Climbing the ladder to CEO, part I: the credentials

• Published in: Physician executive Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 44 - 46
• Main Author: Kaplan, Alan S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for Physician Leadership 01.01.2006
• Subjects: Career Mobility; Careers; Chief executive officers; Chief Executive Officers, Hospital - standards; Communication; Consultants; Decision Making; Employees; Entrepreneurship; Governing Board; Health administration; Hospitals; Humans; Personnel Selection; Physician Executives - psychology; Physician Executives - standards; Physicians; Presidents; Professional Competence; Qualifications; Skills; United States > US
• ISSN: 0898-2759

The first part of a series on climbing the ladder to a hospital CEO position is presented. The unique skill sets and attributes required for the position need to be acquired through a combination of education and experience -- a series of successive doors. The question is: When that final door to the CEO suite opens, will you be ready to walk through it? To answer this question, consultants from seven well recognized search firms were interviewed. Past success is the best predictor of future success. The majority of consultants concurred that all things being equal having an MD would be a competitive advantage. Several went on to say that the candidate must have practiced clinical medicine, with one consultant specifying a minimum period of 10 years. A common them arose throughout the interviews: communication skills are paramount. Body language, including physical appearance and dress, are also important.