Welcome to Hamilton University

Have you ever had one of those "aha" moments when things seem to come together and make sense?  My daughter just had braces put on her teeth, so an article I recently read by Cyd Cadena, RN of Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute struck a cord with me.  Cyd had a co-worker whose daughter was having braces put on.  The child’s mother decided to sit with her daughter while the doctor did his work. 

As he proceeded, the doctor began to talk idly as if talking to no one in particular.  He said, "Braces are an amazing thing.  To straighten teeth, you have to physically move them through bone and gum tissue to reposition them.  I could push as hard as I could on these teeth and they wouldn’t move.  I may damage them, but they wouldn’t properly reposition themselves.  I could hit these teeth with a hammer and they would not straighten.  They would break or come out, but they would not move to the desired position.  But, with braces, I can make them move. 

Braces only apply 5-7 pounds of pressure to the teeth.  Not much pressure at all…probably less pressure than you would use to close a desk drawer.  But, here’s the trick: that small amount of pressure is consistent and unwavering.  Braces never lose their focus.  Braces never get distracted from their goal.  Every few weeks, as the teeth begin to reposition, the braces will lose a little bit of pressure.  That’s when I will retighten them to the proper 5-7 pounds of pressure so the process doesn’t end until we’re successful. 

Braces don’t move teeth because they are strong. Braces move teeth because they never lose sight of the goal and they never give up.  And the whole time, they are hidden in this girl’s mouth and no one will really see them doing their work."

WOW!  My "aha" moment was significant!  What a testimonial to the power of providing a vision, a strategic plan, and the key elements to succeed! 

Our job, as leaders, is critical. We must provide a clear line of sight along with the proper framework for our teams and our organization to succeed.  Constant focus, periodic evaluation, and redirection of our course as necessary are crucial.

We have been tasked with leading a cultural revolution at Hamilton. We must be like braces – constant and unwavering. We don’t have to push hard and be the loudest cheerleader…we just have to maintain constant pressure and focus on creating a great environment. 

My goal is that Hamilton University will accelerate the development of high potential leaders in ways that drive results, shape our organizational culture and build leadership depth. The framework we will use to guide leadership development is based upon three leadership challenges:  leading oneself, leading high performance teams, and leading the organization. 

Let’s have some fun learning new ways to be better coaches, mentors, leaders and teachers! 

Michele

Michele Pirkle
Director of Guest Services and Organizational Development