Lessons Learned
As I wind down my time as the Chief Policy Officer at the American Urological Association, I wanted to share words of wisdom I learned from our leaders.
Sometimes, you just have to let it go.
You can’t lose taking the high road.
Put yourself in their shoes.
You are stronger than you think you are.
Sometimes, you just have to let it go.
As policy and political leaders, we are asked to advocate for our positions as one organization among others with their own positions. David Penson, MD, would remind me that not every battle was worth fighting. I didn’t have to be in a defensive posture addressing every misstatement or arguing my views. The key was to know which discussions were worth having, which ones we needed to be debated or discussed, and to know when to move on. Sometimes the wisest person in the room is the one who listens and says nothing rather than speaking and adding life to a topic that should wither.
You can’t lose taking the high road.
Chris Gonzalez, MD, taught me that our priorities and values should guide our role as leaders and collaborators. No matter which direction another might try to take you, you never lose taking the high road. Each interaction with others is an opportunity to show up as the best version of your organization and yourself.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Eugene Rhee, MD, reminded me that each person has a lens through which they view an issue. The sign of a great leader is one who can put themself in the other person’s shoes to see things from their perspective. It’s impossible to grow if you only see things your way or your organization’s way.
You are stronger than you think you are.
Sometimes, we have a perspective that prevents us from moving forward. I arrived at the AUA with strong technical skills but suffered from fear of conflict, fear of public speaking, and a lack of confidence in my ability to tackle either. My CEO Mike Sheppard shared that I am stronger than I think I am. He mentored me on how to remove fear by confronting these situations again and again with a new mindset of “I can do this.”
As I move forward with Statice, I will take these lessons with me. I will focus on the important stuff and let go of everything else. I will continue to take the high road. I will put myself in other’s shoes. I will run my business knowing I can do this!