Leading the way: leaders inspire people, move them to action, and change the world. APTA leaders--whether component presidents, mentors, or advocates--inspire members, patients, and clients; move them to action; and change the world of physical therapy.

Able and Willing

Born or made, leaders have certain abilities and traits, and they're willing to make decisions and take risks that others are not. They understand a group's needs and concerns. They know how to get a message across. And they know when it's time to make a move or change direction.

Cindy Hile, PT, MEd, president of the Kentucky Chapter, says that a leader's greatest asset is his or her ability to communicate. "A good leader knows what he or she wants to say and then effectively communicates that message to a group," Hile says. Leaders must negotiate, have enthusiasm and energy, and be able to process a lot of information, she continues.

Hile's first leadership role in APTA was as a bylaws chair in the Ohio Chapter in the early 1980s. Shortly after, she moved to Kentucky and joined a chapter committee. Her first elected position was as chapter secretary in 1998. She ran for a second term as secretary and then became the Kentucky Chapter's first president-elect.

As for personal traits that help her effectively lead as a chapter president, Hile is not afraid of change, looks for opportunities for growth and development, and enjoys personal interaction. "I'm most effective when I'm face to face with others," she says. For those who feel they don't have innate leadership qualities or skills, Hile says, "I think leadership can be learned. You can learn to motivate others." (See "Training Leaders" on page 53.)

For Hile, being a leader also means looking into the future and taking risks. "Leaders should not be afraid to make mistakes and should be willing to share themselves and mentor others," she adds.

Laurie Hack, PT, PhD, MBA, FAPTA, president of the APTA Education Section and a member of APTA's Members Mentoring Members program, sees mentoring as a part of Association leadership. She says of mentoring, "We owe it to each other. Other peoples' growth matters." As chair and professor of the Physical Therapy Department at Temple University in Philadelphia, Hack says that she is "most successful when other people do better." She is comfortable, and often prefers, to be behind the scenes. "Leaders play an important role in allowing someone else to succeed," she says.

When it comes to leading a group or organization, Hack says, "I believe that there are different types of leaders at different times for different tasks. The greatest leaders adapt to a group's needs. A good leader can identify what members of a group are thinking and bring them to a consensus."

One doesn't need to have a multitude of leadership qualities to be an effective leader. Having one or two strengths and using them at the proper time and place often is enough to influence a group or have an effect on an outcome. "There are many ways to lead," says Hack. "Sometimes it's getting the work done, sometimes it's taking a stand on a position, and sometimes it's speaking up to show support for others."

In addition, she says, leaders know how to ask for volunteers, delegate to them, and move the group forward. Sounds simple enough, but for some people, asking others to join a committee or give their time and energy to a project is difficult. If people are not raising their hands to volunteer, leaders need to apply a little pressure. Hack says, "What's the worst thing that can happen? They say no."

Roger Herr, PT, president of the Home Health Care Section, concurs with Hile that the ability to communicate is key to successful leadership. As a supervisor in a home health care agency, Herr found that he could effectively articulate to management what the physical therapists (PTs) needed and what was happening in the organization. "The agency trusted me," he says. Turning to the section for resources eventually led to involvement at the district level and then to running for president.

Herr explains that effective leaders are able to "bring a variety of perspectives into a thought or idea and voice them in another other arena." For example, if he receives a phone call from PT who practices in a rural area he must be able to take that member's concern and put it into a context that has relevance to a PT in an urban area. "It's a diverse membership," Herr says. Part of his job as the section's president is to find commonality among its 1,800 members.

Other qualities Herr believes are necessary for good leadership include being a good listener aid moderator and being able to see into the future. "I'm not a long-term visionary," he says. "I'm a near-term visionary. I'm able to see 3 to 5 years ahead, and that's enough to give context to a policy, a practice, or a form; get members to accept it; and move forward."

To be sure, leaders must have a certain amount of confidence to be effective. However, they're not fearless or always 100% comfortable with their actions or decisions.

"You can't know everything," Herr says. "There are times when I'd like more information to be comfortable with my decisions."

Fostering Leadership

Providing resources, support, and training helps people become leaders and helps leaders become better leaders. There are times, however, when the best way to foster leadership is to--purposely--do nothing.

"A good leader needs to step aside for the next generation," says Pam Duffy, PT, MEd, OCS, RP. "The new generation must learn and grow, bring forth new ideas, and be engaged." Duffy recently stepped aside when she chose not to take part in a discussion because "my opinion would have gotten in the way of progress." She adds, "If we are really going to change the climate of health care to benefit our patients, we have to continue to replenish our leaders."

For Duffy, being a leader in advocacy started in grade school as president of her junior high student council. She followed her parents' example of bring politically active. "They were very involved in current issues, not just locally, but on a national level. They always voted," she says. Duffy is passionate about being politically engaged. "I believe that one person can make a difference."

A stint on a committee in the Iowa Chapter in 1985 led to a "succession of more challenging roles" for Duffy. She served as chapter president for two terms and as vice speaker and then speaker of the APTA House of Delegates. Despite her many experiences, she continues to look at her leadership abilities and style. "To be an effective leader, I need to become more educated about--and get coached on--working with younger members," she says. "APTA must get the GenXers engaged. Traditionalists and Baby Boomers are very loyal groups; they serve the Association out of a sense of obligation. We've got to reach the younger members," adds Duffy. (See "Motivating & Managing the Generations" in the March 2004 issue of PT for descriptions of the four generations.)

Duffy feels a certain responsibility for getting other PTs to join APTA and getting current members to become more involved in Association activities. As an employer, she paid her employees' dues. To get other PTs to attend meetings, she simply asks. "You need to make a personal invitation to join you at a meeting. People naturally feel uncomfortable walking into a group where they don't know anyone," she says. Once involved, Duffy tries to make activities and projects fun for others and match a person to a task based on his or her personality. "You want to make activities fun so they desire to be involved with your group, and you've got to put them in a situation where they will not fail."

Laurie Hack agrees, "You have to ask people to join and get them engaged. If you don't get members involved in APTA, they will become leaders someplace else." She continues, "With leadership, similar to practicing physical therapy or playing the piano, you have a certain innate skill set, but you can gain knowledge and practice. The key is to put people in situations where they can develop leadership skills. Give people the opportunity to lead and allow them to move out of their comfort zone."

Various APTA meetings and programs help support members in moving beyond their comfort level and taking on leadership roles.

"Component president meetings offer wonderful networking opportunities," says Hile. "You learn from other chapters. A policy or strategy that worked in one chapter might work in another." She lists other resources she considers of great value. "Combined Sections Meeting, Annual Conference, the government affairs forums--there's just a wealth of information at these meetings that you can take back to your chapters." The various awards that APTA and components offer and the Association's specialist certification program all encourage leadership, Hile adds.

Do leaders find guidance in APTA's Vision 2020 and the Association's goals and objectives? "Absolutely," Herr says. "I align my strategic plan to be consistent with Vision 2020 and the goals. It's the components' role to make Vision 2020 real. For most PTs, Vision 2020 is not a reality in their day-to-day activities. Components make it applicable through meetings, newsletters, and email." As an example, Herr points to patient-first language. "Patient-first language is a stepping stone to Vision 2020. It's something that can be used in the clinic every day."

As with Duffy and Hack, Herr sees the value in letting others assume a leadership role. Once he asked a section member who he considers "particularly savvy" to attend the House of Delegates in his place. "Typically the president of the section goes, but I wanted to give him the experience," says Herr.

Levels of Leadership

Being a leader doesn't require that a PT be a member of the Board of Directors or a component officer. Leadership also comes in other forms and other places.

"I believe that the cornerstone to leadership is being willing to take risks," says Hack. "If you care about something, you've got to be willing to take risks." She offers this advice to PTs who want to be leaders in the field. "Take an economic risk and open a practice. Push your patients so that they achieve what they're capable of achieving."

Similarly, Herr says, "As autonomous practitioners we lead patients and other people with whom we work." Within the structure of APTA, he says, there is an effective "managing upward" process, whereby the components and sections communicate to the Board. "We are incredible resources when we use one another," he says.

Hile offers a bit of tried and true advice: "Everyone must be on the same page for the Association to move forward. Information flows both ways."

Challenges and Rewards

The challenges that Association leaders face are plentiful, but throwing in the towel is never an option. The rewards, even though they may not be apparent for quite some time, are always worth it in the end.

"I like seeing projects such as the Guide and the Normative Model come to completion," says Hack. "These are good products that help move the profession forward." She also points to the 2003 PT March on Washington (see the September 2003 issue of PT) as an example of strong APTA leadership. The March, attended by more than 2,000 PTs, physical therapist assistants, and students from all 50 states, took APTA's message of direct access to physical therapy under Medicare to the steps of the Capitol and to lawmakers. Another reward she says is the "personal satisfaction from putting in a certain amount of hard work." Her number one challenge, she admits: "I'm terribly uncomfortable speaking in front of my peers."

Hile looks to APTA for support when in a challenging situation. "We all want to be good leaders, and we hope that our vision points in the best direction, but leaders don't always have the percentages behind them. Fortunately we have Vision 2020 and the goals to look to for guidance," she says.

On a personal level, she finds public speaking and delegating challenging. "When speaking to a group, I like to be as prepared as possible. I'm not good at impromptu speaking," Hile says. As for assigning projects to others, "If I could delegate more I wouldn't feel as overwhelmed as I sometimes do," she says. What she finds rewarding is having a lasting effect on the profession. "You give back to the profession and you leave a part of yourself with the organization."

Herr admits to becoming frustrated if he doesn't feel supported. "Sometimes there is a great idea but the members aren't behind it," he says. "Other times you're not sure what the membership opinion is. And you've got to figure it out because situations can bubble up."

Herr finds the rewards of section leadership in seeing PTs across the country--from urban to rural with varying degrees of experience--come together as a group. No matter what the differences, he says, PTs are more alike than not. "Physical therapists as a whole are an optimistic community."

Duffy, who considers herself a natural volunteer, has difficulty balancing her responsibilities "to the detriment of my personal life." She currently is working on her PhD and has backed off other commitments, including leadership roles, to meet her personal goals. And like Hile, she doesn't always delegate enough. "Sometimes it's more efficient to do something yourself, but that's not helping build other leaders," she says.

Never tangible or financial for Duffy, the reward of being an APTA leader is the satisfaction gained from making contributions to a group and causing change. "It's seeing the unattainable come to life. In the area of advocacy, it's getting legislation passed."

References

(1.) Coyne C. Understanding PT & PTA and patient personality types. PT Magazine. 2004;12 (4):46-53.

(2.) Richardson D. Is your leadership style in tune with the times? Wall Street Journal. Available at httpp://www.career-journal.com/columnists/thebigpicture/200220225- bigpicture.html. Accessed August 3, 2004.

Recognizing and Supporting Leaders

Honors and Awards

* In 1980, the House of Delegates charged the Board of Directors to establish the Catherine Worthingham Fellows of APTA. A Fellow (FAPTA) is an active or life member of the Association whose contributions to the profession through leadership, influence, and achievements demonstrate frequent and sustained efforts to advance the profession. These contributions must hove been sustained for a period of not less than 15 years preceding the nomination for election.

* The Mary McMillan Lecture Award acknowledges and honors a member who has made a distinguished contribution to the profession. The recipient presents a lecture at Annual Conference.

* The Lucy Blair Service Award honors members who have made exceptional contributions to the Association through district, chapter, committee, section, task force, or national activities.

A complete list of awards and this year's recipients con be found at www.opta.org/membership/honors_awards/honors_awards_program.

Clinical Distinctions

* The physical therapy specialist certification program is administered by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), the governing board for the program within APTA. To date, more than 4,100 physical therapists hove achieved board certification in the specially areas of cardiovascular and pulmonary, clinical electro-physiology, geriatric, neurologic, orthopaedic, pediatric, and sports physical therapy.

* APTA's voluntary Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program is designed primarily for people interested in or involved with clinical education (clinical instructors, center coordinators of clinical education, and academic coordinators of clinical education). The program addresses such things as planning and preparing for physical therapy students during their clinical education experiences, developing learning experiences, and identifying and managing students with exceptional situations.

* APTA's Postprofessional Clinical Residency and Fellowship Credentialing Program recognizes residency or fellowship programs and their institutions that provide evidence of meeting specified requirements with regard to organization, resources, curriculum, and performance measures, all of which are necessary to conduct a residency or fellowship.

Training Leaders

* To help leaders get up to speed on managing operations for a component, APTA offers a 2-day training session for new chapter and section presidents and executives/CEOs. Participants learn the financial and legal responsibilities of leading a nonprofit organization, discuss the responsibilities of a component to APTA and APTA's responsibility to a component, identify the different areas of component management, describe APTA's vision and core elements, and explain how components can initiate activities to work with the National Association. Information on membership development, professionalism, public relations, government affairs, and APTA's organizational structure also is provided.

* The Section on Health Policy and Administration's LAMP Summit is designed for all clinicians, managers, and educators interested in enhancing the quality of physical therapy core provided to their patients and clients. The emphasis of the conference is on clinicians and their ethical and professional responsibility to manage their own practice. The driving force behind line Summit is the ongoing refinement of the Section's Position Paper on Leadership, Administration, Management, and Professionalism. For more information, go to www.aptahpa.org/events/index.cfm#lamp.

Mentoring Opportunities

* APTA's Members Mentoring Members program links experienced physical therapy professionals with fellow members who have similar interests but lack experience, and provides opportunities for members to share their wisdom and expertise. The mentoring process also allows members to give back to their profession and the Association, while encouraging proteges to participate in their Association and more fully realize their potential. Find out more at www.apta.org/advocacy/womeninitiatives/membersmentor.

Styles of Leadership

Leadership styles vary by personality and by current theories or values.

According to the True Colors personality designation system (1), each specific leadership style is assigned a color). (1)

* Blue leaders expect others to express their views.

* Gold leaders expect punctuality, order, and loyalty.

* Green leaders expect intelligence and competence.

* Orange leaders expect quick action.

Whereas effective leaders once were considered to have exceptional intelligence and be experts in their fields, a new theory says that Emotional Quotient (EQ), the ability to manage one's emotions and relationships, is a better indicator of leadership than IQ or expertise.

The four major EQ competencies are:

* Self observation/awareness

* Self management

* Attunement to other peoples' emotions

* Relationship traction (interpersonal and social skills) (2)

Maryann DiGiacomo is News Editor. She can be reached at [e-mail]