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Good morning.At 22, I was handed the keys to a skilled nursing facility and told, “You’re in charge now.” I had a degree, a license, and a title—but I had no idea what I was doing. I made every mistake you could imagine, sometimes twice. I learned more in that first year than I did in all my schooling combined. Now, 16 years later, if I could sit down with my younger self, here’s what I’d say:
Elevate Your Leadership 1. Use your resources.You’re surrounded by good people who want to help. The best leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers—they’re the ones who ask great questions. Learn from everyone, even if it’s just learning what not to do. 2. Time spent rounding is always time well spent.Round with open eyes, an open heart, and a curiosity to connect. Make it a habit, schedule it if you have to, and never round alone. Bring someone with you—your DON, a department head, or a CNA. Rounding isn’t just about observation; it’s about relationships. 3. Spend time with every new hire.Even just five minutes. Let them know who you are, what you stand for, and what kind of leader they can expect. You only get one chance to make them feel like they belong. 4. The best way to connect with your team is through their work.Make a bed. Run the dish machine. Grab a mop. Fix a cabinet door. Get your hands dirty alongside them. It builds trust faster than any meeting ever could. 5. Read The 4 Disciplines of Execution.Then have your leadership team read it. And then actually do what it says. 6. Kill your five toughest family members with kindness.Find the five most demanding, unrealistic family members in your building. Then, go out of your way to over-communicate, over-support, and over-deliver. Follow up so much they get sick of hearing from you. Win them over with consistency and empathy. 7. Take your DON out every month.Coffee, lunch, drinks—whatever. Get out of the building. No agenda. Just check in. You and your DON are the most important partnership in the building. 8. Grant a wish every quarter.Take one resident’s dream and make it happen. A concert, a fishing trip, a visit home. It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to matter. 9. Normalize saying, “I don’t know.”It’s okay. You’re not supposed to have all the answers. Follow it up with, “I’d love your help.” That’s leadership. 10. Leadership is a drumbeat.You’ll say the same thing over and over and over. And just when you’re tired of hearing yourself say it, that’s when people will start to listen. Keep going. 11. Maybe take a long vacation in February 2020.Trust me. 12. This job will change you.You’ve stumbled into a career of helping people. It will shape you in ways you can’t yet imagine. There will be days you want to quit and days you can’t believe how lucky you are to be here. Never take it for granted.
And if today is one of those days where you’re wondering, Why am I doing this? Am I even making a difference?—hear me when I say, you are. Don’t measure yourself against perfection. Measure yourself against progress. If you can look back at who you were six months ago—what you knew, how you led—and you barely recognize that person, you’re doing something right. Growth means discomfort. Leadership means evolution. Keep going. Let’s make today a great one.
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Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day. Kevin Goedeke, Publisher and Founder
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