Month: September 2023

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your personal leadership project (PLP).   

I am a Professor of Military and Emergency Medicine and Professor of Neuroscience at the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine; Professor in the USU Graduate School of Nursing; and Director of Research and Development in the USU Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program, Bethesda, Maryland.  

I am a medical psychologist, social psychologist, and neuroscientist. I conduct research and help to educate physicians, advanced practice nurses, and psychologists for the Armed Forces and Public Health Service and scientists for research and academic positions. From 1979 to 2014, my research and teaching focused on behavioral medicine, drug use, stress, and traumatic brain injury. In 2014, I was asked by my university’s president to put together a team to address leadership education and development for our students because of my social psychology background.  

My 2015 PLP was to organize a summit of faculty members from several dozen U.S. medical schools to share perspectives, curricula, activities, and challenges regarding health care leadership education and development. We hosted three summits at USU (2017, 2018, 2019) and then scaled up to broader participation by working with the International Leadership Association to create virtual Healthcare Leadership Conferences (2021, 2022) and now an in-person Healthcare Leadership Conference (2023). 

Please give us an update on what you have been working on since completing the Presidential Leadership Scholars program.  

Since participating in the PLS program, I have continued to learn more about leadership and to apply that knowledge to leadership development programs. Along with colleagues at USU, we have developed a four-year leadership education development program for our students; visited with leadership faculty at each of the military academies; published more than 50 scholarly papers to date; and conducted leadership workshops at several other universities and medical centers (including Harvard, Mayo Clinic, Stanford, Texas A&M, University of Maryland, and University of South Florida).  

In 2021, I co-founded the Healthcare Leadership Community (i.e., division) of the International Leadership Association (ILA). The ILA has members from more than 100 nations around the globe. I also am a co-founder of the World Health Leadership Network that we are launching in 2023. Although my interest and study of leadership following PLS initially focused on health care leadership, I have realized that the conceptual framework we have developed and studies of leadership, followership, and teamwork are relevant to many disciplines and settings. I have had the opportunity to discuss our published work regarding leadership and followership as a guest on six podcasts to date.  

Which lessons learned during the Presidential Leadership Scholars program have stayed with you the most, and how have you put those lessons into action?  

I learned several lessons in the PLS program. I learned that leadership requires both humility and confidence. Humility to recognize what we do not know and the need to learn from and work effectively with others. Confidence to decide, problem solve, act, and to stand up for what we believe is right for our followers, teams, and organizations. I learned the importance of both internal self-awareness (i.e., awareness of our own beliefs, values, attitudes, biases, strengths, weaknesses, lived experiences) and external self-awareness (i.e., how others perceive or misperceive us with regard to who we are and elements of our internal self-awareness). I was inspired by many of my fellow PLSers – their dedication to others; passion to make positive differences; magnanimous and selfless acts.  

My PLS “siblings” bolstered my conviction to try to make meaningful contributions to improve the human condition through my leadership scholarship. In addition, I learned the importance of effective communication and, especially, the importance of “receiving” information. In talks and publications, I emphasize that communication is the “how” of leadership and that the word “LISTEN” is an anagram for how to best receive information – i.e., ENLIST all others in a psychologically safe manner and be SILENT when receiving input. 

What sparked your interest in studying innovative leadership?  

Leader types were first identified in Homer’s Iliad. Centuries later, Thomas Carlyle wrote about “Great Man Theory.” Following World War II, Kurt Lewin distinguished among three types of leaders: authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire. Lewin was my intellectual grandfather because I am a mentee of Lewin’s mentee, Stanley Schachter. As a result, I was steeped in Lewinian Field Theory and his notions of leadership. As I studied leadership more deeply during and following my PLS experience, I considered the many types of leadership, using Peter Northouse’s textbook as my initial guide. I found limitations among the various, popular leadership types (including transactional, transformational, servant, etc.). I was impressed by Ronald Heifetz’s adaptive leadership and built upon this approach to leadership. I was introduced to Maureen Metcalf and read several of her “innovative leadership” books. I was impressed by her notion that we must embrace change and continuously innovate – i.e., look for new and more effective ways to lead. Metcalf was open to my comments, questions, and critiques, se we agreed to write a book together with several other colleagues (Innovative Leadership for Health Care, 2021). Recently, we decided to take our collaboration one step further. Our latest book – Innovative Leadership and Followership in the Age of AI – is coming out in 2023.  

You serve as the Director of R&D in Uniformed Services University’s Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program. Can you discuss the importance of leadership development for health care professionals?  

21st Century health care is a “team sport.” That is, gone are the days when a solo practitioner visited our homes or we sat passively as “The Doctor” told us what to do. Instead, health care involves physicians with various specialties, nurses, dentists, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, social workers, and more … and patients and their significant others. Health care professionals, therefore, work in teams. Some of these teammates are physically present. Others interact virtually, and others contribute to medical records and recommendations that are shared. For these teams to work effectively and efficiently, appropriate leadership and followership must be practiced.  

Each health care professional must know when and how to lead; each health care professional must know when and how to follow. All must communicate clearly to achieve understanding with each other, including patients and their significant others. My role as Director of Research & Development of our LEAD program is to ensure that our curriculum is based on accurate information and meaningful, effective practices. As a member of the USU faculty, I also have the responsibility and privilege to contribute through the conduct and dissemination of my research and scholarship in ways that will enhance the well-being of our citizens, servicemembers and their families, and allies. 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your personal leadership project (PLP).  

I am a scientist focused on the intersections of science, politics, and people. I began my career as a marine biologist, but working as a science fellow in Congress made me passionate to build my career improving communication between scientists, decision-makers, and the public. 

In 2007, I co-founded a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, “Science Debate,” in response to the near absence of science and technology topics in the presidential debates, speeches, and interviews. Our team included Republicans and Democrats, with board chairs from both parties who were scientists and current members of Congress. This organization became my PLP and initially the goal was simple: Engage presidential candidates on science policy issues prior to Election Day. Research demonstrates that when candidates address policy priorities along the campaign trail, they are more likely to follow through if elected and arrive in office with a plan. Between 2008 and 2020, every presidential candidate responded to a series of questions from Science Debate about their top science priorities ranging from mental health to space exploration.  

Please give us an update on what you have been working on since completing the Presidential Leadership Scholars program. 

I was named CEO of Science Debate the year prior to becoming a 2015 Presidential Leadership Scholar. My experience in the PLS program helped me expand Science Debate beyond national politics to include local and state races. Our team developed a large network of bipartisan chapters across the U.S., and we expanded our mission to include: 1) Elevating science policy issues in state- and districtwide races and 2) Empowering science policy advocates to become leaders in their communities and build coalitions. In 2022, I stepped away from that leadership role, and Science Debate – now known as “Science on the Ballot,” is now a central program within the National Science Policy Network. 

Meanwhile, at Michigan State University, I work as a scientist focused on science, policy, and communication. I also host the PBS series Serving Up Science, which explores the science behind our favorite foods. Season four debuts in September. Finally, I will complete a Ph.D. in community sustainability this fall focused on scientific decision-making in Congress. My dissertation explores how senior congressional staffers in the House and Senate make decisions about science policy. 

Which lessons learned during the Presidential Leadership Scholars program have stayed with you the most, and how have you put those lessons into action? 

I learned so much as a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and the experience enabled me to be more effective as a leader. The significance of storytelling stands out as something I often think back upon and draw from in the work I continue to do. As a group, we discussed the aspects of what makes a narrative compelling. We practiced writing and sharing accounts of what drives and motivates each of us along our journeys. And I still remember many of the stories of my fellow Scholars. In my work today, I now consider myself a storyteller above any other description. In my current roles in academia and media, I often remember lessons about crafting an effective narrative framework. 

Along the same lines, I would be remiss not to add that the experience of PLS alongside such a remarkable group of leaders, innovators, and trailblazers was transformative. I learned as much informally from each of them as I did through the modules. My cohort continues to inspire me. 

You were recently awarded a regional Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for your PBS series, Serving Up Science. What do you hope viewers take with them after watching?   

Food is celebrated and loved in every culture. It brings families and communities together and shapes each of us on a personal level. And our choices and agricultural practices set the course for our collective future in terms of how we produce food and its impact on the environment. 

Yet most of us are disengaged and misinformed about what we eat. In the U.S., half of Americans say they rarely or never consider where their food comes from or how it was produced. 

Serving Up Science explores the science and history behind our global food system. The goal is to help cultivate a culture where more people recognize how what we eat influences our health and impacts our world. 

Your current research focuses on how we make decisions about science and policy. Can you share what inspired this work? 

While working as a legislative science fellow in the Senate, I met many impressive scientists visiting our congressional office. Unfortunately, many of the most accomplished were unable to translate their research in a meaningful way to those responsible for making decisions that impact our health, safety, and standing on the global stage. The experience inspired me to work toward improving communication and building trust between scientists, policymakers, and the public. 

My first book, Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future, co-authored with Chris Mooney, came out in 2009, exploring the growing disconnect between science and the American public. The body of research we collected revealed how often communication about critical topics broke down in ways that were deeply disturbing. Back then, we could not have imagined how much worse the situation would be today.  

Now that I am back in academia, I have the chance to investigate questions that have been on my mind since working in Congress. I discovered that much has been written about the ways policymakers’ access and use scientific information, but there has been very little attention to the pivotal role of staffers in scientific policymaking. Given scientists have largely ignored the staffers significance, it should be no surprise that staffers, in turn, are frequently unaware of the role of science in their decisions. 

As the global pandemic demonstrated, our political system is not adequately equipped to deal with serious science-related crises. Staffers need not become scientific experts, but the scientific establishment has largely focused on uncoordinated communication efforts. Instead, it’s vital for them to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of policymaking on Capitol Hill. I am hopeful that my research-based contribution will help to promote science informed policies. 

What issue at the intersection of science and policy should we be watching more closely? 

Great question! There are so many. My role at Michigan State is largely focused on science, technology, and society, and a few of the topics I am paying closest attention to right now are the opportunities and challenges related to artificial intelligence, emerging transgenic technologies, the ongoing socioeconomic and environmental impacts of climate change, and Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances also known as PFAS – the human-made “forever chemicals” scientists are just beginning to understand that now reside in our bodies, households, lands, and water. On each of these issues – and so many more – it will be vital to include science in the decision-making process. 

This article was previously published in White Rock Lake Weekly.

Imagine calling 911 with a real emergency and being told no one was available to help. 

Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Steve Lopez knows personally how important emergency response times can be. His mother “was being beaten by a lot of boyfriends” when he was young. He recalls being “8 years old and jumping out of window” after moving to a new apartment to call 911.  

Wanting to help others is one of the main reasons Lopez became a firefighter, EMT, and paramedic more than 20 years ago. Now he’s focused on making sure others receive that help as quickly as possible.  

Lopez, a 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholar (PLS) who oversees training, professional development, and fleet maintenance for Dallas Fire-Rescue, discovered the shortage of mechanics was threatening the department’s ability to respond to emergency situations. He hoped to solve the issue through his time in the PLS program, which brings together a diverse group of bold and principled leaders who are committed to facing critical challenges at home or around the world and are interested in exploring leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. 

“When we don’t have mechanics to work on fire engines and trucks and ambulances, and then when someone calls 911, there’s no one to respond because we simply don’t have an ambulance or an engine or truck to respond,” Lopez said. “That’s simply unacceptable.” 

Dallas Fire-Rescue currently dispatches initial fire engines within 5 minutes, 20 seconds for 87% of structure fire incidents, according to Dallas Open Data. But a nationwide labor shortage is threatening that response time. The National Automobile Dealer Association estimates that 76,000 mechanic job openings are available every year, though only around 39,000 workers complete training programs preparing them to fill these openings. 

Lopez, who is responsible for more than 668 pieces of equipment ranging from fire engines and ambulances to staff vehicles, identified a mechanic shortage, which resulted in emergency vehicles staying out of service for longer than they should. But Lopez and his Fleet Management Team are working to minimize the impact on Dallas by overhauling the mechanic recruitment and training process.  

“Our goal was to work on the shortage of the mechanics within fleet maintenance,” Lopez said. “It was a total process improvement of the way we train our mechanics, the way we recruit our mechanics, even their job descriptions and the work performed within our fleet maintenance shop.” 

The approach was inspired by one of Lopez’s PLS colleagues, who recently implemented something similar in her economic development work in Mississippi.  

Lopez has already made great strides. The department has adjusted job postings and reclassified all mechanic positions, resulting in pay grade increases. However, the work is not complete. The team is looking to partner with automotive technical programs within Dallas high schools to introduce the profession to students and build a pipeline of workers into the industry.   

An analysis of the Dallas Fire-Rescue mechanic shortage showed the department was having a difficult time competing with the public sector in recruiting highly skilled workers. So the team is focusing on recruiting efforts and putting the right people in the right jobs. 

He’s also prioritizing training for entry-level mechanics, so that they can grow within the organization and the department can keep that talent. Dallas Fire-Rescue is also investing in retaining mechanics by increasing compensation for the most skilled employees by offering an increase in their yearly tool allowance.  

“With the new mechanic reclassifications and career series approach toward hiring, we can bring them in at a lower graded position and build them up to that highest graded diesel mechanic positions internally,” Lopez said. 

Lopez says the team’s successes are just one example of how collaboration by PLS’s incredibly diverse cohort of leaders from across the country has become the secret sauce behind the program’s success.