leaders and, unfortunately, some not-so-good ones. But each of them helped mold her definition of what an effective leader should be and what kind of leader she aspires to be.

Hannah believes that an effective leader is someone who leads by example and guides their team in the right direction instead of just telling them where to go. She also believes a good leader is someone who values their team members’ input and is always willing to listen and consider their opinions and ideas.

At Texas Children’s Pediatrics Cypresswood, Hannah puts her leadership skills into action every day by having and promoting a positive attitude and demonstrating how to truly care for patients, families and co-workers. Most recently, Hannah was asked to help brainstorm and develop ideas for streamlining and standardizing some of the clinical and non-clinical processes and procedures at Texas Children’s Pediatrics’ practices across Greater Houston.

Many of the ideas that came out of those brainstorming sessions have been implemented at the Cypresswood practice and will be implemented at the other practices shortly. Hannah will continue to be responsible for helping ensure everything goes smoothly at her practice as well as at the other 51 practices. I have no doubt she will put her leadership definition into action and inspire others to do the same.

I’d like to hear from you … what’s your personal definition of leadership?

“We lead in our professional lives and in our personal lives.”

Leadership Maxim No. 3 is one of my favorites because it exemplifies what a true leader is  ̶  someone who leads not only at work but, even more importantly, at home.

See I don’t believe you can compartmentalize leadership. Of course we need effective leaders at work, but we also need people who lead at home, where it often matters the most. I’ve found the most valuable leaders are those who are leading in their families, within other organizations and in their communities. They are the people making a sincere and dedicated effort to have a consistent and positive impact on the people and the world around them. In turn, they bring that same sincerity and compassion to Texas Children’s. And that’s what makes the best leaders.

Deborah Parrott, a West Campus nurse at the Cancer and Hematology Centers, is a perfect example of someone who goes above and beyond at work and at home. Deborah’s co-workers say she always goes the extra mile for her patients and for her team, providing comfort and support or an encouraging smile at just the right time. These small things go a long way in creating a positive experience for our patients, their families and Deborah’s colleagues. Deborah is also a part of “West Campus Lead,” a year-long program that helps employees hone leadership skills. She applied for the program to build her confidence and expand her ability to impact others.

She demonstrates this same passion and initiative in her community. After work, Deborah pours her energy into her family and several volunteer efforts, such as fundraising for The Periwinkle Foundation, which provides support to patients and families at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. She participates in the Foundation’s Cycle for Life and its annual kickball tournament. Deborah also rides in the MS150, which raises money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

But her most beloved volunteer effort involves The Periwinkle Foundation’s Camp YOLO (You Only Live Once), a camp dedicated to Texas Children’s teen patients who are struggling with adolescence and life threatening illnesses. Deborah has volunteered at Camp YOLO since 2006, her most recent post being a cooking instructor. Over the years, she has witnessed the positive healing power the camp has on young people, and she says her involvement in Camp YOLO and her job at Texas Children’s are two of the biggest blessings in her life.

Deborah’s leadership philosophy is: “We’re all in this together. We all have the power to make a difference no matter where we are and what we are doing.” I couldn’t agree more and am truly honored to have Deborah and the countless others who are dedicated to leadership at work and in their personal lives as members of our Texas Children’s family.

I’d like to hear from you … how do you lead at home and in your community?