Many of the clinicians I coach are referred to me by their organizations for unprofessional or unproductive leadership behaviors. They are "volun-told" to do coaching, so the most important work of our early sessions is to transform the painful experience of being singled out into one of partnership, personal relevance, and healing. This, of course, begins with careful and attentive listening, and here's what I hear again and again: clinicians (and surgeons, specifically) who are singled out for "bad" behavior, more than anything, want to be seen as "good." They want to be seen as effective teachers and approachable, high impact leaders. But frankly, this is inconsistent with how many of them were trained, what was role modeled for them, and what was considered acceptable for decades of their careers. Some are simply reenacting what was held up as strong leadership by beloved but perhaps long-gone mentors. I appreciate that this article identifies the immense pressure clinicians face as a possible driver of problematic interpersonal behavior. But we also should be curious about the profoundly deep historical roots of this behavior and help these talented, highly trained and experienced people to learn new ways to lead, to influence, to engage.
