How Outstanding Physicians Become Outstanding Leaders with Dr. Seth Landefeld

Dr. Seth Landefeld is the Chair, Department of Medicine and the Spencer Chair in Medical Science Leadership at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Prior to joining UAB, Dr. Landefeld founded and led the development of UCSF’s Division of Geriatrics and ultimately served as Associate Chair of the Department of Medicine for Strategic Planning and Implementation. Dr. Landefeld completed his undergraduate work at Harvard and New College, Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He received his M.D. from Yale. He trained in internal medicine at UCSF, where he served as chief resident, and in clinical epidemiology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Landefeld’s research has improved outcomes for older persons with serious illness, including inventing the Acute Care for Elders Unit, a model which has been adapted at medical centers nationwide. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians and was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He is Past-President of the Society of General Internal Medicine and subsequently received the Robert J. Glaser Award “For Exceptional Contributions to Education and Research.” Dr. Landefeld currently serves on the Boards of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Holy Family Cristo Rey High School in Birmingham. Although our main priority now is becoming excellent physicians—we should also be considering what it means to be a great leader. Dr. Seth Landefeld explains that the skill set we need to become a great internist is the same skill set we need to be an effective leader. The skill of thinking critically to evaluate data. The skill of motivational interviewing - if you can help somebody stop smoking, you can probably help your colleagues or learners improve their practices. And most importantly the skill of listening - if we’re not listening to our patients (or students, for that matter), we won't be able to care for them—or guide them—effectively. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. Everything we need to be a great internist is what translates into becoming a great leader. We have to recognize this in order to make a meaningful impact in healthcare. 2. Recognizing our limitations may be one of our greatest limitations. Because of that, it’s important to ask others what our blind spots are, and learn from their perspectives. 3. The way to approach mentorship is to find somebody you admire—and don’t stop at that. Take the initiative to reach out, ask for their guidance, and develop ourselves along a path that they’ve followed as well. Commit to learning from them. And  when it comes to paying it back, always pay it forward.