ALL PHYSICIANS LEAD

Moores’ ardent manifesto challenges doctors to learn how to lead others in a humane and sympathetic way.

The author, a former chief of surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and a one-time infantry officer in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, urges the medical profession to take a leaf from the military’s book by teaching doctors about leadership—or the art of “influencing thought and behavior to achieve desired results.” This approach will require physicians to master new skills (that are softer and less cut-and-dried than, say, performing a lumbar puncture) while they learn to organize colleagues into productive, harmonious teams who, Moores posits, will provide better patient care. Chief among these skills are communication approaches that may not come easily to high-status, stressed-out docs: Barking orders and berating underlings should be replaced by respect and empathy, the author admonishes his audience, illustrating his points with scenarios (some taken from real life) of tense hospital situations. “If you ever try to kill my patient again, I will f ***ing kill YOU,” is not the way to address a nurse who screws up in the ICU, Moores notes; it’s better to say, “Consider it a learning experience, for all of us. Next time, we’ll do better as a team. Chin up.” Doctors should also solicit input, questions, and objections from everyone, Moores contends, and “catch people doing well”—that is, promote good performance by spotlighting successes rather than shaming errors. The author proffers practical advice for improving leadership capacities, including outlines of leadership curricula for medical schools, individual self-awareness exercises, and tips on making eye contact when listening to people. Moores conveys all of this in limpid prose that distills workplace psychology in a relatable way (“When you know your work is valued, you strive to bring your A-game every day. When you know you are heard and respected, you want to participate more in decision-making”). The result is a canny, warmly encouraging guide to improving health care management and relationships.

A perceptive case for a more responsible and accountable style of healing.