Always give more than you get
HIROC’S NEW BOARD CHAIR SHARES WHAT HE’S LEARNED AFTER 35 YEARS IN HEALTHCARE
Friday, July 13, 2018 – Richard Wilson
I’m motivated by great leaders. My first job in healthcare was as a Director of Finance in Fort McMurray. I worked for a really amazing CEO and had it not have been for him, I may not have stuck with healthcare. The truth is, since then I’ve been fortunate to work for CEOs who were driven and who inspired me to be a better leader.
Good governance is so critical in healthcare because we have a duty to Canadians to use their money appropriately. I love that HIROC’s Board is made up of subscribers – wearing these two hats gives us a unique perspective on issues in the field.
One of the greatest issues facing healthcare organizations today is the fact that we have a larger population living longer. We’ll need to adapt our processes to serve these citizens. At the same time, we also have an ageing infrastructure. Underlying all of this is a lack of funding to keep up with required investments.
As Board Chair, my greatest fear is that Greg King (HIROC’s VP, Finance) and Mike Boyce (HIROC’s VP, Claims) will both retire the same year. Kidding aside, I know we need to focus on succession planning – ensuring the critical brain trust throughout the organization is retained by the up and comers. I’m also keenly aware that we need to be as flexible an organization as possible in terms of where our subscribers want us to go in the next few years.
My leadership philosophy is to let those who know best do. As a board it’s very important that we let management manage and support them the best we can.
When making difficult decisions I think it’s important to let your values guide you. Sometimes I ask myself, ‘What would my mother do?’ I know that by aligning the decisions I make with my values I’ll be ready to accept the outcome accordingly.
My personal motto is to always give more than you get. One piece of advice I’ve received and continue to reflect on is that you can only see the world from the world you’ve seen. This comes from Dr. Layne Longfellow and to me it means that when working with multi-generational teams and different cultures, you have to try and understand where the other person is coming from because they may have a completely different outlook toward the issues.
I’m most proud of my kids, they have turned out well (in spite of me). I am also proud of my career, this year will be my 35th year in healthcare and I’ve had the opportunity to impact the industry in different provinces and organizations.
One thing my fellow board members may not know about me is how much I love spending time outdoors. I grew up in a really small rural town two hours west of Ottawa. While I’ve lived in various places throughout my life, I’ve come full circle and am now just a few minutes from where my family lived. This area is my oasis.
Lately I’ve been reading a lot of books on WW2 and the history of Scottish clans. My mother passed away a year and a half ago and while clearing out her house I found hundreds of books which I’m working my way through.
Running keeps me going; it’s a challenge I welcome. I’ve done a number of marathons throughout my life and try to keep it up.
Richard's interview was originally published in the summer 2018 issue of The HIROC Connection.