How a big risk helped Dr. Tony Slonim get into a U.S. med school

For the past four months, healthcare leaders across the country have had to deal with problems they probably never thought they’d experience firsthand. Difficult decisions and conversations have occurred more frequently than ever before. While good leaders constantly seek to improve their skills to help their organizations and communities, few have likely been prepared to handle all that’s been thrown at them. Unless you’re like Renown Health CEO Dr. Tony Slonim, who early on took a big risk and as a result has enjoyed a career that pushes the limits.

WHAT WAS YOUR RISKIEST DECISION? Attempting to transfer back to the U.S. for medical school after spending two years at St. George’s University of Medicine in Grenada. I didn’t get accepted initially and then later was told I was one of eight candidates interviewing for five positions at a school. I flew back and didn’t get a spot. I called the dean of the school of medicine and said, “I am so disappointed that this is emblematic of American medicine. You get people’s hopes and dreams up. You put them on a roller coaster emotionally. You make people go through this extraordinary expense and then you say you don’t have a spot for me.”

WHY WAS THAT MOVE RISKY? I felt like I had nothing to lose. You have to take calculated risks and that first one shaped the way I lead my life in a number of different domains.

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? Two days later, I got a call from the dean of the school of medicine and they offered me a position. And so I transferred into the U.S. medical school and graduated from there. And that is how I live my life. I like innovation. Just because somebody hasn’t done something before doesn’t mean you can’t. If you’re thoughtful and you’re logical and you make calculations appropriately, it’s OK to take some risks.

ADVICE TO EXECUTIVES IN SIMILAR POSITIONS: I think the most important way I get things done is by listening first, and I don’t have a problem getting in the middle of the conversation. I actually enjoy stirring it up a little bit, creating a little controversy. I’ll often say something so far out, knowingly so far out in left field, just to be provocative and get the team to respond. Then you have to assure your people that you won’t let them fail. Say to them, “You’re surrounded by good people who want not only the best for you, but for your community.” That’s what I learned early on in my career. I think I was supported by some amazing mentors. Now, as we pay that forward, it’s about helping people to know that taking risks is OK.

DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE: I’m a systems thinker. I understand pattern recognition stuff,  and it really is helpful to have that. Some people are a little bit based on what the data would tell them. And I’m a very analytical person. But for me, the people part overshadows the data part. Someone said to me yesterday, “We’re not going to make a deadline due tomorrow but we can make Oct. 1.” And I was like, you guys are telling me that now? And then I thought, I want it done right, not fast. So I asked them what are you going to do in the meantime. And (my employee) said we’re going to take these three months of extra time and really communicate it to these different constituents. And for me … who cares about the deadline, let’s go and make sure we do it right. And we’ve got full engagement by our team. So I really preserve the people part of the decisionmaking as much as the analytical.