Leadership lessons from New Amsterdam
SHAKING THE TREE #41
It takes guts, commitment, courage, and vision to be an effective leader.
Truly great leaders do just that: they lead.
Great leaders don’t tell people what to do, where to go and how to get there, they make suggestions and they show people where to go.
Leadership is about leading by example.
Leadership also requires caring about the problems, frustrations, and concerns of the people you’re leading so you can make their jobs easier, help them be more productive, and, shockingly, leadership is also about ensuring that work is just a little bit more meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding.
As an employee, I’ve always found myself giving more of myself and wanting to do the best job possible whenever I’ve felt a leader has helped validate me, and has heard me, values me, and appreciates the skills, experience, and contributions I bring to the table.
Conversely, I’ve often found myself caring less when I’ve felt ignored, belittled, unappreciated, sidelined, and left out by management..
Leadership is an ever-evolving concept with principles that can be learned from various sources. Often though, the last place you’ll find examples of great leadership is the world of popular culture.
But that’s not the case with the NBC television series New Amsterdam.
New Amsterdam is an American medical drama series, based on the book Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Dr. Eric Manheimer.
The show premiered on NBC in late September of 2018, running for 89 episodes over five seasons before ending in January 2023.
Unlike so many other TV medical dramas, New Amsterdam offers valuable insights into effective leadership that can be applied by managers across different industries.
At the heart of "New Amsterdam" is the character of Dr. Max Goodwin, the newly appointed medical director of New Amsterdam Hospital, a fictional public hospital in New York City.
Through its diverse set of characters and storylines, Max and his team at New Amsterdam teach the kinds of lessons that MBA courses worldwide either don’t touch on or that they conveniently gloss over—those of empathy, innovation, teamwork, and resilience.
These are the often overlooked, ‘soft skills’ of leadership that in truth, every manager striving for success ought to know about and readily apply.
But often managers either don’t, won’t, or can’t connect with their humanity—either because they don’t know how, or because they can’t be bothered to lear, or because they think they’re too smart to take these things into account.
That’s a shame. It’s also a huge mistake.
I’m just starting season 2 and so far I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve found myself thinking: “Wow, I wish I had a boss like that!”
Here are a few thoughts on the five lessons I’ve learned from this show so far:
Lesson 1: The power of empathy
As I’ve already mentioned, at the heart of New Amsterdam is the character of Dr. Max Goodwin, the medical director of New Amsterdam Hospital, brilliantly played by Ryan Eggold.
Max's leadership style is underpinned by his unwavering commitment to patient care, driven by his deep empathy for every individual he encounters.
This powerful demonstration of empathy reminds managers that understanding and connecting with their team members on a personal level can lead to a more motivated and engaged workforce.
When leaders genuinely care about the well-being of their employees, it fosters trust, loyalty, and a positive work environment.
Lesson 2: Embracing innovation
Throughout the series, the hospital staff constantly pushes boundaries and seeks innovative solutions to complex medical challenges.
Max consistently encourages his team to think outside the box and challenges the status quo. Managers can learn that fostering a culture of innovation within their teams can lead to creative problem-solving, increased efficiency, and a competitive edge in their industry.
Embracing innovation also involves taking calculated risks, which can be a key driver of organizational growth.
Lesson 3: The value of teamwork
New Amsterdam underscores the significance of teamwork in healthcare, where life-and-death situations demand seamless collaboration among medical professionals.
Similarly, in the corporate world, effective teamwork is essential for achieving shared goals and driving success.
Managers need to focus on building strong teams, fostering open communication, and creating an environment where each team member's strengths are valued. When individuals work together cohesively, the results can be extraordinary.
Lesson 4: Resilience in the face of challenges
In the medical field, adversity is a constant companion, and the characters in New Amsterdam confront numerous challenges.
Max Goodwin's resilience, determination, and ability to bounce back from setbacks serve as an inspiration.
Managers, too, can encounter obstacles in their leadership journeys. Learning to adapt, stay resilient, and maintain a positive outlook during tough times is a valuable skill that can lead to long-term success.
Lesson 5: Patient-centric leadership
There’s a recurring theme of patient-centric care that serves as a reminder that customers or clients should always be at the forefront of a manager's decisions.
Just as the hospital staff prioritizes the well-being of their patients, managers need to prioritize the fulfillment and needs of their customers. A focus on delivering exceptional value to clients or customers is a fundamental principle of effective leadership.
OK, so New Amsterdam isn’t an MBA course from atop business school: it’s a TV show. However, it’s a mistake to think that this show has nothing of value to add to even the most qualified of managers.
While MBA courses are great for the ego, they’re less good at underscoring the importance of answering the question that Max Goodwin asks again and again in his role as New Amsterdam’s medical director: “How can I help?”
Here’s why this is important: managers who can’t help or won’t help are a hinderance to the people, systems, and processes they’re supposed to be managing.
Again and again, and even though New Amsterdam is offering compelling portrayals of effective, humanity-driven leadership in the healthcare sector, the lessons the show imparts are universally applicable—regardless of the niche or industry sector in question.
Managers at every level and in every sphere can draw inspiration from the show's emphasis on empathy, innovation, teamwork, resilience, and a patient-centric (for which read client and or customer centric) approach.
By incorporating these lessons into your leadership style, you as a manager can and will create a positive impact on the teams you lead and on the organizations you represent, things that ultimately will be powerful drivers of success, productivity, and profitability.
Again, and yes: it’s a TV show.
But on a deeper level, New Amsterdam repeatedly reminds us that leadership isn’t just something you learn about on an MBA course an it’s not something you can simply pick up from a book. The show reminds us that deep down, leadership is more closely tied to inspiring and empowering others to reach for their fullest possible potential.
As always, thanks for reading.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn
And if you’ve like what you’ve seen here, why not become a subscriber?
P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Never be afraid to call yourself the best