Sumner Session: Panel Wisdom On Leadership And Mentorship

What Makes A Leader

Panelists agree leadership combines innate traits with skills built over time, centering on resourcefulness, responsibility, respect, and relatability rather than formal titles. Trust is described as foundational: followers choose to follow leaders who are generous with time and honest about both successes and failures, and who lead by example in small daily habits like punctuality and preparation.

Communication And Emotional Stability

Effective leaders read their audience, framing data for administrators and impact for clinical teams, and deliver negative feedback privately while praising publicly. Staying emotionally stable under pressure, especially during high-stress periods, was described as essential, with panelists recommending trusted colleagues, brief pauses before reacting, and self-assessment at the end of each day.

Leading Change And Growing New Leaders

Successful change requires a clear rationale, genuine stakeholder buy-in, and a sustainable follow-through plan rather than top-down directives. The panel closed with advice for early-career clinicians on building rapport with new teams and navigating difficult mentors, and noted AVF’s own investment in developing future leaders through formal courses.