A CEO’s first year often brings unexpected challenges and new priorities. For leaders who have held the role for more than a decade, continued growth means evolving leadership styles and skill sets in response to organizational change and increased complexity.
Some CEOs have guided their organizations through major expansions or mergers, requiring an emphasis on collaboration and communication. Others have adapted by delegating more responsibilities across the C-suite or listening more intentionally to front-line staff.
Becker’s asked six hospital and health systems presidents and CEOs who have been in their current roles for 10 years or longer: How have your leadership skills or style evolved during your tenure?
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Madeline Bell. CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since 2015.
With time and experience, Ms. Bell said she has gained greater clarity and confidence in decision-making.
“After time in any role, especially as CEO, you hit your stride,” she told Becker’s. “Your judgement improves, and you can make decisions more quickly. You get much better at remaining calm and thinking more clearly in the face of adversity. This comes with experience, learning from mistakes and getting more comfortable with your own decision-making.”
Kimberly Cripe. President and CEO of Orange, Calif.-based Children’s Hospital of Orange County since 1997 and co-CEO of Rady Children’s Health since January.
When Ms. Cripe first took the helm at CHOC, the hospital was smaller and experiencing financial losses, prompting a more hands-on leadership style. Over time, she has embraced a more collaborative approach.
“I’ve come to appreciate that meaningful progress happens when you surround yourself with great leaders,” Ms. Cripe told Becker’s. “You trust them, and you can create a culture where people feel empowered and valued. You can get a lot more done with a team in a culture like that.”
Eric Dickson, MD. President and CEO of Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health since 2013.
Dr. Dickson sees leadership as a continuous journey of growth.
“My leadership style will always be a work in progress, because I believe my team deserves a leader who is continually evolving and growing,” he told Becker’s. “When I first started out in emergency medicine, I thought I needed to have all the answers. What I’’ve learned over time is that while having some answers is important, what’s even more critical is asking the right questions and listening closely to the people doing the work on the ground.”
He emphasized the importance of elevating frontline voices.
“Their insights are invaluable, and I’ve learned that one of the most powerful things I can do as a leader is to create space for those voices to shape our direction as a system,” Dr. Dickson said.
Richard Hart, MD, DrPH. President of Loma Linda (Calif.) University Health since 2008.
Dr. Hart’s approach has evolved to become more collaborative as the six-hospital system has grown.
“My leadership has gradually evolved into more of a coaching, collaborative approach to keep our leadership team moving toward common goals,” he told Becker’s. “We have collectively developed our rolling strategic plan and weathered crises together.”
Jeff Sperring, MD. CEO of Seattle Children’s since 2015.
Dr. Sperring said his leadership style has had to evolve the growth of Seattle Children’s. In earlier years, it was easier to feel directly connected to his team, whether it was through attending team recognition events or riding the shuttle to work every day.
“The demands for time both internally and externally have grown exponentially so I’ve had to evolve my leadership style by learning to develop and rely on my executive leadership team to amplify my connections through rounding and town halls,” he told Becker’s. “It’s been so rewarding to see the impact of the growth of our health system and the significant increase in the number of children and families we care for, but that system growth requires a personal leadership evolution to learn new ways to stay true to my personal core of people connection at a greater scale.”
Todd Suntrapak. President and CEO of Madera, Calif.-based Valley Children’s Healthcare since 2012.
For Mr. Suntrapak, transitioning from COO to CEO required a shift in mindset — one that involved more listening and greater reliance on his team.”It’s a result of realizing, ‘I’ve got to let go of even more,'” he told Becker’s. “I had to give the team more opportunity to decide how to accomplish something and focus on the outcomes, and less about whether they’d do it the way I would have.”
