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Our fantastic guest, Gulshan Sharma, MD, MPH, discusses key elements of leadership, such as teambuilding, applied knowledge (or intelligence), situational awareness, authenticity, and the role of brain chemistry, this week on the Faculty Factory Podcast.
Dr. Sharma is the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical & Clinical Innovation Officer at UTMB Health in Galveston. He also serves as a Professor in the Division of Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine within the Department of Internal Medicine at UTMB.
“What leadership should bring is a vision for the organization and a main thing for a leader is to manage and de-escalate crisis,” Dr. Sharma told us.
Since leadership is personal, coaching becomes vital for leaders because it helps individuals build self-awareness. Additionally, dedicating time to clearing your mind is important, as an uncluttered thought process is essential for personalized leadership.
“Leaders should lead; they should not be doing tasks. If leaders start doing, it invites trouble,” Dr. Sharma states.
Key Leadership Insights
A recurring theme throughout this interview is the limitations of merely being a reader of leadership books without application. Books can inspire, but they can also lead to analysis paralysis. Furthermore, many leadership books are based on others’ personal journeys, which may not be suitable for everyone to apply to their own life.
Regarding decision-making, Dr. Sharma believes in careful consideration before making a decision, but once made, you must commit fully and not be indecisive.
As the interview concludes, Dr. Sharma emphasizes the importance of prioritizing sleep. He insists that there is nothing more crucial within a 24-hour period than sleep.
Keep the Conversation Going
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