Five HR Leadership Lessons Inspired by Walt
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By Heather Williams, ASHHRA Conference Pulse
Above: Walt Disney, January 1954, used from Wikimedia Commons.
As we touched upon in Sunday’s edition of the ASHHRA Conference Pulse, "Sunday Morning’s Leadership Lesson from Walt," Walt Disney was a brilliant businessman and a historic leader, and his influence on leadership and organizational culture is something that will stand the test of time. As
health care HR leaders, there’s much to be learned from Walt, and below we share our top five HR leadership lessons inspired by Walt himself.
1. Be courageous in your leadership.
Courage is described as the ability to do something that frightens oneself, and we’re all well aware that leading in changing health care landscape and the unknown can be a scary feat. It’s when we’re courageous enough to face our fears that we’re able to accomplish what we set out to do. As Walt said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
2. Question everything and be curious.
There’s more than one way to solve a problem, and as
health care HR leaders, we have to innovate and get creative with the issues we face on a daily basis. The future belongs to those who are curious, and the "old way" of doing things won’t get your organization to where it needs to be. Walt said, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things because we're curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
3. Live in the present, but keep focused on the future.
Every decision and action you make today should be focused on where you want to be tomorrow. Those who aren’t focused on the future and meeting the needs of tomorrow’s workforce will get left behind. As Walt said, "Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future."
4. Find satisfaction in pushing yourself and those around you.
It’s easy to get weighed down with the long-standing list of initiatives, challenges and changes, but find satisfaction and purpose in pushing yourself and your organizations in these times of uncertainty. Walt said, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
5. Don’t underestimate the power of your people.
In times of constant change, it’s our people who will get us to the next level and bring our visions to life. Having a solid strategy and plan is important, and yes, without them you won’t get far. But after all the strategizing and planning comes the execution of a vision, and it’s our people who put words into action. Lift them up, celebrate wins and encourage them to be the best they can be, because they’re the lifeblood of your organization. As Walt said, "You can design, create and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality."
