I was virtually sitting in his office as we were on ZOOM discussing leadership. Chad Dilley the COO of IU Health Saxony and I were discussing his top three leadership principles. Before diving into his principles he shared one of the major influences on his leadership . . . sports.
Since childhood, this Olivet Nazarene graduate spent years as a catcher. In this role he developed an intuitive understanding of what motivates different people. Sometimes as a catcher his job required him to give the pitcher either a little encouragement or a swift kick in the rear. 
Sports were not his only influence, his father who was a firefighter modeled one of his primary values: serving people. That value influenced him to serve people through healthcare. During our conversation I learned three primary principles that drive his leadership.
Know Yourself to Drive Emotional Maturity
In his book Primal Leadership Daniel Goleman describes a resonant executive leader by saying:
“He was attuned to people’s feelings and moved them in a positive emotional direction.”
This is the type of leader Dilley described. Beginning in his sports activity and throughout his various leadership positions he realized he needs to know himself, so he understands what drives others. As leaders our lack of emotional self-awareness can prevent us from leading others from an emotionally healthy place.
Leaders set the tone and pace of the team and we have a responsibility to not only be self-aware, but also listen at a deep enough level that we understand our people’s needs. This combination of self-awareness and listening will drive the emotional maturity Dilley described.
Be There to Serve Others
I have never understood the leader who leads from an office or a remote place and is not listening to those he or she leads. Another defining principle Chad learned from his father is serving others. How does the leader do this? Most simply stated he said:
“Leaders remove barriers the front-line experience.”
In order to know these barriers, he must be among his team listening. Specifically, he seeks the answer to two key questions:
- Where is the market going? Healthcare has had many changes in the past decade that has impacted everyone. He seeks to continually discover the answer to this question.
- What does the team need? Considering the direction of the market, Chad serves his team by asking them what they need to successfully perform their job.
Two very practical questions all leaders can seek the answer to so they can serve their teams. This final principle I think is the most critical.
Develop Other Leaders
Leadership expert John Maxwell in his book Developing the Leaders Around You which I provide trainings on says:
“the difference between a good organization and a great one is leadership.”
Dilley’s principles demonstrate agreement with this statement. When he was in charge of leading the construction of a cancer center, he knew he needed an effective team. This team could only function at a high level if it had good leaders.
When everything must receive approval from the leader he or she slows down the progress and is developing followers. If the leader empowers others to lead then the team gets much more accomplished. Chad has some specific strategies to help him develop leaders, but you will have to look for a future post sharing these principles.
What about you? Which of these do you need to grow in? Set your action step and move toward it. Maybe you need an outside voice to help you see ways to grow your leadership. If that is you and you are interested in exploring a thirty-minute one on one coaching session then contact me. Lead well.
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