114. How To Measure Your Physician Leadership Quality in 15 Seconds (A Simple Test)

In this episode, you'll discover a simple test that will reveal the amount of trust between you and any one of your team members. It only takes about 15 seconds to complete, but it gives you the reality check you need to understand whether or not you are a high quality leader.

It's the most important piece of feedback you need from your team. Because 80% of physician leaders will fail this test. Let's see how you do. Ready? Let's get started.

Hello and welcome to the latest episode of the Stop Physician Burnout podcast, a physician leadership podcast where you will learn the skills so that we can join together and lead the charge to physician well being. Skills to earn the respect of your colleagues in the front lines.

Skills to exercise true influence in the C suite and take back your job, your practice, your career and your life. All of these tools have been proven effective in my 40,000 doctor physician coaching and training practice.

And if I know one thing, I know you're super busy. So let's get started.

For true servant leaders, trust comes before all else. Any action you take or word you speak or write that destroys trust, destroys your people's willingness to be led by you.

They will perform when you beat the drum and crack the whip, but only if they have no other options and they really need the money. It's a minimal and resentful performance and the only justification is your rank and the direct orders away from work.

They will speak ill of you to all who will listen, and rightfully so. You had a position of leadership, but instead of inspiring your people to follow your lead, you abused your rank instead.

And all of this is so easily avoidable. Let's figure out where you stand with your people. And I'm going to personally dare you right now.

I dare you to take what I call the Lookup Trust test. The Lookup Trust test. Here's how it works. It's real simple. All you have to do is figure out who you want to run the test on.

We're going to see what level of trust exists between you and any individual member of your team. Just pick one.

And what you do is arrange a time in your week where you can show up where they work, show up at their practice location when they are not expecting you, when they're not expecting you.

And actually what I want you to do is to put yourself in a position where you can watch their very first reaction to seeing you unannounced on their ward or their wing or their service. And what you're looking for is their immediate reaction to seeing you when they Weren't expecting you.

And what you're going to watch, since I call this the lookup trust test, is where their eyes go and listen to what they say. Now you pass the test. If this team member sees you and looks you in the eye and smiles and says, well, hello, but my name's Dyke, so hello Dyke.

What are you doing here? To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure? And they, they welcome you with open arms.

You fail the test if instead they see you look down at their feet and go, oh shit, what did I do now they also fail if they see you and and assume that you didn't see them and scurry into their office or hide in the bathroom or anything like that. Now why would somebody say, oh shit, what did I do now? Why would that be a reaction to seeing their leader on the job site?

Well, I can tell you if that happens to you, you trained them to react in that way because the only time you show up on their warder winger service is when they are in trouble. And if that's the reaction that you're getting out of even a couple members of your team. Oh shit, what did I do now? You're in trouble.

You're behind the eight ball. You got some work to do to dig yourself out of this low trust position. But make no mistake, trust is the fundamental currency of leadership.

Your teams will perform to the level of trust between you and your team members. Your teams will perform at the speed of trust. There's actually even a book written with that title. So did you pass the test? Great.

You're doing a great job. Please keep it up. Get out of your office, round and shadow on your people outside of times of crisis. Say thank you, ask questions. Okay.

All of the good habits of a servant leader. And if you got old, shit, what did I do now? You got some work to do to get to that 5 to 1 ratio.

I recommend that you either have a discovery session with me and we'll talk about how to get you to that position of being a high trust leader or head Back to episode 106 where I'll teach you how to be a four tool physician leader. You now understand the lookup trust test and you can feel that it's valid.

I dare you now to go do it with a handful of your people to see where you sit. Get that reality check. And I encourage you to be brave. And if it turns out they look at their toes and give you the oh shit.

I want you to dedicate yourself, please, to the pursuit of being a high quality servant leader because our people need us. Now is the hour to ramp up those skills and become the high quality, high trust servant leader. That's it for now.

Till I'm with you in the next episode. Keep breathing and have a great rest of your day.