Leaders to Watch Phil Authier, RN, MPH, and Laurie Shiparski, RN, BSN, MS Cheryl L. Hoying, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAAN, and Elaine Cohen, RN, EdD, FAAN
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hil Authier and Laurie Shiparski met at an AONE conference many years ago and became colleagues.
More recently, they connected personally and have been married for 3 years. They live in Denver, Colorado and enjoy time with their families, walking in nature, and playing golf.
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uring their time together, they have accomplished incredible work in health care. Together, they: • Designed and co-facilitated a program called “Awakening Caring Connections,” which was spawned from their collective passion for helping health care staff and leaders focus on caring for themselves and others. • Worked in 2 different consulting firms with hospitals across the country. This gave them the opportunity to leverage their differences and talents in supporting leaders. • Became holistic healers to assist others’ move through transitions. • Completed a year-long training course, the 4 Gateways Coaching Program. It was invaluable to learn new methods to coach others in health care and strengthen themselves as leaders. Phil is Vice President of Delivery–Operations at Banner Health, with system-wide responsibility for clinical operations and support services across all inpatient care settings (Chief Operating Officers/Associate Administrators). His additional focus is on the Rural Collaborative, which works
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on rural health integration between Banner Health’s 10 rural facilities, Just Culture, Language & Cultural Services, prehospital, and other system teams and initiatives. Laurie is a principal at Edgework Institute. The company guides and develops health care leaders to move health care into the 21st century. Extensive experience in the United States and internationally arms it to leverage organizational resources to implement sustainable change through strategy, operations, finances, and leadership mentoring and coaching. More details about Edgework Institute can be found at www.edgeworkinst.com. CLH & EC: Do you follow any routines that keep you healthy, resilient or motivated (meditation, exercise, etc.)? PA: I have specific routines I have followed in the past. Now with a longer commute to work I have modified them slightly. I utilize my drive time for different things—quiet time,
reflection, deep breathing, prayer, or listening to comedy. Every 4 to 6 weeks, I routinely schedule spa time for resilience, and I am also trying to better utilize my personal time off by actually taking it. LS: My focus is on health, strength, and resilience. Daily, I practice gratitude and meditation to stay grounded and tap my intuition.Years ago I committed to act on my intuition, which has helped me in living my authentic life. Writing, painting, and nature stoke my creativity for work and life. This is when I am truly in “flow.” My goals are eating clean, exercising, and getting enough rest. I forgive myself when I
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fall off the healthy regime and get back to it the next day. CLH & EC: Describe 3 attributes that nurse leaders should possess in order to inspire the best in their staff. PA: Authenticity, vision, and positivity. Leaders must be authentic in all that they do—that is just an important foundation of all good leaders. They also must have vision—not just the overall strategy but a vision of the major steps needed to get there. There must be a belief not just in the journey but that it is in the realm of possibility. And finally, I believe that leaders must be positive. Positive in how we move through barriers, how we get to our future state, and how we change culture to get there. LS: What followers need from leaders is hope, empathy, and engagement in a compelling vision. If these are in place, action will follow. To inspire hope, a leader must possess the art of being realistic about the present yet positive about future possibilities. I learned this as a critical care nurse from a cancer patient. A physician told her she had 6 months to live. She said, “I appreciate your expert
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opinion, but you will never take my hope away.” She lived for many years, exceeding limitations because of her hope. A leader with empathetic skills is able to genuinely listen to people and understand their needs. This creates relationships that make it easier to implement change. Engaging others in a compelling vision calls us to go beyond being a good manager mandating people to comply with an agenda. It’s about inspiring greatness through engaging others in a vision for better health care. It’s about providing a compelling “why” that pulls us forward. CLH & EC: To what do you attribute your continued success? PA: Staying relevant is based in the idea that we continue to grow, to stay engaged, to learn new things, and to constantly challenge ourselves.You can’t get comfortable with the status quo—not in health care and not in yourself. So surround yourself with people who get you out of your comfort zone, who challenge you to be better and think differently. That is what Laurie does for me.
LS: Belief in myself to identify and
have the courage to engage in the next opportunity, especially when it requires taking risks, expanding abilities, and stepping into my power. CLH & EC: What do you consider the biggest challenge faced by nurse leaders today, and what are your ideas for facing that challenge? PA: While health care is transitioning to population health, the biggest challenge is transitioning our staff to focus on the health and continuum of care of the people we work with rather than just the episode of illness. As leaders, we have been talking about this and working on it for months— years—and still don’t really understand it. It is what many in nursing have wanted for a long time. But knowing its importance and operationalizing it are two different things. Getting nurses to really change how we look at care will be difficult. We have a hard time letting go of things that have worked for us in the past. But as nurses we need to do that, to take things off our plate that no longer are impactful so that we have room for all the new and exciting work ahead of us.
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LS: Financial challenges continue to be a high priority. Many
are struggling to meet changes in reimbursement, decreasing inpatient volumes, and implementing ways of meeting financials while improving quality. I’ve noticed that mergers have only compounded the problems as systems try to improve their poor-performing hospitals. I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution. The formula for success depends on the unique situation and goals of an organization. It is possible to save millions, but interventions will have to go beyond traditional approaches. A unique road map can be identified based on the organizational needs, and at the same time it’s important to help leaders expand their bandwidth for innovative thinking and testing of new ideas. An effective approach is an inside–out strategy. What key operations and leadership abilities inside need improvement? Inside examples include: improving productivity systems, staffing and logistics, and expanding accountability for the senior leadership team at all levels in the organization. Executive coaching and team development must happen in conjunction with culture to sustain changes. The external state and national situation is incorporated into the roadmap. CLH & EC: How would you describe your career journey that put you where you are now? PA: Everything I have done in my career has built on itself. I am always asking the questions, “What role is next? What is this preparing me for?” When I took this job with Banner Health, I took time to review and reflect on everything I had done prior to that and could see how it all fit together and
prepared me for my new role. Everything we do builds on itself and prepares us for the future. We just need to be open to all experiences. LS: In grade school, I was drawn to health care and leadership. I started as a candy striper and then a nursing assistant in a high school co-op program. I was always in charge of something, my mother was a role model for that. Leadership has been a thread throughout my life, from student council to leading hospital committees, being a chapter leader for American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and involvement in AONE opportunities. Education was a challenge because of my family’s financial situation. My parents told me I could do anything I set my sights on, so I found a way. I was the first person in my family to graduate college and was very proud to graduate in 1978 with my ADN. My critical care nurse experiences in a rural hospital in Michigan City, Indiana, and a larger 550-bed tertiary care hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, equipped me with frontline management and leadership expertise. I went back to school to get my BSN and MS in nursing administration while I worked as a critical care director and started a family. This was a challenging time, since my first 2 children were neonatal babies. After 2 decades in hospitals, I became the Senior Vice President in a unique consulting company, the CPM Resource Center, which was a joint venture between a hospital and a nurse leader. I was able to work long-term engagements with more than 200 hospitals and health systems to advance shared governance, evidence-based practice,
Laurie with executives from Capital Health System in New Jersey
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Name: Philip Authier Hometown: Vivian, South Dakota Current job: Vice President of Delivery–Operations, Banner Health Education: BSN, South Dakota State University; MPH, University of Minnesota First job in nursing: Staff RN, Bennett County Hospital, Martin, South Dakota Being in a leadership position gives me the opportunity to: Work with and develop new leaders. Most people don’t know that I: Am an introvert and enjoy stay-cations. My best advice to aspiring leaders: Push yourself beyond your comfort zone—that is how you learn and grow. One thing I want to learn: Patience One word to describe me: Connections
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and automated interprofessional practice. I learned to be an entrepreneur. When the company was sold, I became a Senior VP in a publically held IT company. After that, I even tried my hand at being a partner in a company that addressed clinical variation and learned about physician practices. Today, I am a principal in my own company and continue to serve health care organizations. A key theme for me has been to accept every new opportunity that presents itself. CLH & EC: Who are some of the leaders that inspired you along the way? PA: I had great mentors that I worked with all along my path. The 3 most impactful were Sister Evelyn Sehn, JoEllen Koerner, and Rhonda Anderson. All are just awesome nurse leaders and even better individuals. Each of them were leaders ahead of their time. They encouraged, and challenged, the profession to be better. They did the same for me. They had authenticity, vision, and positivity. I hope someday when I grow up, I can make a fraction of the difference they have made. LS: Bonnie Wesorick, an influential nurse leader, mentored me from the 1980s to the present. She taught me how to be an authentic leader, a health care industry changer, and an entrepreneur. Tim Porter O’Grady, a trusted colleague, is an inspiration with his work in shared governance and health care strategy. Barry Johnson, the father of Polarity Management, taught me the power of applying polarity thinking to unsolvable problems. Barbara Cecil, Ashland Institute, and Beth Janernoa, Presencing Institute, mentored me on women’s leadership, coaching, and bringing dialogue to interprofessional teams. A decade ago they started an international effort focused on supporting women in leadership which has grown to more than 50 countries. As a facilitator for the Coming Into Your Own (CIYO) program, I fulfill my passion for supporting women in leadership retreats. CLH & EC: As a nurse leader, what skill sets came naturally to you? Which qualities have you eventually developed throughout your leadership roles? PA: Servant leadership, authenticity, communication, and a positive sense of people came naturally. I had to develop over time a better sense of vision and a belief in my voice, that what I had to say was important. It was developing a comfort level of speaking, especially in large groups. So I chose roles where I had to do that. I find you have to challenge yourself constantly to improve in the areas you need growth in. LS: Qualities that came naturally: leadership, passion for life, engaging and influencing, writing, problem-solving, and making change happen. I was always persistent and knew I would achieve success no matter what the challenges. Skill sets developed over time include: nursing and whole hospital operations, motivating and engaging teams, finances, quality improvement, and how to change organizational dynamics. In addition, project management, writing or publishing, and speaking. CLH & EC: Describe a crucial moment that has shaped your leadership style. PA: Early in my career I tried to design a change without taking the time for broader input. It was a defining moment in my leadership. When I announced the change, I was almost stoned; it didn’t go over very well. I was able to regroup,
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admit my mistake, go back to the drawing board with a representative group, and implement the change in a different way. It made me realize I was not alone. Sometimes as leaders we feel that way. But you just need to be humble enough to involve others. So much more can be achieved when working as a team. LS: After years in demanding leadership roles in which I carried a lot of responsibility, a health issue stopped me in my tracks. After back surgery, I left a job I loved in order to better care for myself. During this time, a life coach helped me overcome my tendency of being a workaholic to see the bigger potential in myself. She asked me how I saw myself as a leader. All my answers were too small. Then she said, “How about global leader?” It sounded so big, larger than any organizational leadership role. I now coach new leaders on expanding their potential and seeing themselves as a bigger presence in the world. We each have unique talents that line up with what the world needs. It does no good to keep ourselves small. CLH & EC: What brings you joy in your work? PA: Watching a leader step into their own, or “come of age” you might say. Mentoring and grooming individuals, seeing them grow and learn, then getting out of the way and seeing the impact they make. There are such awesome young leaders out there, but we need to step back and let them step up and lead. LS: My greatest joy at work comes when I can create the conditions for individuals and groups to tap their own wisdom and find their courage to make innovative change happen. If things don’t go as planned, I find the positive in the situation. I love to help others reframe, learn, and move on to become their best selves. CLH & EC: What advice do you have for current and aspiring nurse leaders? PA: Two things: First, challenge yourself constantly to improve in the areas you need growth in. Second, don't wait to be asked, but be bold, be visible. Tomorrow is going to be a different health care system; your leadership is needed to shape it. LS: It’s not necessary to have it all “figured out.” I continue to navigate planning my future and acting on presenting opportunities. Reflecting on my past, I see every experience served a purpose that wasn’t clear at the time but proved to be a stepping stone. Along the way I did seek the advice of others, but I learned I was the only person who knew what was best for me. There is nothing more important than acting from our deepest place of truth. CLH & EC: Shifting course, what is it like in your household with both of you as nurses? PA: It is good. We are both nurses, we are both leaders, and we are each other’s best friend. The one thing we find is, just as in life, you are always working on communication. LS: Even though it is easier to understand each other’s work and career demands, we are very different people. We have to be careful not to assume how a situation is affecting us. So we have a keen focus on listening deeply, not jumping to conclusions, and asking how we can best support each other. www.nurseleader.com
Name: Laurie Shiparski Hometown: Michigan City, Indiana Current job: Principal, Edgework Institute Education: ADN, Purdue University; BSN, University of Michigan; MS, with emphasis in Nursing Administration, Andrews University, Michigan First job in nursing: RN, intermediate unit, 200-bed hospital in Michigan City, Indiana Being in a leadership position gives me the opportunity to: Build capacity in myself and other leaders. Most people don’t know that I: Started painting landscapes this year. My best advice to aspiring leaders: Listen and act on your intuition. One thing I want to learn: How to write a best seller book One word to describe me: Fearless
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CLH & EC: How much time is spent on work-related issues? PA: Each of us are in jobs that are very extensive. We could be talking about work issues all the time if we let it. We tried to put boundaries around it, such as no work talk later in the evening so as not to interfere with our sleep and no work talk on weekends. We aren’t always able to follow this, but it gives us a better opportunity to have some down time and think of the important things such as life and fun and grandkids and family. LS: We often seek advice from each other on issues we are facing. We had to put boundaries on work issues so we could have life conversations too. That said, we seek harmony in our work and home life so it’s not completely black-andwhite. Our passion for nursing, health and healing, as well as
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making a difference in people’s lives, is a central part of intentionally creating our lives. NL Cheryl L. Hoying, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAAN, is the senior vice-president of Patient Services at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She can be reached at
[email protected]. Elaine Cohen, RN, EdD, FAAN, is chief of Nursing Quality Improvement & Operational Support Services at James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital in Tampa, Florida. 1541-4612/2016/ $ See front matter Copyright 2016 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2016.08.004
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