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President’s Letter
Originals
By Elizabeth B. Moran, MD
A s 2019 begins to wind down, I want to take this scores of variables and found one in particular that distinguished
opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to the
people whose hard work and dedication have made those with happier customers and higher sales — the internet
browser they used. Agents using Firefox and Chrome consistently
this year a success. Nothing would have been outperformed agents using Internet Explorer on a number of
accomplished without the efforts of the extraordinary MCMS measures, but not for reasons that had anything to do with the
staff, Executive Committee (Past President Scott Furney, MD, browsers themselves. Housman concluded that agents on Internet
President-Elect John Allbert, MD, and Secretary/Treasurer Babak Explorer, the default browser in the Windows operating system,
Mokari, DO), as well as all our fantastic Board members. We have were approaching their work as they approached their software —
shared a lot of laughs, learning and fellowship at our meetings relying on built-in scripts and routines. In contrast, the Firefox and
I love this book and events, and I truly hope our Chrome users, who had taken the time to research and download
collective enthusiasm translated to
their browsers, also were showing more initiative on the job.
because of Grant’s the membership. Browsers aside, the fact is most of us don’t always take that
Back in January, I gave each
extra step. “We live in an Internet Explorer world,” explains Grant
empowering thesis Board member a copy of one of At this time in in his book. But true Originals do
my favorite books, University of take that step, he says. Grant draws
that most major
breakthroughs are Pennsylvania’s Wharton School health care, we on his own research conducted
made by a handful professor Adam Grant’s “Originals: in tech companies, banks and
How Non-Conformists Move the
World.” I love this book because should each look governments to showcase what leads
of Grant’s empowering to success. To be Original, he notes,
a person cannot simply have a new
of people who dare thesis that most major at ourselves as idea but also must act on that vision.
breakthroughs are made
“Originals.” For many of us, going the extra
to think differently. by a handful of people who dare mile seems out of our reach. We
to think differently. He calls
think people like Steve Jobs, Jerry
them “Originals.” Using various Seinfeld, Jackie Robinson and their ilk are simply cut from a
real-life stories and examples of different cloth. But Grant argues, “Originals are actually far more
how Originals succeed and fail, ordinary than we realize.”
Grant shows that creativity can be Throughout this year I have attempted to weave a common
nurtured. He explains how each of us theme through my articles. As we face physician burnout,
can think originally and improve our increasing regulation and metrics, challenges to healthcare
chances of innovating successfully access, EMR and myriad other issues related to medical care, I
to amplify our impact. He also have attempted to focus on the empowerment of each individual
posits that they are most commonly physician. We have dedicated a decade of our lives to learning our
ordinary people like me and you. skills. Each day we attempt to make a difference in the lives of
They don’t always have special our patients.
inborn talents, unusual passion or At this time in health care, we should each look at ourselves
conviction, nor a huge tolerance for as “Originals.” Let’s focus on what we, individually, can do to
risk. In fact, many famous people create a positive and healthy environment for not only those in
didn’t pursue/publish their ideas until need of our care, but also for our colleagues and ourselves.
they were “forced” to do so. For Respectfully yours,
example, I found it fascinating that Michelangelo refused to paint the
Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco because he saw himself as a sculptor
rather than a painter. He only agreed to the project two years after the
Pope’s continual insistence and persistence.
Another highlight of the book features the work of economist
Michael Housman and his study to understand why some customer
service agents performed better than others. Housman considered
6 | November/December 2019 • Mecklenburg Medicine
