Leadership Has a Structure

Leadership is a human mechanism for collective progress. Our world, our disciplines, our workplaces, our homes, all need leadership. Progress, solutions to stubborn problems, peace, and one's own human prospering all hinge on effective leadership. How can one practice and excel in leadership? Leadership is often characterized in terms of attributes, of which there may be tens, if not hundreds, such as ownership, imagination, and courage. A good leader is expected to embody and practice these attributes. But how one can master so many attributes, many of which are related to one another and not all of which are equally important?

A deep interrogation of the heterogeneous space of leadership reveals an underlying structure. This structure can be instructional if one is to understand and perhaps more efficiently advance in the art and practice of leadership. At the foundation of leadership, there are a set of core virtues, deep within the "self" of the leader. These are vision, love, action, honesty, and the stewardship of pain. These virtues inform the more outward manifestations of leadership, which we call key traits, such as communication, humility, and courage. These traits are important and integral to leadership, but they are not foundational; they actually stem from the core virtues. Some directly stem from one virtue while others may stem from multiple (e.g., agility from action but trust from nearly all five virtues). Effective exercise of these traits requires a certain mindfulness of their origin. Finally, in practicing these traits, specific skills are invoked, skills that can be taught and learned, such as how to run a meeting. The core virtues, their reflection in traits, and their practice through skills form the structure of leadership.

Endorsed by the Medical Physics 3.0 Initiative and the Medical Physics Leadership Academy, the Southeast chapter of AAPM (SEAAPM) is conducting a symposium titled Imagination, failure, and love: the journey of the leader. Through lectures, dialogues, and exercises, this 1.5 day symposium aims to encourage an effective practice of leadership by way of a curriculum that is rooted in this three-part structure. The content covers each of the core virtues and more:

• Leadership from the ground up (by Ehsan Samei)
• Vision: imagining and inspiring the possible (by Benjamin Sintay)
• Love: the heart of the leadership (Russ Ritenour and Carnell Hampton)
• Action: from the clouds to the grounds, how to execute a vision (Josh Wilson)
• Honesty: the safeguard against delusion (Jerry White)
• Stewardship of pain: the refinement of the diamond (Michelle Wells)
• Context: Personalization, prioritization, and alignment in situational leadership (Jennifer Johnson)

The symposium will be held Feb. 21–22, 2019 in Savanah, GA. Additional information can be found on the website. Consider participating if your schedule permits.