Leadership training is crucial for all physician-leaders in the modern health care system — and cardiovascular physicians are no exception. Despite the need for cardiologist-leaders to have adequate leadership skills training, formal leadership education is often absent in cardiovascular disease fellowship programs. Leadership is also not separately assessed as part of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies.

Nonetheless, it is well known that effective leaders translate into thriving organizations. This is also true for cardiologists, regardless of whether their organization is a busy outpatient cardiology service, cardiac catheterization or electrophysiology lab, academic or research cardiology group, or advanced heart failure referral office. The cardiologist-leader is expected to inspire others, develop or refine policies, get buy-in from personnel, and regularly connect with and manage stakeholders in the group.

The Association of Academic Health Centers published 14 key characteristics on what it deems successful leaders. Number one on the list is that successful leaders are “self-aware, with a high level of emotional intelligence.” The concept of emotional intelligence (EI) or emotional quotient (EQ) was popularized in the 1990s by the Rutgers psychologist Daniel Goleman, PhD, along with John D. Mayer, PhD, from the University of New Hampshire and Peter Salovey, PhD, from Yale.

Cardiologists with high levels of EI/EQ are able to understand and process their own emotions and better recognize the emotions of those with whom they work. High levels of EI/EQ translate into the cardiologist-leader being able to successfully navigate social networks in the clinical setting, efficiently manage working relationships, and inspire and influence others. Fundamentally, having a well-developed EI/EQ enables cardiologists to learn from their own mental state and that of those around them.

Five qualities that are critical for a successful career as a cardiologist-leader come as a direct result of developing a high-level EI/EQ. These include increased self-awareness; the ability to self-regulate and not have one’s emotions fly from “zero to 10 in an instant with no speed bumps in between;” motivation and passion for one’s work that grows beyond simply income and social status; true empathy for others, including one’s colleagues, ancillary health care staff and patients; and a highly-refined proficiency in managing relationships and building networks.

In the past, much of our physician training served to “train the EI/EQ out of us.” The years of medical school and long hours on call while training rarely focused much (if at all) on a young cardiologist’s emotional health. As we understand more about the importance of EI/EQ in leadership development, we look to the trauma and addiction recovery community which has done much to promote the important benefits of EI/EQ and emotional health in general. Young cardiologists and their training program directors should work to “train the EI/EQ back into” our fellows. We do our fellows a disservice as future cardiologist-leaders without it.

Some of the other 14 central traits of successful leaders include: the ability to understand and be understood (empathy and listening skills); having balance with a sense of humor (morale has a clear, direct link to productivity); having a realistic and convincing optimism which can propel any group through its challenges; inspiring trust in others so that colleagues and subordinates want to work with you and for you; being altruistic, guided not by what is best for oneself but by what is best for the institution; and being able to effectively delegate and create teams through connecting with collaborators and understanding each team member’s strengths and weaknesses.

Leadership training is an essential factor of success as a cardiologist in the 21st century. All cardiologists are leaders, whether formally designated or not. Leadership development should be discussed regularly with trainees and incorporated into fellowship training.

This article was authored by Gregg G. Gerasimon, MD, FACC, cardiologist at the San Antonio Military Medical Center in San Antonio, TX.