Source: Loma Linda University Website
Dr. Richard Hart is the President and CEO of Loma Linda University Health since 2008. Named one of “110 Physician Leaders to Know” in 2016 by Becker’s Hospital Review, Dr. Hart received his MD from Loma Linda University in 1970 and a Doctor of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 1977. He was previously the chancellor and CEO of Loma Linda University. Currently also serving as the president of Adventist Health International, Dr. Hart impacts global leadership in healthcare while he still commits to seeing patients one day a week.
Home of the only Blue Zone in North America and one of the five Blue Zones in the world where the healthiest people live, Loma Linda University is known for its medical education, heart transplant, and the acclaimed NIH funded Adventist Health Study 1 and 2, which provided the data for the high concentration of centenarians that contributed to Loma Linda being identified as a Blue Zone.
DL: How and when did you first see yourself as a leader? Who have been your leadership mentors?
Dr. Hart: Although I did not seek any office, I was elected the class president in high school, college, and medical school. My name was placed by the nominating committees in various leadership roles. It is done differently today and you need to run for leadership roles and offices. If those days were like today, I would not have been in those leadership roles as I would never run for any office. That’s me and I have never applied for a position in my life. I just took the positions when I was asked.
My early mentors were faculty in high school and college who nurtured me about life and work skills. One of my great mentors was Dr. Jim Crawford. After my return from the mission work in Africa, he guided me in my career and leadership development. He encouraged and appreciated those who worked for him, rather than exerting undue pressure. The other mentor was Dr. William Dysinger who influenced me greatly in the passion and perspectives of Global Health.
“Those who are reluctant to lead have turned out to be better choices”
DL: What is your biggest leadership lesson or “Aha” moment?
Dr. Hart: As I have chaired a lot of search committees, I have discovered those who think they are leaders are usually not the best choice. Instead, those who have the skills and reluctant to lead have turned out to be better choices.
Secondly, leadership is about balancing between goal setting and timing. It is important to know when to back off or change leadership direction. It is easy to set goals and directions but they need to be tempered by reality or timing.
Thirdly, include humor in leading. I heard this in a meeting that leaders need to have 3 bones: a wish bone, a back bone, and a funny bone. The wish bone is about the wishes and goals that propel us forward. The back bone is the strength and determination to implement the goals. And the funny bone is the sense of humor, lubricating and smoothening out the process. Naturally I have tried to bring humor to discussion and working with leadership teams, helping them relax and feel comfortable with each other. Maintaining cordiality and personalization in team work have greatly enhanced my leadership journey.
“…Self confidence…but also a healthy dose of self-doubt”
DL: How has your leadership style evolved?
Dr. Hart: Over a span 30 year of leadership at Loma Linda University, I have developed a sense of self confidence, gut, and reality but also a healthy dose of self-doubt. At times, I wondered if I was seeing the right issue. As I have worked enough cross culturally, I realized that I might not understand others fully or see their perspective clearly.
I was very passionate early on in my leadership journey. Now I have mellowed and a little less passionate, letting timing play its role. Timing is very critical in decision-making. There is a time to push and a time to slow down. Waiting for the right moment is key in any leadership role. Although there are times we ought to do something and I don’t easily take no for an answer, I recognize sometimes we need to move things around and still could arrive at the same outcome. So, I mentally have plans B and C to get to the ultimate objective. When I see where the momentum is going and the support to move forward, I would let that be my guide and push for it accordingly.
I have great satisfaction in letting others take the lead for two reasons: 1) to grow them and 2) to be more effective leaders. As I plant ideas and let them lead, I don’t need to take credit but I would be happy when it happened. It’s definitely more gratifying. I’m happy steering the bus from the back and pulling some strings.
I’m happy steering the bus from the back…
DL: Do you consider yourself a natural leader (NL) or serendipitous leader (SL) and how would you work with a NL and SL?
Dr. Hart: Although I am a reluctant leader and I don’t try to grab things, I’m also a natural leader. I don’t go by the study of leadership principles and thus not much confidence in the leadership books. My gut is the best guide on how to lead. I identify the right people, grow them, and let them lead. I put them in committees and responsibilities and keep moving them up as they develop. I have become more upfront at my current age to tell hard-task leaders to slow down and rethink their leadership strategy. I have given more directives in containing such leaders in the last decade and modeled for them when to move forward and when to hold back as a key component of any leadership.
“The biggest responsibility is putting people in the right positions”
DL: Could you think of a question in your leadership journey that is still perplexing or frustrating? What do you see is a great need in the field of leadership development?
Dr. Hart: The biggest responsibility of a leader is putting people in the right positions as judging people in a particular role is not easy. I have made mistakes and it is frustrating that we can’t do a better job in predicting who would succeed in a given position. Another challenge is leadership rivals. In a book about Abraham Lincoln, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote about the team of rivals. As I have competing teams working with me, I keep them moving forward by maintaining peace and collective leadership effectiveness. I identify talents and let them grow rather than educating them about leadership principles. Most leaders came out of intuition and how to relate to people, not so much in reading books.
DL: Final Thought – What’s ahead in your leadership journey?
Dr. Hart: My current thinking is about succession planning at LLU. I’m now 73, not much time left to make that happen in trying to identify people who can carry this “burden” in general in LLU, and in particular my position. After that, I would still stay involved globally as the president of Adventist Health International. It’s hard for me to slow down.
Source: Loma Linda University website
Serendipitous Leaders 