Leadership Profile: Dixie James
Education. Empowerment. Inspiration. These are key ingredients for nuturing not only the development of great leaders, but also for effectively managing and supporting the teams and individuals under their guidance.
Leadership development is important for all individuals, no matter where they may be in their career trajectory or industry, and is especially important in healthcare.
As Dixie James, president of Jefferson Health’s Central Region, explains, “In today’s challenging healthcare environment, leadership is critical to everything we’re trying to accomplish. This intentional investment in people is essential in building and sustaining a culture of trust and accountability in order to ensure the organization’s future success. It is vital in fulfilling our mission to improve lives.”
James recalls her own leadership journey, where she had the invaluable opportunity to not only attend formal leadership training programs, but also to benefit from being mentored by incredible individuals. She cites life-changing leadership lessons from mentors and senior leaders that were not things learned in a book, but imperative nonetheless, including empathy, listening, taking feedback, and collaboration.
James advocates for leadership development within all levels of management. “How do you create calm?” she says. “How do you create confidence? How do you inspire people? That’s why leadership is so important, and why developing it early and often and at every level is critical. We need leaders on the floors every day in our frontline teams that understand that they’re empowered to lead, and empowered to make good decisions for our patients to help deliver on our mission. We continue to cultivate that right on up through the organization.”
Healthcare today continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and Jefferson Health continues to move and progress with it, with our patients and their families always squarely in focus. James shares, “As I lead now, I strive to be the type of leader that I often find myself inspired by—an authentic individual and a transparent communicator able to help others embrace and thrive in change. Fortunately, I have the privilege of serving with dedicated individuals who I watch go above and beyond every day.”
Thank you for your generosity, commitment, and leadership as a valued member of the President’s Club. Your partnership supports our mission to improve lives.