Adjunct Professor Alanna Geary talks about the highs and lows of her leadership experience. The People and Culture team recently had an opportunity to speak with Alanna about her time in leadership and becoming the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer in Metro North.

Greatest moments of leadership

Adj. Prof. Alanna Geary, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer

I’ve had many great experiences through my leadership journey. To put it into context, if you said 20 years ago this is where I would be sitting, I would say you had rocks in your head!  It’s not something I thought I would have actively pursued. Having said that, I love being a leader, and I love Metro North.

My personal belief is as women leaders, and in my experience, we don’t always have a lot of confidence in our abilities.  Even to this day I still lack confidence at times. So, something I am really proud of is having won two alumni awards in 2022 – one for Griffith University and one for UniSQ.  I felt acknowledged for what I’d achieved not only as a woman in leadership but also as a nursing and midwifery leader.

I was a country girl and came to the city in the 80s. A number of times in my career I was told I might like to rethink my career trajectory. – during my general training and then when I came to Brisbane. My foray into the enormous Royal Brisbane Hospital (now known as RBWH) was a difficult transition from my small rural training hospital.  I didn’t really know the goings on in a big hospital. In those days there was no such thing as positive performance – you were just good or bad, and usually being told you were bad was after many failures…. not just the first time you made a mistake.  So, you travelled blindly on your merry way only to be told after several months that you were not very good.   However, for someone like me, being told I wasn’t very good at something was like waving a red flag at a bull – I was determined to show them I could do it. So, as I look back, I am even more proud of my achievements.

Biggest leadership challenge

I think the biggest leadership challenge is to remember that leadership responsibility is not mine alone.  In Metro North we are surrounded by outstanding leaders, the organisation is big – the biggest in the country and we all have to be rowing in the same direction. And while I think we are on the right track, we do have a journey to travel.  When I took on this role, I took over from someone who had a very positive impact. She had been doing an amazing job in getting everyone in the boat, rowing in the right (and same) direction. They were big shoes to fill. She left at what was a difficult time both within the organisation but also the politics of the time were challenging.  It was my job to pick up the reins and continue to move in the direction she had visualised. It’s a big ship – we have two tertiary facilities, two big hospitals; we have facilities in periods of rapid growth and other areas that have huge challenges.  The population surge, the post COVID19 issues, increase in acuity of our patients, and workforce demands all mean that we as leaders in health need to work cohesively to achieve positive outcomes.   If we embrace the hearts and the minds of others and get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet, we are more likely to succeed. I’ve been very lucky as I have always led high performing teams and surrounded myself with people who have skills that I do not.  I would say though, you have to be a good leader to make sure this is sustained, and everyone continues to row together in the same direction. As a leader there are going to be times when you do need to turn the boat around.  If you don’t know how to do this seek advice and support from other leaders around you.

Working in healthcare, we learn from our patients. As a nurse and a midwife, I have been fortunate to be on a great journey – I have learnt from my medical and allied health colleagues, HR managers, administrative and operational staff and other leaders, and I think we are blessed in healthcare we can glean so much from so many people. You don’t always have to heed the advice, but at least listen and take what you can from others, understand why we do what we do and never think we have all the answers.  Be passionate about what you do, what you believe and if someone sees something in you and offers you an opportunity, then never knock it back.

Things you wish you knew earlier

The key to being a good leader is to lead bravely and honestly – and part of that is about saying “I don’t know, but I will work with you to find out the right answer”. As a new leader, we can tend to think “well, I am, new and I have to prove myself” or “I am the big boss now”. But we don’t need to have all the answers. I am now very good at saying I don’t know. I am also very good at surrounding myself with people who have some of the strengths I don’t – and I make sure these strengths are utilised. We are such a large organisation so we have people who can give you the answers you need to make an informed decision. Build and use your networks.  It doesn’t matter whether that is a clinical dilemma or broader or across our corporate space in HR or Finance – we have people in this organisation to help us all succeed.

The reality is, no matter where we work, we are at times going to find ourselves in an environment that for whatever reason, speaking up (whether it’s to say “I don’t know” or to speak up about something that isn’t right might feel difficult. My advice is to always have someone that is a safe place – even if it’s just to vent. Find someone who will maintain your confidence. I’ve always had at least one person who I can go to for a debrief or a confidential chat to talk through a problem. This could be a friend, trusted colleague, a leader, or a mentor, whether that is formal or informal. Mentors are great and can play a huge role in our development. Over the course of my journey, I’ve had some tremendous mentors. Some have given me some great advice; some I’ve learned to emulate. They taught me great things.

Something most people wouldn’t know about you

Many people know that I am the mother of two outstanding (well I think they are) boys (twins) whom I raised while working fulltime and studying fulltime. There are many people who have followed a similar course and we all know it is never an easy journey juggling home, work, study and family.  I chose that path and the difficulties it posed because I am the “Queen of Procrastination”.  Had I studied part time I think I would still be studying!!!  I am the sort of person that if I set a goal I need to finish as quickly and efficiently as possible…. otherwise, it will never get done!!!