Success Story: MDA Coaching Helps Head of Surgery Enhance His Leadership

Challenge

Dr. Steven Haines, Ph.D. and Chief of Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota stared out the window and knew something had to change. His highly acclaimed, superstar recruit had just left in a professional tantrum. Staff morale was low and dropping. Clinically, his department was producing outstanding results. But professional esteem was in decline and the program was losing money. He was personally and professionally exhausted and searching for answers. “They don’t teach you how to be a great leader in medical school,” he said aloud.

Solution

Dr. Haines committed to a High Performance Leadership coaching program from MDA Leadership Consulting that included a developmental leadership assessment, intense 360-degree feedback interviews and focused coaching sessions over 18 months. Assessment and feedback confirmed his natural abilities for the leadership roles of Strategist, Visionary, and Change Sponsor. The challenge came in learning a whole new paradigm and skill set to function effectively as a Talent Manager, Team Leader, Spiritual Leader and Coach.

Through a series of coaching meetings with MDA, Dr. Haines articulated the cultural values and leadership expectations required to build a healthy culture that supported a balanced scorecard of results, not just surgical excellence. He articulated a clinical structure that required a different set of professional skills and convinced hospital officials to let his staff assume greater responsibility for the neurosurgery clinic. Almost overnight, the department adopted a more rigorous recruiting and hiring strategy. In the search for new talent, Dr. Haines used MDA pre-hire executive assessments to ensure he got the right fit for his vision. Within months, the staff discovered it was possible to find exceptional surgeons who could also contribute to building a healthy team environment where “we” is more valued than “me.” Most of all, he redefined what he expected from himself as a leader: to be both a successful brain surgeon and a business executive who could rebuild and sustain one of the top neurosurgery programs in the United States.

Result

Today, highly talented surgeons and clinic managers work together in a team environment. Patient satisfaction scores for the clinical experience are excellent. Morale among the nursing staff, surgeons, and surgical residents has never been higher. And for the first time in many years, revenues are exceeding expenses and the department is considered a showpiece in the University of Minnesota Hospital and Medical School system.