Interview With Stephen J. Ryan, MD

Abstract

S TEPHEN J. RYAN, MD, IS FORMER CHAIRMAN of the Department of Ophthalmology, dean of the Keck School of Medicine, and senior vice president at the University of Southern California (USC). Ryan is currently president of the Doheny Eye Institute. G.B.B.: You’ve had extensive leadership experience in both ophthalmology and medicine at large, and with both not-for-profit and for-profit boards. What makes an effective leader? S.J.R.: An effective leader defines a vision and communicates it clearly to his or her organization. His passion, energy, and commitment inspire others to follow and pursue ambitious goals together to achieve their common vision and mission. Other important characteristics include the capacity to listen and grow, curiosity and respect for others, and to earn the trust of those in your organization and team. The missions in voluntary organizations and not-for-profits may require different emphases in leadership style compared with for-profit companies. The concept of shareholder value is fundamental and properly drives publically traded companies, which benefit from the rigor and discipline of quarterly reports and the response of outside analysts and investors. Not-for-profit organizations such as universities take a longer view and have their own culture and values. Commonalities include that the leader must define a vision and obtain buy-in and consensus, communicate, and create an environment for the faculty, staff, and students so that the employees can achieve their goals in the organization. There are many commonalities and also differences, depending on the organization and your boss and direct reports, as each of us manages upward in addition to our direct reports. Goals and priorities and organizational structures will differ for institutions with decades of proven success vs start-up departments or entrepreneurial businesses. G.B.B.: What do you look for when interviewing a potential new hire? S.J.R.: To paraphrase Warren Buffett, who noted 3 essential qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. Of these, integrity is by far the most important because if a person lacks integrity but has intelligence and energy, you’ll have real problems on your hands. G.B.B.: What have you found to be the useful method of evaluating your direct reports? S.J.R.: Many tools are available for evaluations, including 360-degree surveys, benchmarking, etc. Frequent communication with direct reports is critical. That’s the best way to determine if every member of the team is committed to excellence and the institutional goals. At USC, I experienced organizations with different priorities. At the university, striving for academic excellence is a core value. [The University of Southern California] also staffs Los Angeles County Hospital. Our most noble mission is to provide care for the poor of Los Angeles and supervise house staff and students in assisting L.A. County to meets its responsibility to provide for more than a million patient visits annually. Ultimately, the elected Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is responsible to provide the most care at the least cost within the constraints of today’s fiscal realities and the competing priorities in the political world and process. Senior leaders and their direct reports must be comfortable with conflict management and different metrics of performance by different constituencies in their organization, for example, practice in the public and private sectors has different metrics than the academic mission, including research and education. G.B.B.: What is the most important feedback or advice you’ve received? S.J.R.: The most important feedback and advice were from my chairman and hero, A. Edward Maumenee, MD. He emphasized to always strive for excellence and be the very best you can possibly be. Ed was the most influential person in my professional life. For me as a medical student at Johns Hopkins and then a resident and faculty member, he was a great mentor. Ed was always there for me with advice and support through good times and challenging times. It was not only our many discussions and his mentoring but also his actions, way of life, and emphasis on ophthalmology as such a rewarding specialty that inspired me. In my early days as a department chairman, I recognized that USC was quite different from Hopkins. However, Ed’s approach to leadership, management, and people worked in every organization in which he participated and has served me well throughout my career. I have also been fortunate to have a number of great advisors and mentors, including business leaders like Sid Webb, who was chairman of the Doheny Board for many years. I was also privileged to know Arnold BeckStephen J. Ryan, MD