Highly productive surgeon leaders have a vigorous sense of self-awareness and a strong degree of emotional intelligence, according to Susan E. Mackinnon, MD, FACS, this year’s Olga M. Jonasson Lecturer.
Her lecture, Phoenix Rising: The Culture of Surgery—A Paradigm Shift, is today at 2:30 pm, in room 258ABC.
Dr. Mackinnon will discuss the concept of “energy leadership,” a seven-level strategy that can transform how an individual interacts with, and ultimately, leads teams.
“This concept is really about increasing self-awareness and then using these seven levels to become our own leadership coaches,” said Dr. Mackinnon, director of the Center for Nerve Injury and Paralysis and professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. “But the key to this strategy is not hiding the fact that if we want to have high emotional intelligence, we’ve got to get in tune with our emotions.”
An individual existing at Level 1 has a victim mentality, marked by a sense of helplessness and feelings of anxiety and fear. Someone at Level 4 is able to focus on team members, has elevated communication skills, and is an objective and helpful leader. A person at the highest level, Level 7, is described as an extraordinary leader who is collaborative and creative.
“As you go up the energy levels, judgment and stress disappear and performance is high,” explained Dr. Mackinnon. “From levels 4 to 7, the neurotransmitters are all very positive, calming transmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin. By contrast, adrenaline and cortisol are high in Level 1 and Level 2.”
According to Dr. Mackinnon, an individual can vacillate between levels depending on the situation. Self-reflection, or listening to your own inner coach, is key in achieving a more productive energy level.
“When we are at Level 4, 6, or 7, we are aware of why we went into surgery—to help patients and advance our field,” she said.
Energy leadership applies to everyone, noted Dr. Mackinnon, including surgical patients, because this approach fortifies the physician-patient relationship with enhanced emotional intelligence and focused and empathic communication.
Dr. Mackinnon will describe all seven levels of energy leadership, including potential barriers to achieving peak performance at higher levels, and how this concept can help curb burnout and mitigate instances of bullying and harassment.
Named after the first woman academic chair of surgery in the US, the Olga M. Jonasson Lecture is sponsored by the ACS Women in Surgery Committee and honors Dr. Jonasson’s trailblazing leadership and significant contributions to surgical practice and education.
Following today’s lecture, this session also will be available for on-demand viewing.
