There’s a common belief that leadership requires a title after your name, an office on the top floor, and people looking to you for direction. But in medicine, leadership happens at every level.
Take me, for example. I’m an attending physician, whose role on the team is as a hospitalist. In the hierarchy of medicine, it’s easy to dismiss this role as “just a physician.”
Yet there’s nothing “just” about it when it’s 3 a.m. and a newborn arrives with complications requiring immediate resuscitation.
There’s nothing “just” about it when you’re the one stepping in to secure the airway and lead the team through the critical steps of assessing airway, breathing, and circulation.
The pressure is real. It’s palpable.
And while that pressure is deeply felt by those on the front lines, it’s often minimized by leadership as “just part of the role.”
But leadership, in moments of crisis, goes far beyond executing tasks to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
It involves people management by assigning the right task to the right person for precision and flow.
It involves emotional management by recognizing that each team member responds differently to high acuity situations. Some will lean in fully; others may step back. Knowing who does what ensures that the workflow continues seamlessly, while avoiding the frustration of unmet expectations from team members best suited to supportive roles rather than key decision-making in critical moments.
True physician leadership extends beyond the tasks. It’s about holding the energy for the team.
Because patients’ lives depend on it. And our own well-being demands it.
3 steps to holding the energy in critical situations
Check in with yourself: Yes, Doc, your well-being comes first. In the midst of the crisis it’s natural to hold your breath while you assess and deliver care to the patient. It’s at that exact moment when you need to breathe. Let life flow through you. It releases the tension and allows the knowledge and skills you’ve mastered to rise naturally. The calm within you becomes the calm around you.
Maintain focus: All eyes are on you. The team, including nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and respiratory therapists, are waiting for your guidance. Now is the time to narrow your attention to the intended goal and the steps needed to achieve it. Anchor yourself. Be clear in your communication. Your focus sets the tone for everyone else.
Share the goal: Say it out loud. In crisis, everyone’s nervous system defaults to fight-or-flight, and thoughts can scatter. Reel them back in by naming the purpose: “We’re securing the airway.” “We’re restoring the heart rate and blood pressure.” “We’re working to stop the bleeding.” Or even, “Despite our interventions, the patient is not responding.” Speaking the intention centers the team, clarifies direction, and invites contribution. It transforms chaos into coordinated care.
Leadership in medicine doesn’t require a title.
It requires presence, awareness, and the courage to hold the energy, especially when the room is filled with urgency.
That’s what makes you more than “just” a physician.
It’s how you lead the team.
Stephanie Wellington is a physician, certified professional coach, and founder of Nurturing MDs, dedicated to guiding physicians from stress and overwhelm to ease and flow in the demanding medical field. She empowers clinicians to infuse new energy into their careers and reconnect with their identities beyond the stethoscope. She can also be reached on Facebook and LinkedIn.
When Dr. Wellington integrated life coaching principles into her medical practice, her clinical experiences transformed. While she still faces long shifts, critical patients, and systemic challenges, she chooses to be solution-focused, prioritizing the best outcomes for her patients, her team, and herself. For over a decade, she has been teaching physicians the life strategies needed to transform their medical careers and optimize their well-being.
She is a speaker, author, and recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award. If stress and overwhelm are part of your practice, get started with the free guide: “15 Ways to Infuse New Energy.”
