Reflections: Compassionate Leadership for Uncertain Times

I got hopelessly lost the other day. I was heading out on a mission to track down an essential piece of equipment for my boat’s navigation system (funnily enough!), but my mind was all abuzz with Nova’s Campfire last week on conscious leadership. At a four-way crossroads with no signs and only fields and creeks as far as I could see, I pulled myself back into the present. Then I had one of those roll-down-the-window moments of connection. A friendly-looking man was walking his dog and, after a long chat that ranged from his dog, to the Indigenous name of the creek, to who had settled the area, what crops were grown to sustain the community, where had boats put in to carry the crops to other corners of the world, to who now lived in the old house at the end of the long driveway, he gave me my bearings and helped me on my way. 

How, in these days of GPS and Google Maps, I now wondered to myself, had I managed to get myself in this situation? But all aglow with the connection I had just made to this man and his dog, as well as to the land I was driving through, I also realized how intent I had been on my mission and how mindless in my execution of getting there. Add to that, I thought, technology would in many ways have only been a further disservice to me and to my awareness of the people and place around me.

Last week, the speakers on our Campfire discussed how good leadership involves having a clear vision of where we want to get to. But also, beyond articulating something larger than what we are against, good leaders remind us what we are for. They bring us together around a deeper question: What kind of people do we want to be, and what kind of country and world do we want to live in? Ultimately, what will call us to care for one another—and what will we allow to shape our hearts? 

Former Maryland governor Larry Hogan, who helped establish a leadership institute at Washington College in my hometown of Chestertown, reminded us that it is our values of compassion, contribution, community and care that make good leaders of us all. Importantly, the Campfire speakers also talked of valuing qualities of humility and respectfulness in relationships that can lead to collaborative action.

To this, I would add courage. It is not always easy, and in times of strong head winds that stir up stormy seas, it takes great courage to stay a well-aligned course. Back in the early days of my academic medicine career, I was part of a small group who felt medicine was off course with its overly strong emphasis on technology and drugs. We wanted to see transformation to a more holistic, whole-person approach to care, but there was great distrust amongst our colleagues of what was then dismissed in a large bucket as “alternative” or “unconventional” medicine. 

Our group came together and formed the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. We wanted to share experiences and support and learn from each other. Believing we should walk our talk, we focused on “being”—taking time for our own inner contemplation and listening deeply to each other even when we might differ in our opinions. 

We also invited the deans and presidents of our respective institutions to lend their support. We were inspired by leaders like Ralph Snyderman, chancellor of Duke University’s Health System, who embraced the intent and the heart of what we were trying to do. In this way, with trusting relationships, we became a supportive community of leaders with a common mission of improving the health and well-being of our patients. Today, more than 80 academic medical centers belong to the Consortium. 

When we hold space for connection with others, the unexpected path can often be the most rewarding one. As we face turbulent times across the globe, we can lead with courage and heart, inspiring others to do the same and creating a ripple effect that helps us shape the kind of world we want to live in. I came across a saying recently that beautifully captures what I believe we are all striving toward:

“Courage may open the door, but love changes how we walk through it.”

Wishing you good health, the courage to lead, and the heart to guide you,