Name: Jane M Gietzen

Title: Director, Digital Services & Executive Coach

Organisation: Corewell Health

Jane is a seasoned healthcare information technology leader with the largest health system in Michigan. Her work in the health system is to lead a team of people that provides support to the system move to value based care, improved care coordination and adherance to state and federal regulation and provision of virtual care. In additions, her experience working with well-educated, highly credentialed, brilliant professional colleagues through the years inspired Jane to pursue her coaching credential and certification, noting that many people she works with are a few small shifts from reaching their next level potential.

She does internal coaching with high potential individual contributors and leaders as a part of her role. In addition, Jane has significant experience serving at the board level in non-profit community organizations and has also provided coaching to many non-profit executive directors. Jane believes her clients have the answers they are seeking, and the power of coaching is to use inquiry and reflection to guide people in reaching their next level goals.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Jane's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

The most challenging has been breaking a habit I have had of being less then authentic in the workplace. Having grown up in the era when you were taught to compartmentalize and leave anything personal out of the work setting I have had to retrain myself. My move toward being my more authentic self as a leader, although difficult, has been very rewarding and powerful.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

My first official leadership role was was a result of being recognized as an informal leaded as a member of a team to becoming a formal leader of that same team. In many circumstance that can be difficult, however, the magic was this team was treating them as the brilliant people they were and being there to serve their needs to be even more effective.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Allow time in the morning to work out and take care of my pets. Then get myself ready for the day starting about 7:30am - some days spent in my home office and other days in the office. About 80% of my day is spent in virtual meetings with my leaders, team members and customers. On the days I am in the office, I walk through the office to assure I connect with people that are there face-to-face. I usually am done with work about 6:00pm and have dinner with my spouse. Often I will catch up on the world news, do some household chores and watch some entertainment. I normally go to bed between 9:30-10:00pm.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

I am continually reminded that even when I think my communication is crystal clear people hear what they hear and that is their truth. The action that drives for me is to continually assure that I confirm understanding of my intended communication. The other thing that is important is to create a psychologically safe environment for a two way conversation to allow to clear up an misunderstandings.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Five Dysfunctions of a Team is probably one of my favorite books which started my journey with Patrick Lencioni. First, the style of writing is captivating because he does it in a way that teaches concepts through a story which really helps them stick. Really understanding how teams breakdown if there is not trust, healthy conflict, buy-in to the team's goals, a willingness to take accountability and follow through to get results for the team and not for yourself. He has many other books that build on this same framework and all of them have been very helpful.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Be yourself, be kind, be compassionate, be curious, be humble, learn from everyone no matter where they sit in the organization they have some thing to teach you. When you make a mistake get excited about what you can learn, learn it and move ahead.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

I reached out to a former professor of mine who had since become a renowned writer and consultant in the area of Toyota Lean. I wanted to talk with him about what he sees in leaders of successful lean organizations. I stated the conversation by introducing myself and saying "I don't know if you remember me." and he replied "Of course I remember you; you changed everything about my approach to teaching."

I learned two things in this interaction: (1) I tell people in the moment when they have a positive impact on my life because I may never have the chance to tell them and it might mean the world to them to hear that feedback and (2) you may never know what impact your words might have on another person use them wisely.