Physician Leadership. Karen J. Nichols

Foreword

      This might be the first book you will read about leadership, but if you are like me, a collection of books about leadership sits on one or more shelves somewhere in your home. The number of titles has likely increased over the years. The path to becoming a better leader is somewhat like finding the Templar Treasure in the movie National Treasure. There is always another clue—another book offering pearls of wisdom. I have my favorite authors, like John Maxwell and John Kotter, who've provided me with clues along the path.

      One type of clue to better leadership has been missing. Until reading I hadn't actually thought about the absence of a book about leadership written for physicians by a physician. I have only one that comes close, Designed to Adapt by John Kenagy, MD. It isn't specifically a guide to prepare physicians for leadership roles but does offer the reader an opportunity to improve their leadership skills while outlining a model for improving our health care system.

      Within the pages of my book collection and stuffed into other notebooks and files are my favorite go‐to leadership tools—part of the quest for the leadership treasure. I pull them out and use them when I'm experiencing a specific problem. The challenge with having too many tools in too many locations is the passage of time. It is easy to forget them if unused. In which book was that 2 × 2 table about decision‐making? It's always fun to discover them again and wish you hadn't forgotten about them in the first place.

I don't think I'm going to forget about this book. Why is that? The first is the author. Dr. Karen Nichols is an amazing individual. For me and many others, she is a combination of colleague, friend, mentor, and coach. She seems to possess boundless energy and always has time to listen and help others. Her sense of purpose never seems to waver, and her impact on others continues to grow, mostly because she lives leadership—exactly as described in her book.

      The true leader is constantly growing—a lifelong learner trying to improve how they help and motivate others to do things they might not otherwise do. One might think we don't need another book about leadership, particularly a book describing yet another new leadership model. Most of us just need to get better at the basics. That is exactly what makes different.

      It is written for physicians by a physician—providing very practical information on how to become a leader or how to become a better leader. I think the topic found its author in this work—an author who embodies the best of leadership in daily life. The construct is essentially a how‐to guide, filled with a summary of the best and most useful tools from other recognized works and original materials from the author applied to challenging situations that physician leaders will face. Along the way, the author weaves in the story of her remarkable life. She is passionate about osteopathic medicine and promoting women in leadership.

      Its collective chapters remind me of one of those multipurpose tools that can help you out in many situations. You just have to know how each tool works and practice using them. For me, it may no longer be necessary to search through my books, files, and notebooks to look for a long‐lost clue. Dr. Nichols has assembled many of them in one location.

      Karen has been writing this book her whole life. I learned (and remembered) a lot by reading it, and I am sure you will as well! You can't master it all, but a person wanting to be a stronger leader can keep trying. Perhaps derived from this work there is a great course ahead! I know that I would attend.

      Robert A. Cain, DO

      March 2021