Relationships, by their nature, require constant and consistent tending. The quality of the care you put into these relationships translates into either a negative or positive experience. That is, the other person perceives every one of your interactions as good or bad. If you choose to behave poorly during an interaction, that experience will be considered negative; conversely, if you conduct yourself well, that is experience will considered positive. This idea is similar to emotional...

The fundamental purposes of building and sustaining trust are to accomplish tasks and achieve goals. This is true for any enterprise, whether for-profit or not-for-profit. In this way, trust is an operational and collaborative imperative. In health care organizations, lack of trust leader to below-average safety, quality, and patient and provider satisfaction. Influential leaders are acutely aware that trust and collaboration are inseparable. Trust and collaboration share the same purpose, and without trust any collaboration...

“Leaders lead”, as the old saying goes. This is a simplistic view of what leaders actually do; it does not take into account the fact that not everything a leader does is worth following. So let’s revise this saying to be more specific: “Leaders lead by modeling effective behavior.” Influential leaders are role models of accountability. Their appropriate behavior comes form a conscious choice to live by their conviction, to change harmful mental models, and...

In a collaborative culture with an influential leader, accountability is a visible practice. All team members are clear about their specific responsibilities. They are aware of the organization’s mission, vision, values, and how they fit into this framework. They are given measures and tools to use in this framework. They are given measures and tools to use in determining if they are moving forward or falling behind on their objectives. They are empowered to do...