Volume 6 Number 4 In This Issue
EDITORIAL: COVID-19
Johny Van Aerde, MD, PhD
In this special issue of CJPL, you will find some of the COVID-19 related work that the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders (CSPL) has been doing and continues to do for you. Within days after the pandemic had been declared, and even before British Columbia imposed its restrictions on conferences, the CSPL was one of the first non-profit organizations to cancel its annual meeting, which was to be held in Vancouver.
Ensuring our own wellbeing as we care for others during the COVID-19 Crisis
Mamta Gautam, MD, MBA, FRCPC, CCPE, CPE
As individual physicians, we can practice strategies to increase and maintain our personal resilience. Feeling stress does not mean we are not coping well or not able to do our job. In fact, it is a normal human response, and may be useful in allowing us to function during this difficult time. The important thing is to manage it effectively so that stress does not become distress. Using the 5 Cs of Resilience framework,1 there are tangible things we can do to remain well. read article
Leadership agility in chaotic systems
Johny Van Aerde, MD, PhD, FRCPC, and Mamta Gautam, MD, MBA, FRCPC, CCPE, CPE
What are physician leaders to do in a chaotic system? Be agile in swiftly changing leadership style in response to what is needed and when. Although it might feel uncomfortable for those familiar with distributed leadership, there will be moments during the COVID-19 crisis when one will have to be a “control and command” leader. At those moments, remain honest and admit that you don’t know when you don’t know. read article
COVID-19 cannot take away our freedom to choose
Johny Van Aerde, MD, PhD, FRCPC
In Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl1 explains that, although Nazi captors could control his entire environment, only he could decide how it was going to affect him. Despite the external situation (stimulus), he had the freedom and power to choose his response (Fig. 1). He had response-ability, the ability to choose, the human freedom that no one can take away. This short bulletin explains how we can apply this concept during the COVID-19 crisis. read article
Control and influence, let go of the rest
Johny Van Aerde, MD, PhD, FRCPC
In bulletin 3, ”COVID-19 cannot take away our freedom to choose,”1 we described how leaders can take advantage of their freedom of choice between COVID-19 stimuli, which are coming at us quickly, and their response, which can be reactive or proactive. In that space between stimulus and response, in that moment of self-awareness, we can discover what we have control over, what we can influence, and what we cannot control. read article
Top up your tank
Mamta Gautam, MD, MBA, FRCPC, CCPE, CPE
Imagine your dream car — sleek lines, high performance, total luxury. You finally get to drive it, racing around in it as long as you can, impressing yourself and everyone else as you pass by. Until it runs out of gas. Then, regardless of its potential, your amazing car grinds to a halt and is not going anywhere! read article
Narrative influences change: the COVID-19 experience
Johny Van Aerde, MD, PhD, FRCPC
COVID-19 is as much about the narrative as it is about the facts.
The way the pandemic evolves is mostly determined by human behaviour. Facts alone don’t motivate humans into action, particularly in the face of limited data and uncertainty. read article
Self-compassion: cultivating physician resilience during the pandemic
Paul Mohapel, PhD
As the current COVID-19 pandemic rages on, physicians are facing increasing risk of stress and burnout. Various conditions have been linked to the onset of physician burnout: repeated exposure to patients’ pain and suffering; shouldering the burden of responsibility to help patients; read article
Preventing and managing fear
MGen Andrew Downes, OMM, CD, QHP, MD, Surgeon General, BGen Marc Bilodeau, CD, MD, Deputy Surgeon General, Canadian Armed Forces
Fear is a powerful emotion that can arise in response to a real or perceived danger or threat. It induces a physiological response and can trigger fight, flight, or freeze behaviour. The threat may be to oneself or others and may include multiple dimensions, such as health, safety, finances, and reputation. read article
Personality styles under stress: leading through the crisis
Monica Olsen, BScN BA, MHRD
Given the uncertain timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders will increasingly need to tune into what they need to remain calm and focused, so that they are in a better position to influence and calm others. read article
Anger in the time of COVID-19
Mamta Gautam, MD, MBA, FRCPC, CCPE, CPE
If you’ve been feeling surrounded by more angry people lately, you are not alone. As the initial intensity of preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated enthusiasm and adrenaline settles, I am also noticing a rise in anger. read article
Mindfulness-based approaches to reduce stress and burnout
Paul Mohapel, PhD
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, physicians are facing increasing risk of stress and burnout, including physical and emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue that leads to depersonalization, and a loss of meaning and efficacy in their work.1 read article
Agile, servant, and compassionate leadership: antidotes to perfectionism during uncertainty
Johny Van Aerde, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Many innate survival behaviours that served us well as cavemen work against us during the uncertainty created by the current crisis. Evolution wired us to be cautious about new situations and potential threats. However, that neurological wiring increases our distractibility, as continuing changes and the daily onslaught of COVID19-related information shift our attention frequently. read article