Leadership Expert Donald Palmisano Talks the Talk and Walks the Walk

By Rosetta Gervasi

In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
         ~Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD, paraphrasing President Theodore Roosevelt

When Dr. Donald J. Palmisano was a small boy, his parents decided that the gang activity in their neighborhood was a negative influence on his impressionable mind so for a time, they sent him off to boarding school.  There, the lonely seven-year old who found himself far from home consoled himself by immersing himself in what became a life-long reading obsession.

"There weren't all that many books in the library of that small school" he says.  "But I think I must have read every one.  When the "brother" (monk) came by to do a bed check, I would be quiet, but after he walked by, I would use my small flash light and read under the covers till all hours."

That innate spirit to know everything he can about a topic before he talks about it--to do his own research--is one of the components of Palmisano's perspective on what it means to be an effective leader. "A good leader is fully informed," he says.  If he doesn't have what he needs to make a decision, he goes out and gets the missing information--he finds more facts, brings in the expert and decides for himself."

Walking the Walk

Palmisano should know. He has been talking the leadership talk and walking the leadership walk for many years and continues to be a leader on many fronts. He served as president of the Louisiana Medical Society from 1984 to 1985, was elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 1996, served as AMA Secretary-Treasurer in 2001, and was AMA president in 2003-2004.  Today, Palmisano continues his leadership roles by serving on the Board of Governors of the National Patient Safety Foundation, the Board of Governors of Tulane University Health Sciences Center, the editorial board of the Journal of Patient Safety and the Board of Governors of the Doctor's Company.

He is a frequent keynote speaker on the subject and is one of the featured speakers at the Alliance's Leadership Development Conference, Tuesday, October 7, 9:00 - 10:00 am.  A long-time advocate and Alliance member, Palmisano will share stories from his latest book, On Leadership - Essential Principles for Success. He is currently on a busy tour, but he took time away from his hectic schedule to talk with Leader's Digest about leadership in general and Alliance leadership in particular.

Palmisano told us he wanted to write about leadership for his grandchildren. The youngest one is only three, and with all the traveling he does, he wanted them to know his perspective-what his father taught him-about the essentials of leadership.

The Essentials

He explains that although there are many books on leadership, if readers look at them closely, they find that the books are really about success. "Many books on leadership offer success stories as a way of saying, ‘This is leadership and this is what I did to achieve it,'" he says. "Unfortunately, those books do not clarify that success alone does not equal leadership."  He adds that effective leadership can be taught. "Think of it as identifying the critical DNA of leadership, akin to the 20 percent of the DNA of the human genome that accounts for the characteristics of the individual; the other 80 percent are 'junk' or 'nonbonding' DNA."  Palmisano stresses that, "People are not sheep.  Every person can evaluate for themselves; they don't have to listen to talking heads on television.  They can use the checklist in the book and make their own decisions, whether it's about the next item on an organizational agenda-or the next U.S. President."

According to Palmisano, the most important components of leadership are courage and integrity--the willingness to take the heat for the stand you take. "I'm always surprised when someone on a board says they are abstaining from voting--unless there's a conflict of interest involved, every board member has a fiduciary responsibility to vote," he says.  "A good leader," he continues is "someone who is determined to overcome obstacles--who has the ability to make a decision and to act on it--someone who has integrity, finds the facts, and makes the best decision with the available data."

Each chapter in his book provides an analysis of real-life situations from which readers can learn detailed, practical methods and strategies for becoming effective leaders.  The book examines the lives and experiences of well-known leaders and provides "lessons learned" from each scenario presented.

What's in it for the Alliance

So how does all this translate for Alliance leaders?  "Well, a problem that arises in organizations is that leaders are overwhelmed," he says.  "In an association like the Alliance, they see that they're spouses are overwhelmed in practice by onerous regulations and liability concerns, and they themselves are busy with all their personal and professional responsibilities, that it's difficult for them to serve."  He adds that another problem for many organizations is that the leadership is entrenched and newcomers are not allowed to implement their ideas and grow.  Or, their efforts might not be recognized. For Alliance leaders in particular, Palmisano notes that their work for the AMA Foundation has not been properly recognized.  "Most of the money that's been generated for the Foundation over the years has been raised by Alliance members," he notes.  "That needs to be broadcast to the schools--to be acknowledged."

Palmisano adds that people often say they are too busy to participate, but everyone has the same 24 hours each day, so what they are really saying is that they don't consider the organization or project important enough to use part of their 24 hours to it. For Alliance leaders, and all those in a leadership position, Palmisano advises:  Find value and don't be afraid to bring issues up and disagree.

Palmisano's session at LDC will focus on practical advice for Alliance leaders.  He will use examples from his book to illustrate how state and county Alliances can attract and encourage leadership and to refine their own decision skills.

At the end of the session, Palmisano will sign your copy of On Leadership - Essential Principles for Success, available for sale at the meeting at 20% off the publisher's price, or available on the LDC information page on the web site.