“I just do my job. I don’t think of myself as a leader.” These are common ways neonatal therapists describe themselves to me. But I know better.
You lead every day. You lead initiatives, teams, committees, students, research, CQI projects, and more by how you do what you do, regardless of title. However, the NICU is a high-stress environment, and learning more about how to lead within that setting is imperative to the outcomes we intend for our patients. We do not work in a vacuum. Our everyday effectiveness and ability to work as a team with confidence and competence are vital to our role.
Fortunately, we can learn valuable real-life lessons from our NANT 13 keynote speaker Thom Mayer, MD, FACEP, FAAP, FACHE, who has spent his entire career demonstrating how to lead in times of crisis.
Bio: Dr. Mayer is the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, Executive VP of Leadership for LogixHealth, Founder of BestPractices, Inc., Speaker with ESB and Huron, and Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University and Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University. He was named the 2018 winner of the James D. Mills Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Medicine Award. He is one of the most widely sought speakers on healthcare patient experience, leadership and management, hardwiring flow, trauma and emergency care, pediatric emergency care, EMS/disaster medicine, and sports medicine. His work in each of these areas has resulted in changing the very fabric of patient care. In 2022, Dr. Mayer helped lead a mobile team to Ukraine. On September 11, 2001, Dr. Mayer served as the Command Physicians at the Pentagon Rescue Operation and has served on 3 Defense Science Board Task Forces. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, over 100 book chapters, and has edited or written 20 textbooks. In sports medicine, his work at the forefront of changing concussion diagnosis and management in the NFL. Dr. Mayer was the originator of the entire NFL Concussion Guidelines program.
Keynote Description: “While many have researched, written, and spoken about leadership in times of crisis, Dr. Thom Mayer has spent his entire career leading people, organizations, and teams through some of the world’s most prominent times of crisis, including serving as Command Physician at the Pentagon Rescue and Recovery Operation on 9/11, Incident Commander of the first bioterrorism attack on the United States (US) with inhalational anthrax, the concussion and Covid crises in the National Football League (NFL), and leading a mobile emergency team treating patients in Ukraine. Leadership is worthless…but leading is priceless, particularly in these turbulent times of cataclysmic change. Because leadership is a noun-something you say-but leading is a verb in the active voice, something you do.”
Chrysty Sturdivant and I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Mayer about this keynote. He not only understands who we are and what we do, but he’s humble, funny, and excited to deliver something that leaves us inspired and motivated for the work ahead.
Dr. Mayer’s keynote will kick off the Main Conference on Friday, April 14th and is part of the Friday Livestream package.
Register today to be part of NANT 13!
