Iowa Specialty Hospital

Notes from Steve

December 7, 2017

The Christmas season is upon us.  I have my tree up and am looking forward to nog.  Come December 24th I will be up to here (pointing at my forehead) with the continual Christmas music.  And the need to comment on the commercialism of the holiday will play over and over in my head … but in a non-Steve way, I will try and not “bah humbug” this year as I have done in the past.  “Grin and bear it” in some ways is my tried and true life motto, but this year I’m trying something new – I’m trying on “Grin and enjoy it” to see how it feels.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

People are saying “woke” a lot.  Essentially it means “to be aware”.  I should be at the center of all that’s cool, because I’ve been advocating this for years.  (However, they don’t typically look to the pasty white 53 year old balding male for “all that’s cool”.  Sigh.)  The “awareness” “woke” perspective is so incredibly important right now because the world is quickly evolving. The new #metoo movement is changing how we look at our leaders.  Those who have abused their powers throughout are getting their comeuppance. The victims are speaking up and society is changing – for the good.  “Woke” requires transparency and continual education to combat ignorance.  Social media is at the center of this. How we control and moderate the discussion, not from a place of fear, but from a place of love and forgiveness … as in loving the victims and forgiving an apathetic environment that allowed for abuse … will determine our journey.  This has the making of a seismic cultural shift.  

How do I, as a leader, navigate these waters? Have I bullied over the years? Have I abused my position?  I sincerely hope not, and I would like to think that everything I do and have done was perfect – but if I claim to be “woke” then I most assuredly have abused my power in the past.*  As with my new Christmas spirit – I will “grin and enjoy it” while at the same time be “woke”.  And if you ever feel I am abusing my position of power, please point it out.  Can’t improve if we don’t know.  

*Not as egregiously or hurtful as the serial abusers in the news, but I bet sometime in the last 22 years I did something more out of personal gain than professional gain.  

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