Today’s environment is both complex and uncertain. The changes and directives affecting our industry are coming at incredible speed and at a scale we have not before experienced. We know that healthcare always has its challenges to navigate, but this moment feels different, like an inflection point in which we evaluate more deeply our own leadership capabilities.
Yet inflection points, by nature, can be times of great opportunity and breakthrough. The winds of change that brought these challenges to the surface can also stoke the fires of creative and transformative thinking, propelling us through uncertainty and moving us toward a brighter future.
In this moment, let us take stock of who we are so we can embrace it and help others do the same. Coming off our 2025 Congress on Healthcare Leadership, I am reflecting a great deal on our speakers and theme, “Right Here, Right Now: Transcend the Ordinary.” Three of our headliners were research professor Brenè Brown, PhD; historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, PhD; and Michael J. Sorrell, EdD, president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas. While I would not profess to do any of them justice in words or presentation, I offer a few highlights of my takeaways. For those of you who attended Congress, I invite you to share your own takeaways on social media.
Poetry and plumbing. You need both. A compelling vision that’s like a story so vivid, it can be seen and felt by all in Technicolor. Yet a vision cannot live on its own. It needs an executable plan supported by operational systems and processes to make it work.
The space between the stimulus and response. Like you, I run toward problems, trying to find the path that will offer light and opportunity. But in that crucial moment of conflict or problem is a space called choice. A choice that, if our own flags don’t block it, is an opportunity to be real, human and vulnerable. By being vulnerable and truly real, we build the foundation for trust, empathy and connection. When we acknowledge where we are, we can then find the strength, courage and resolve to move forward. With vision and direction, anything is possible. Throughout time, the ability to understand and inspire others has been a vital trait for effective leaders.
No one path to leadership. History has shown that leaders are made, not born. Lessons from the past have illustrated that key leadership ingredients stand out, including humility, empathy and connection. But how leaders are shaped requires deep reflection and perseverance, usually born from adversity. Resiliency is a crucial competency to possess, as setbacks will occur. But being resilient allows ambition to rise above frustration. It’s difficult to see the outcome, however, when you are in the middle of a defining moment, but leaders can play vital roles to strengthen, enlighten and provide hope for the future. History provides the insights; it is up to each of us to reflect, define and shape ourselves through the choices we make.
“Right Here, Right Now: Transcend the Ordinary” served as more than a theme for this year’s Congress. It is a reminder that the future is in our hands, your hands. No matter where you are in your position or career, we are here to support your journey. Relationships matter; you matter. You are at the heart of our mission, and your presence and engagement with ACHE and one another is more important than ever. Please know that whatever challenges you face, we are there with you through it all. s
Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, is president/CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives (dbowen@ache.org).