Today’s guest is Madeline Bell, President & CEO of the world-renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Now you’ve probably heard how important it is for leaders to “walk the talk” – for our actions to sync up with our words.
After all, our people are only listening to us some of the time. But they are watching us all the time. What’s our tone? Our body language? Do we listen? Do we take time off?
That kind of visibility can be a lot of pressure. But it’s also a huge opportunity to model the behaviors we want to see more of from our team. And a lot of us miss that opportunity.
But Madeline doesn’t! She knows how powerful her own behavior is for setting the tone at her hospital. She recognizes people watch her – and that visibility is an opportunity for her to shape a stronger culture.
And it has helped guide her team through a global pandemic – despite staff exhaustion, financial strain, and rapidly shifting information. And she’s still been a champion for the incredible medical innovation the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is known for.
So let’s dive in and see how she does it – and how we can also build stronger teams simply by modeling the right behaviors for them.
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In any job, there are painful moments and tough circumstances. Set the example that it’s OK to talk about them, and then create a space for others to do the same.
It takes discipline, but don’t let yourself get pulled into day-to-day decisions. Empower your team to make those calls, so you can stay focused on the bigger picture.
Clip | Leader | Duration |
---|---|---|
It's okay to say, "I don't know" | Madeline Bell | 0:58 |
When you don't have the answers, make a plan to find them | Madeline Bell | 0:48 |
Giving people the facts isn't always enough | Madeline Bell | 0:59 |
Create a safe space for people to talk about their emotions | Madeline Bell | 0:52 |
Reassure your people in times of crisis | Madeline Bell | 0:58 |
Push decision making down to your team | Madeline Bell | 1:09 |
Prioritize your own self care | Madeline Bell | 0:53 |
Believe in yourself before getting external validation | Madeline Bell | 1:09 |
Make sure your leaders know people are watching them | Madeline Bell | 1:09 |
Drive culture by rewarding key behaviors | Madeline Bell | 1:22 |
Reinforce positive behaviors when you see them | Madeline Bell | 1:31 |
Convince yourself that you belong and own it | Madeline Bell | 1:28 |
Empower the people who work for you | Madeline Bell | 1:29 |