Appreciating the Science of Business
Although Reza Rahbar's role as associate otolaryngologist-in-chief at Boston Children's Hospital comes with administrative responsibilities, his experience in business and finance was limited. When his CEO suggested he attend the Program for Leadership Development (PLD), he took advantage of the opportunity to build business knowledge, broaden his perspective, and build on his strengths as a leader.
How did you prepare for PLD?
As a physician, I had no appreciation of how much science and intelligence really exist behind business concepts. As I talked with others who had attended the program, I began to understand the wealth of knowledge I would encounter at PLD. I identified several areas that I wanted to focus on, such as the financial aspect of health care administration, the process of strategic planning, and people management.
How did peer interaction contribute to the PLD experience?
I really appreciated the opportunity to take time away from work and learn in a very intense environment with a fascinating group of people. The experience was amazing because of the opportunity to interact with so many interesting individuals from completely different backgrounds. Out of 109 participants, only two were physicians. There was a broad age range—from someone who had started their own company and sold it at the age of 25 or 26, to others who had been in leadership positions for more than 20 years.
In medicine, we are trained to look at things through one lens. At PLD, I saw how different people view the same concept through different lenses.
How did PLD change your view of your career?
One PLD exercise in particular was quite difficult and had a big impact on me. We had to write an essay as if it were 10 years later and imagine ourselves reflecting back on our professional and personal life, assessing what we had accomplished and whether we were happy with those accomplishments. That was a really effective way of putting my career into a broader perspective.
The timing was perfect. If I'd attended this program five years earlier or 10 years later, it would not have been so beneficial. As I was listening to a discussion, I would recall something that happened five years ago and finally understand it. You need to have some successes and failures behind you to get the most out of this program.
How are you applying what you have learned?
I now look at financial statements quite differently. I now understand the meaning behind the numbers and can ask better questions. In addition, I am more effective when it comes to planning, management, strategy, and administration.
Has your approach to leadership changed?
I now manage my team differently. The program taught me the science behind teams and provided tools for building a team, implementing a team's goal, and getting buy-in from everyone. I now have a much better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses as a leader. In addition, PLD helped me realize that I need to help each team member improve their skills and performance to meet their own professional and personal goals.