Leadership and medicine

Abstract

Many books discuss leadership, and even more provide prescriptions for ways to improve organizational effectiveness. Leadership in Medicine is different in ways particularly relevant to executives who lead complex health care organizations—physician and nonphysician executives alike. While this book is certainly useful for all health care leaders, it is particularly useful for physician executives and leaders, and not just for the CEO, but also for the Dean and Chairperson and the Center and Division Directors. Leaders at these different levels will find much useful information and quality ideas when reading this book. The book is only 10 chapters in length, but it is dense and tightly packed with valuable information. It is not intended for a casual read. However, the book is well written, thoughtfully constructed, and well referenced. Many chapters—for example, chapters I (‘‘Leadership’’); II (‘‘A Physician Executive’’); IV (‘‘Healthcare Trends and Reforms’’); and VIII (‘‘The Leadership Team’’)—are must reads. Once read, these chapters benefit from reflection and then another read. And yes: the thoughtful contemplation of the rich content of this book is well worth the time spent. Loop is a physician first who became a physician executive. His perspective, thought process, and values are readily recognized and embraced by a physician reader. But it is also valuable for the nonphysician leader, because in addition to its rich content, the book provides nonphysician leaders entree into the values and thought processes of their physician colleagues. The chapters on leadership and the physician chief executive are particularly useful and enjoyable. One should dwell on Loop’s personal lessons offered in chapter II. You might place them on your bulletin board, or keep them in a visible place on your desk so that you begin the day by considering one or more of these ‘‘lessons.’’ Loop’s chapter on heath care trends and reforms should be required reading for our political leadership who have much to learn—and therefore, can greatly benefit—from Loop’s perspective. Finally, chapter VIII, ‘‘The Leadership Team,’’ is a useful read for all leaders in health care. Perhaps a bit of medicine’s arrogance would be mollified if we would follow Loop’s admonitions about team building and the leader’s role in that process. This book is a must read, at least twice. It is one of those uncommon works that keeps giving. Just two words capture the critique of this book: pure gold.