Taking Leadership Above the Line

We rarely stop in healthcare. 
But a few weeks ago, we did, and it may have been one of the most important things we’ve done all year.

More than 200 GBMC HealthCare leaders spent a full day together doing something we haven’t done in several years: stepping away from the constant pace of healthcare to focus not on what we do, but on how we lead. That kind of time is hard to find. There is always another meeting, another decision, another operational issue, another patient or family need. But leadership doesn’t improve by accident. It requires attention, practice, and a willingness to evolve.

I strongly believe this: the best leaders aren’t simply born. They learn. They grow. They reflect. They make mistakes, own them, and get better.

One of my favorite leadership ideas comes from Michael Jordan, who said you have to earn your leadership every day. Leadership isn’t something we receive with a title and keep forever. It’s a series of choices: How we listen, how we respond under pressure, how we treat people, and how committed we are to learning. That belief is one of the reasons this retreat mattered so much to me.

Years ago, when I was a hospitalist chief in South Carolina, I was introduced to conscious leadership in a way I didn’t expect. I remember sitting in one of my first leadership meetings, led by a tough, no-nonsense surgeon, who “centered” the meeting. At the time, I thought it was pretty hokey. But over time, I began to see the value. I saw how easy it is to get defensive when we feel challenged and how much better we become when we stay open and willing to learn.

Conscious leadership isn’t about perfection. 
It’s about awareness.

At its core, it’s simple: 
When we’re above the line, we’re curious, open, and willing to learn. 
When we’re below the line, we’re defensive, closed, and focused on being right.

We’ve all been there. I know I have! The goal isn’t to stay above the line all the time. No one can. 
The goal is to notice when we’ve dropped below it, pause, and make the trip back a little shorter each time. A simple example brings this to life.

A staff member raises a concern about how something is working on the unit.  

One leader responds quickly, 
“I’ve already decided this. It’s not changing.”

The message is clear: discussion over.

Another leader pauses and says, 
“Help me understand what’s not working.”

The message is different: I’m listening. Same moment. Different experience for the team. Which leader would you prefer?  

This framework changed how I lead. And I always knew that if I had the privilege of becoming a CEO, I would bring it with me. So when I came to GBMC HealthCare, I asked Lisa Walker and JaRee Walker to build a program to bring these principles to our leaders.

They delivered something exceptional.

Our Learning and Organizational Development team created a full-day experience built around an airport journey from BTL to ATL: “Below the line” to “above the line.” While many organizations would have hired an outside consultant, we relied on our own team, and that says a lot about the strength we have within GBMC HealthCare. Throughout the day, leaders reflected on real scenarios and moved to different “departure gates” based on how they would honestly respond... not how they wished they would respond, but how they actually would.

There was a lot of truth in the room. At times, it almost felt like group therapy, but in the best possible way. We named the moments when we get defensive, assume the worst, or avoid hard conversations and practiced how to move out of those moments.

Why does this matter?

Because leadership shapes everything.

It influences whether employees feel heard and supported. 
Whether people feel safe speaking up. 
How teams solve problems and ultimately how we care for patients and families.

A leader who listens builds trust. 
A leader who gets defensive shuts people down. 
A leader who stays curious helps teams solve problems.

In healthcare, that really matters.

Our teams are doing complex, emotional, high-stakes work every day. Patients and families come to us at vulnerable moments. In that environment, our leaders can’t stay static; they have to keep improving. That’s why I wanted to share this beyond the leaders who attended.

I want every member of our GBMC HealthCare community to know that we are serious about developing leaders who are self-aware, accountable, and committed to getting better. Leadership at GBMC HealthCare isn’t about holding a position. It’s about earning trust and creating the conditions where people can do their best work.

We won’t always get it right. I won’t always get it right.

But we can keep learning. 
Pause sooner. 
Ask better questions. 
Take responsibility more quickly. 
Choose curiosity over defensiveness.

Each time we do, we strengthen our culture.

Thank you to Lisa, JaRee, and our Learning and Organizational Development team for creating such a meaningful experience. I was truly blown away.

And thank you to every GBMC leader who showed up fully, participated honestly, and leaned into the work.

Leadership isn’t something we have. 
It’s something we practice (and earn) every day.

Employee Spotlight

Kimberly Levinson, MD, MPH

Director, Johns Hopkins Gynecologic Oncology at GBMC

Gynecologic Oncology

How long have you been at GBMC HealthCare?

12 years

What is one key way you support a zero harm/safety culture?

I feel that teamwork is the most critical part of supporting a zero harm/safety culture. In our division, we have an experienced and integrated team that works together to provide the best care for patients. We have empowered the team at all levels to be a part of patient care, and promote best practice and patient safety. We meet weekly to review all patients undergoing treatment and we take great care to listen and respond to patients quickly.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is listening to patients and meeting them where they are during a time that may be one of the most difficult in their life. Helping patients to understand what is going on with their body and their disease process and helping them to make the best decisions for themselves during this time is the most rewarding part of my job.

What is your favorite hobby?

I am an avid skier!