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For many, culture has come to mean “the way we do things around here,” but that’s not quite right. More correctly put, it is “what we take for granted around here.” In other words, practices that are incorporated so deeply into a group’s way of life so as not to require conscious thought are parts of that group’s culture. For instance, no one questions why we speak English in America (although in “My Fair Lady,” ...

Last fall I conducted an alumni interview of a high school senior who was seeking early admission to my alma mater. Among a dozen or so standard questions, I asked, “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” Without hesitating, she said, “pediatric endocrinologist.” “Huh?” came my eloquent reply.

I have always been interested in how people choose – or end up in – their careers. For many, it is a series ...

Stage actors, movie stars and dancers have it. Musicians and rock stars have it. Newscasters and national lecturers have it. What do they have that health care providers could benefit from incorporating into their daily work? Stage presence! It’s not just actors, musicians and dancers who need it today. Doctors and nurses can use the tools of the theater to connect with patients, resulting in greater understanding of treatment and reduced anxiety.

Many in health ...

I’ve been an apprentice of servant leadership for several years now, having once been in the role of teaching its principles to health care leaders. In his classic essay, “The Servant as Leader,” Robert K. Greenleaf said that “only a true natural servant automatically responds to any problem by listening first.” As caregivers, we may not be able to take away all of the pain, sadness, disappointment or anger that an illness provokes, but we ...