Peace of Heart and Mind
Sir William Osler, a Canadian physician and one of the four founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Osler created the first residency program for specialty training of physicians, and he was the first to bring medical students out of the lecture hall for bedside clinical training. He achieved this position with a combination of superb practice, excellent and innovative teaching, wide-ranging publication, and association with outstanding colleagues in the most advanced school of its time (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2007). Sir William left a substantial lasting legacy, and also, he is remembered for the humanism he brought to the field of medicine (Library and Arcives Canada, 2008).
He reflects on what he learned when he was a young medical student and earned a philosophy that drove his life and others to success. A single inspired sentence that he came across one day when he was reading a book by Thomas Carlyle, “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” (as cited in Watson, 1951, p.215), answered his needs and shaped the course of his future. The secret of success in Dr. Osler advice for the young men is to do the day’s work and its allotted task [to do what lies clearly at hand] superbly well. Planning for the future but not worrying about it because of the guiding principle of his life.
He attempted to crave on Thomas Carlyle’ quote and have some way to etch the meaning indelibly upon the memory. He linked the life to an ocean liner, which we should live in “day-tight compartments.” and he would call his address “A way of life.” He conveys his message on the way of life as he preached; “is a habit to be acquired gradually by long and steady repetition”(as cited in Watson, 1951, p.215). He explained more on a way of life, to control the machinery as to live with day-tight compartment as the most certain way to ensure safety on the voyage (Watson, 1951, p.216). He shared his experience and gave his students a philosophy of life that may learn to drive the straight furrow and to come to the actual measurement of a man.
Dr. Osler philosophy about planning the future subsumed on today’s work to feed his interest that can be taken to the future. “live neither in the past nor the future, but let each day’s work absorb all your interest, energy, and enthusiasm. The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work superbly well” (as cited in Watson, 1951, p.215). The influence and inspirations in Dr. Osler words are touching more and more lives. As we worked our days and solved problems, we learn from the past mistakes a good listen that has A positive impact on the future. It’s the confidence we earn from engaging our day’s work in a day-tight compartment. “A load of tomorrow, added to that of yesterday, carried today makes the strongest falter” (as cited in Watson, 1951, p.216).
The learning lesson from Dr. Osler that I am bringing to my way of life and leadership journey is “Get on the bridge and see that at least the great bulkheads are in working order. Touch a button and hear, at every level of your life, the iron doors shutting out the Past- the dead yesterdays. Touch another and shut off, with a metal curtain, the Future- the unborn tomorrows. Then you are safe, safe for today.” (Watson,1951, p.216). It is the most certain way to ensure safety on the leadership voyage. It’s not to, entangled in thoughts about the problem, instead focus on finding a solution and concentrate on the work at hand; otherwise, it will ruin not only the present but also the future. Following the steps based on Dr. Osler’s words as follow through, stop, evaluate, find out and try a new approach; It’s the self-awareness that we bring to our surroundings when we engage others.
Dr. Osler’s visioning and sharing his way of life set an example of transformational leadership. He believed ‘that the practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head’ (Cooper, 2003). To apply this philosophy at workplace and leadership endeavor, it requires a leader to be vulnerable, leaders who acknowledge the mistakes of yesterday and learn from them, will reflect a better way of life in leadership journey.
Reference
Cooper, S. M. (2003). The Quotable Osler. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96(8), 419.
Library and Archives Canada (2008, July). Famous Canadian Physicians. Retrieved from: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/physicians/030002-2300-e.html
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice, Seventh Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 971452203409
Roland, C.G.. R. The Canadian Encyclopedia. (2007, December). Sir William Osler.
Retrieved from: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-william-osler/.
Watson, L.E. (1951). _Light from Many Lamps_. New York: Simon and Schuster