Practice tip of the week: Humility

With all the useful information available on Physicians Practice, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

With this in mind, the tip of the week is a chance to reflect on some of the wisdom found all across the site.

In a Jan. 26 story on being an effective leader, Catherine Hambley, PhD, writes the following:

"Humility: This is one of those traits that tends to be under-valued and yet, is a key component not only of effective leadership but also, for the success of any practice. Jim Collins, a well-regarded and prolific author on leadership, refers to humility as the “x-factor” of great leaders. Humility is about being authentic, humbly acknowledging one’s own challenges, mistakes, and knowledge gaps. It is about being keenly interested in recognizing what you don’t know so that you can be open to learning. It is a willingness to ask for and accept help when needed. And one of the key benefits of humility is that you are more likely to create a work environment where your employees are also willing to be open to learning and to acknowledge their own vulnerabilities. The antithesis to humility is arrogance and bravado. Some physicians believe that being humble means that they might look incompetent or insecure to their staff and/or patients. In actuality, humility is a form of strength and self-confidence because it is a willingness to be vulnerable and open to not knowing (so that you can address your knowledge and experience gaps)."

Come back next week for another tip of the week.