Attaining a CEO Mindset: The Key to Working Remotely

COVID-19 has exacted a terrible toll, but there could be some positive aspects to the pandemic. One of the most talked-about silver linings for physicians and other healthcare professionals is telehealth and other opportunities to work from home.

A recent Pew Research Center analysis(1) of 5,858 employed U.S. adults found that online tools such as video conferencing services and instant messaging platforms can be a reasonably good substitute for in-person contact. A majority of respondents said if their job can be done from home, they’d like to telework all or most of the time post-pandemic.

Only one in five individuals reported working from home all or most of the time before the coronavirus outbreak, whereas now 71% of those workers are doing their job from home all or most of the time. About half of new teleworkers say they have more job flexibility.

Working from home may not be the panacea it’s cracked up to be, however. Interruptions, “Zoom fatigue,” and a variety of other challenges can make teleworking difficult, especially in the long term.

Getting in the CEO Mindset

Perhaps the most difficult challenge for teleworkers is attaining the mindset of a CEO — being self-sufficient and proactive about managing their jobs and careers.

Mike Morini, CEO of WorkForce Software, writes, “My mantra is that everyone should be the CEO of their own role and manage their area as if they own that part of the business.”(2) Morini offers five tips to help workers become the CEO of their own job, regardless of the size of the role:

Always take initiative by volunteering for projects, suggesting areas in need of improvement, and simply doing what needs to be done.

Be a team player and not a bully. Building relationships with coworkers establishes trust and puts you on a path to leading by influence. Set aside time each day for “virtual” team building.

Ask for help when you don’t have the answers. Individuals learn and grow when they tap into their colleagues for expertise. Even CEOs don’t have all the answers!

Use your emotional intelligence to know when to speak and when to listen. Mistakes are made when decisions are based on incomplete information gathered with a closed mind.

Be willing to take risks and learn how to fail gracefully, because all leaders fail at times. Without risk-taking and failure, individuals rarely grow and make an impact in their jobs.

“Company of One”

Research shows that by acting as if you are the CEO of your job, each position you hold will prepare you to eventually take on a significant leadership role, possibly in the C-suite. Based on the career experiences of nearly 500 alumni of the University of Rochester Simon Graduate School of Business Administration and of the Department of Engineering, Ronald N. Yeaple, PhD, found that the most successful men and women had taken responsibility for their own career and had learned to think of themselves as the CEO of a “company of one.”

“Visualize yourself as competing in the job market as the CEO of ‘a company of one’ – yourself. This underscores the point that the ‘buck stops here’: You really are on your own in managing your career. You — not your company – are the boss,” Yeaple commented.(3)

Yeaple outlined the framework for attaining a CEO mindset in his book The Success Principle (see Figure 1). Strategic skills considered important for career success include general business and specific industry knowledge, technology competence, people and problem-solving skills, innovation management, and the ability to develop and market personal core competencies.

Figure 1. “Company of one” organizational chart

This leads to two important questions: First, who are the masters you have learned from and who helped you acquire your core competencies? Second, do you have a group of mentors with differing skills and positions to serve as a “board of mentors”?

In selecting your board of mentors, consider individuals from college, medical school, and residency training who have had the most impact on your career and personal development, whether they be clinicians, administrators, or researchers.(4) Strong leaders, gifted teachers, and subject matter experts are typical candidates, as are personal acquaintances such as colleagues, clergy, and psychotherapists.

Working Remotely

The shift to remote work becomes natural for those armed with a CEO’s mindset. After reading The Success Principle more than 20 years ago, I was poised to act like the CEO of my own company and enjoy success in several different healthcare settings: academia, health insurance, and pharmaceuticals. I never achieved the position of chief executive officer, nor was that my goal.

I have enjoyed work-at-home positions throughout my career. My first experience working remotely was in 2001, well before the pandemic. Here is a brief description of my work-at-home experiences:

Medical Science Liaison (2001–2003). Medical science liaisons, or MSLs, are field-based clinicians and scientists who enhance the exchange of medical information between pharmaceutical companies and device makers and key customers, often researchers and influential prescribers. MSLs engage with a wide variety of stakeholders, answering their questions about drugs and devices the company produces. MSLs work from home but travel up to 75% of the time. Virtual MSL engagements are ideal and practical when in-person meetings are impossible.

Medical Reviewer (2011–2014). I parlayed my expertise in pharmaceuticals into ensuring promotional activities were medically accurate and credible. I reviewed professional and consumer advertising, in print, online, and on television, for scientific integrity and alignment with FDA guidelines governing drug advertising. I worked from home 50% of the time using specialized software and video conferencing, which allowed me to have virtual team meetings with colleagues such as attorneys, regulatory specialists, and marketing personnel who were reviewing the same promotional material.

Population Health Medical Director (2014–2017). A relocation prompted my return to the health insurance industry, where I had worked earlier in my career. I was now seasoned and able to provide clinical leadership and consultation to a management services organization (MSO) overseeing treatment by an independent network of physicians in a value-based arrangement. I worked half-time from my home or the company office and traveled locally the remainder of the time, helping to shape the practice behavior of primary care physicians and engage them in quality and cost accountabilities.

Disability Claims Reviewer (2017–2019). A back injury caused a temporary disability that ironically led me to a work-at-home job as a disability claims reviewer for a large insurance company. I provided expert analyses of complex mental health disability claims files and conducted peer reviews with treating providers to clarify disability status and return-to-work prognosis.

I worked from home 100% of the time, but only 28 hours per week (at my request). Reviewing claim files is tedious and certainly not for everyone. Files may contain medical records going back decades and consist of thousands of pages, depending on the nature of the claim.

Currently, I work from home using a combination of video conferencing and telephone consultation to focus on best practices surrounding psychiatric drug prescribing as I supervise advanced practice providers, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants. I also consult for a provider of personalized clinical study services.

Emerging Concerns

Some experts believe remote working may have a troubled future because, they contend, telecommuting lowers productivity. Results of studies on the topic have been mixed, however. Recent research suggests “adverse selection” is at play; remote work may attract less-productive workers.(5)

Another concern is that teleworkers may become figuratively chained to their desks as companies move to acquire surveillance software to keep tabs on them. Despite the possibility of individuals taking unfair advantage of flexible work arrangements, there is no evidence of widespread unethical behavior. Lack of trust should be less of an issue for physicians given their education, experience, and fortitude required to complete specialty training.

Boundless Opportunities

Physicians who wish to work virtually have boundless opportunities: consulting, writing, teaching, utilization/peer review and file review, to name a few. Steven Babitsky, Esq., founder and president of SEAK, Inc., estimates there are no fewer than 65 consulting niches for physicians.(6) Many of the opportunities covered in SEAK’s program “Non-Clinical Careers for Physicians” (https://seak.com) offer remote-based positions. In fact, many of SEAK’s faculty work remotely.

Sylvie Stacy, MD, MPH, author of 50 Nonclinical Careers for Physicians and founder of the popular blog Look for Zebras (https://lookforzebras.com), observes that physicians often consult with clients who are businesses; the doctors provide services involved in clinical expertise (e.g., chart review and expert witness), high-level healthcare strategy, practice technology implementation, and writing and speaking.(7)

Other consulting services are geared toward individuals, for example, career coaching, tutoring, and personal fitness training. Stacy advises that if you want to work remotely, initially consider among the abundant jobs in management and medical communications.

Physicians pursue work-at-home home jobs for many reasons. Some want the freedom and flexibility that virtual work allows. Others need to balance outside responsibilities with work. Sometimes physicians want to work part-time and spend the remaining time traveling or combine work with travel.

Conclusion

Virtual work provides a valuable lifeline and an alternative to practice for physicians with a CEO mindset. Even those interested in practicing may do so virtually from the comfort of their home via telemedicine.

References

1. Parker K, Horowitz JM, Minkin R. How The Coronavirus Outbreak Has – and Hasn’t – Changed the Way Americans Work. Pew Research Center. December 9, 2020. www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/12/09/how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-and-hasnt-changed-the-way-americans-work .

2. Morini M. Everyone Should Be ‘CEO’ of Their Job and Manage As If They Own That Part of the Business. Fast Company. December 15, 2020. www.fastcompany.com/90586241/everyone-should-be-ceo-of-their-job-and-manage-as-if-they-own-that-part-of-the-business .

3. Yeaple RN. The Success Principle. New York, NY: Macmillan/Spectrum; 1997.

4. Lazarus A. Achieving Success Through Mentors. Physician Executive Journal. 2012 (Jan/Feb);38(1):42–46.

5. Harrington E, Emmanuel N. ‘Working’ Remotely? Selection, Treatment, and Market Provision of Remote Work (JMP). 2020. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. https://scholar.harvard.edu/eharrington/publications/working-remotely-selection-treatment-and-market-provision-remote-work .

6. Babitsky S. 6 Proven Ways to Supplement Your Income. SEAK, Inc. whitepaper. 2014. www.supplementalincomeforphysicians.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/6-Proven-Ways-to-Supplement-Your-Clinical-Income.pdf .

7. Stacy S. 50 Nonclinical Careers for Physicians. Tampa, FL: American Association for Physician Leadership; 2020.