ACS Bulletin - July 2016

problem and examine it from a variety of perspectives.

To illustrate the utility of unconventional thinking in problem solving, he asked attendees to solve the nine dots puzzle, a popular brain-teaser that involves individuals linking all nine dots, three rows across and three rows down, without lifting the pen and without tracing the same line more than once. A variety of solutions exist, typically ones that require the problem solver to “think outside the box”—a phrase that was first popularized by the puzzle, according to Dr. Klayman.

He cautioned leaders to avoid giving instructions or asking questions that contain “hidden boundaries,” and he cited the history of the cold storage door as an example of a hidden boundary gone awry. A businessman was looking for a cold storage door that he would not have to open since his hands were carrying trays of heavy meat, according to Dr. Klayman. Industrial designers were initially flummoxed, but eventually solved the problem by moving away from the concept of a standard door, which was part of the wording in the original request, and using heavy plastic strips to allow ease of access while keeping the cold air trapped in the freezer.

“It’s a mistake to spend too much time on being the decider and not enough time being the strategic thinker,” Dr. Klayman said.

Authentic leadership

After a brief introduction by Daniel D. Klaristenfeld, MD, FACS, FASCRS, a member of the Governing Council of the ACS Young Fellows Association, Susan Moffatt-Bruce, BSc, MD, PhD, MBOE, FACS, FRCSC, led a session on the leadership skills necessary to transition from “volume-driven to value-driven” patient care.

“Leadership is not a static endeavor—leadership demands fluidity, which requires the willingness to recognize the need for change and the ability to lead change,” said Dr. Moffatt-Bruce, chief quality and patient safety officer; associate dean of clinical affairs, quality, and patient safety; and associate professor of surgery and associate professor, biomedical informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus.

She outlined effective
leadership traits, such as
possessing a compelling vision,
fostering a sense of accountability,
and developing effective
communication skills. Dr. Moffatt-
Bruce also suggested that
attendees broaden their view of
what it means to be a capable
leader, urging surgeon leaders
to engage in what she called
authentic leadership. “Authentic
leaders know who they are and
what they believe in; they act
on values openly and candidly,
and their followers consider
them to be ethical people and
have faith [in their abilities],”
said Dr. Moffatt-Bruce, who
described this style of leadership
as “innate to all of us.”
Authentic leadership “emerges
from your life story,” she said,
via one or more transformative
experiences or “crucibles,” such
as illness, having a family, death
of a loved one, and career-related
experiences that inspire a surgeon
to become a leader. Dr. Moffatt-
Bruce added that “discovering
your authentic leadership requires
a commitment to developing
self-awareness,” which she
called “the first component of
emotional intelligence. She
noted that “the most effective
leaders are alike in one crucial
way—they all have a high degree
of emotional intelligence.”