Key takeaways:

• Becoming an effective leader requires growth beyond the surgical mindset of diagnosing and fixing problems.
• A bit of serendipity can lead to important career accomplishments.

Effective leadership is more than just solving problems.

Prioritizing a growth mindset and developing self-awareness can help ophthalmologists achieve a leadership style that supports other people without simply focusing on efficiency, according to Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, chair of the department of ophthalmology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

In this episode of Steeped Insights, host Karen Chen, MD, and cohost Fasika A. Woreta, MD, MPH, sat down with Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, for a cup of tea.

“We're all surgeons; how do we fix problems? We diagnose and we treat them. The big lesson I learned from my first chairmanship is that that doesn't work with people,” Colby said in this episode of Steeped Insights, a video blog series produced by Women in Ophthalmology and Healio. “It’s really a growth mindset, which I think is essential to having a career where you have different ‘eras.’ So, what you need to be a successful busy clinician is a little different than what you need to be a leader.”

Over a cup of tea, host Karen Chen, MD, of Permanente Medical Group, cohost Fasika A. Woreta, MD, MPH, of Wilmer Eye Institute, and Colby discussed how embracing serendipity helped lead to Colby’s pioneering work in developing the Descemet’s stripping-only procedure for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Additionally, they shared pearls for making conscious choices when finding the balance between parenthood and running a busy practice, such as including family in travel plans.

“I think Women in Ophthalmology emphasizes the importance of including family in meetings so they can learn and inspire,” Woreta said.

For more information:

Karen Chen, MD, can be reached at karen.willa.chen@gmail.com.

Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, can be reached at kathryn.colby@nyulangone.org.

Fasika A. Woreta, MD, MPH, can be reached at fworeta1@jhmi.edu.