In all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, its easy to forget that in just a few weeks most of us will be looking at the New Year and a list of resolutions or promises that we have made to ourselves that we hope to accomplish. Some of our old favorites are bound to make the list, lose some weight, exercise, give more to charity, get back in touch with family or old friends.

But what about including in this year’s list the commitment to be a better leader next year?

Research tells us that when we write our goals down, we are far more likely to achieve them, so begin the year by taking a good hard look at what is means to be a leader, remember, you may have the title but being the leader of people requires these fundamental building blocks, can you complete these?

1. Vision: All successful leaders have a clear vision and a steadfast belief in where they are going, and they hold fast to this vision through good times and bad.

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When Jim related the response of his race partner to a network blast regarding the race they ran together during our staff meeting, everyone on the call (we all work virtual) agreed that having Jim as your running partner was no different than having Jim as your job search partner. The preparation, the expectation of working hard, having others around you pushing, pulling, cheering you on. It is what he does every day with our clients – and us on those Monday meetings. Typical of Jim, we asked and he said yes to posting it, and typical of those in our network, we asked Rick for permission and he said “whatever you need.” Here is Rick’s email:

I ran one of the best races of my life running with Jim. So let me add to Jim's list of things one can learn from a race:

1. Humans were made to run with one another, not against each other.
2. Competing with a friend, like everything else in life, drives you to do your best. Jim was in better shape and ran the faster race. He hung back to give me a chance to catch up. This drove me to do my best; run faster and compete better than I would have on my own. I finished in the top ten for my age group in the first half marathon I ever ran. I have always had a *Board" when making important life decisions. Jim was my "Board," my wingman during this difficult race. The race started at 6:00 am on a rainy day when the temperature never exceeded 37 degrees. I am not sure if I would have even started the race if it had not been for him.
3. Like Jim, I was very apprehensive about this race. When I agreed to run, I planned an extensive training program. All of this went off track when I was unexpectedly required to travel out of town every week since early March to a location that did not support my training program. What I learned from this experience was not to let unexpected obstacles stand between you and your goals. Running is nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other. Many challenges are nothing more than taking one step at a time and persevering.
4. This took more out of me than I would have expected. I thought I was doing well until it was over and I crashed. There is a time to run you race and time to rest and reconnect.

Jim's blog about the holidays being a great time for connection - proved out in spades for me. However, now that it's January, one could accomplish the same thing - very soon - using a wish for a happy new year to your contacts! And then, if you can't do this now, you can always do - 1)Ground Hog Day, 2) St. Paddy's Day, 3) or?

Before the holidays I wrote 137 customized emails - each personalized, either reflecting a conversation, something about the person, something I felt about Christmas, or a simple but heartfelt expression of gratitude I reflected that our profession had proven out all over again as a great one to be in....because of the people. The 137 emails took some time....I did about 15 or so every day, trying to keep them fresh. It helps to actually stop for a moment and experience the sense of gratitude. I also used "happy holiddays" in place of "Merry Christmas" about half the time to be inclusive of all the holidays in December, not just Christmas.

To my huge surprise, I received 50 replies! Numerous people wished me happy holidays in return, or inquired about my search, or said "keep me in the loop" - the perfect phrase you want to hear, setting the table for a return call. At least one hinted at something in the works - we will see what happens One person responded with an invitation to a free but hugely valuable and very "exclusive" seminar for her clients of her strategy firm - to "help me network". You will have the same experience, I am sure.

The key is to personalize and to place your heart into the email if it's indeed a reflective time....another way to do the same thing is to tell a great story, perhaps about something that happened in your life or in your job, that is inspiring - and to share that story just to bring a smile to the other person's face. If it's a story that ends, "this is why we are in healthcare and this is why you help has meant a lot", you will really reap dividends.

I don't know about you, but I always stop to read an inspiring note or story - we need them.

This article from Healthleaders Media says "From all indications, the nation is emerging—however slowly—from the worst recession since the Great Depression. Although the brightening economic outlook will be welcomed, it also creates a new set of challenges as nonprofit hospitals and health system struggle to retain top-level executives."

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content_redirect.cfm?content_id=253944

Healthleaders Media is a magazine and online resource for health leadership news and information. You can visit us at www.healthleadersmedia.com.