Name: Ryan Owings

Title: VP of Clinical Market Strategy

Organisation: Oracle Health

Been in the healthcare industry for over 20 years in a range of Line of Business ownership and product management roles. With the most recent focus on Upstream Product Marketings to focus on Client and Market trends that need products to solve.

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

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

Helping guide the team during times of great organization change can be the most challenging to continue to drive the team is the right direction. These times drive self-doubt within the teams, that needs a leader to be steadfast and not lose focus on the culture of the organization.

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

I don't think becoming a leader happens over night, but through multiple experiences. A couple that came to mind for me: First was a client experiences where I was working closely with both our deployment team and the client side of the deployment team, we had issues within that team and need to make different calls. While very comfortable to make those for our side of the team, there was a moment that the client had me in her office and was looking for me to be a leader for the client side also and make team member decision. This was caught me off guard to be looked at to be a leader and make hard decisions for the clients. Another was an oversees assignment that I knew my expertise was needed, I didn't understand until I stepped off the plan that I was the main resource in charge of the current client base and new clients. This was a make-or-break situation for my career where I had to be a leader for the teams and client base. Thru these experiences you look back and realize I am operating as a leader, not a manager, but a true leader that sets the culture and beliefs of the organization.

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

Fairly Set pattern each day: Shower, Quick email and Calander review to set the day, Family responsibilities, I then tackle the top priorities first, normal organizational goal related - as once the day gets started you don't know where your time might go. Thru the meetings of the day is email responses which are cleaned up at the end of the day. Workout is the one piece that changes based on the day, can be before the day, over lunch, or at end. The last main thing is the look ahead to make sure prepared for the next day along with any presentations/reports that are on the horizon.

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

During hard times eyes are on you, both real eyeballs in seeing how you react, but also needing to hear your voice/views/insights into current state. Bad leaders hide in these times, you have to do the opposite to navigate the rough waters as best as possible.

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?

The Orange Revolution by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton.

This book is great at talking about the basics to create breakthrough teams. (Common purpose, Communications, Recognition, worldclass results.) The reading of this book was aligned with some organizational changes we were making, it really helped frame what our true purpose and goals were to stay aligned to those, no individual or lower lever desires during that transition.

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

Stay true to yourself, if you are not genuine everyone can see and sense it and you can't lead them. You can take pieces from other great leaders and apply them, but do it in your style and methods, don't force it.

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

The joy you get in seeing you team with locked-in goals and purpose that can drive performance with a true team spirit. This is total harmony to me, but the life challenges that every day. You have to be always engaged with your teams to understand those challenges and make sure everyone sees the purpose and true north that needs to be achieved.