An Interview with Andrew Reed
Most people in the Hospice Industry have heard of Andrew Reed but many don’t know about his diverse interests and talents or about his artistic mind. I have known Andrew for years as a friend but have never had occasion to work with him. Recently I became associated with Multi-View Partners and had the opportunity to pose questions to An-drew I had always wanted to ask.
Chris Comeaux: "When did it occur to you that you could run your own company?"
Andrew Reed: "I was driving to work while the CFO of Hospice of Palm Beach County when I realized that I was getting a lot of calls from all over the country for advice. I thought, 'There is a real need here!' For me, it has never been about leading a company. It is about meeting very real needs. Around that same time, I was also starting to realize that I could make things happen and turn ideas into reality. Ideas have always been the most exciting things to me. I see the world as a world of possibilities… things that are doable and positive."
CC: "What doubts did you have, and what did you do about them?"
AR: "Doubts! I had doubts then and I have them now. But despite of these doubts, there is a very deep seated confi¬dence… not an arrogant type of confidence… but a confi¬dence that most screw-ups can be overcome. I figure that 50% of all the decision I make are incorrect. But if I let go of pride and other ego-driven things, one can self-correct quickly. To me, doubt is natural. No one really knows much about anything."
CC: "How did you go about planning to be a leader? What influenced you?"
AR: "I never planned to be a leader, not of a company and certainly not in an industry. As a boy one of my goals was to be a businessman, but it didn’t translate in my mind as being a leader. It just never occurred to me. Nothing influenced me to be a leader really… except that someone needed to take action and get things done. I seemed to me that too many people were just watching life happen. That is not my view."
CC: "In your own mind, how well do you think you have done in your roles over the years?"
AR: "Some excellently… many more mediocre at best. You don’t really know your talents and shortcomings until you try different things and live different roles. I’m up for fail¬ing on a regular basis. I have vowed to give this life my best shot and that is how I live."
CC: "What are you best at? Worst at?"
AR: "Creativity is my strong point. No question. People think that, given my financial background, I am totally data-driven. That is not completely true. Instinct and judg-ment factor in too… I am incredibly aware of the numbers for sure… but they don’t completely control my decisions. I’m also good at cutting to the core of things. I always try to go to the root of the prob¬lem or situation rather than the symptoms or effects there of.
"I am the worst at resting. I have probably done my health a disservice over the years. Regarding leadership, there are lots of things I feel I could do better. My worst is probably formalizing communication… I see a need, I react quickly, and I start an initiative. Sometimes I react too quickly or fail to communicate expectations as clearly as I should."
CC: "What do you think are the most important consider¬ations that anyone should take into account before signing on to a leadership role?"
AR: "Can you lead by example? This is the most powerful form of leadership in my book. Integrity, confidence in self and in others, level of energy… all are important. But the big one is being an example… choosing right over wrong, jus¬tice over injustice… looking out for the best interests of others. Trust is the basis for all great relationships, so you have to live a life that cultivates trust. And when you blow it, which everyone will do on occasion…admit it and move on. I have found that people are far more forgiving than we think… especially when you are trying your best to do what is right."
CC: "As I recall, you had a pretty good mentor earlier in your career. What influence do you think he or she had on the way you perform your role?"
AR: "I have had many mentors at this point and I try to learn as much as I can from each. Heck, I try to learn from everything! I learned from the first CEO I worked for, Deborah Dailey, not to be afraid to make the tough calls such as making unpopular decisions, raising expectations, terminating sub-performers, etc. The key is to have good reasons behind your actions. A clear reasoning behind your actions makes the decision process easier. I learned a lot from Deborah. She is one of the brightest people I have ever met."
CC: "How do you measure your success (or lack thereof) in your present role?"
AR: "I think about the clients we serve. Are we serving well? Are we providing great value for what we are paid? That is one measure. I also look at the MVI staff. I want them to be taken care of and to be growing as individuals. Are they making more than ever? Are they more powerful individuals now than when they first joined the company? These are my measures."
CC: "What comes next for you?"
AR: "I recently purchased a 14-acre tract of land with a structure in the center of a 12,000 acre wildlife preserve. It has been converted into the MVI Executive Retreat and Conference Center where folks can come from all over the country to study hospice – data, practice, and human be¬havior. I guess at heart, I love to learn and love ideas. I feel like we have created a special space in a natural set-ting for hospice people to get away and clear their minds as we collectively learn how to do hospice better. The Center is outfitted for comfort and relaxation in a positively condi¬tioned learning environment. The lower level of the struc¬ture will soon be converted into a recording stu-dio/media production area. There will be two top-quality cameras available for the production of state-of-the-art DVDs and audio recordings. Experts from various areas will be in¬vited to produce educational products at the Cen-ter."
CC: "If you were going to teach or mentor someone with respect to the leadership role, what would be the 5 most important lessons you would want to get across?"
AR: "Tough question. It's always difficult for me using a set number…. Let’s try these:
"Have a purpose that you strongly believe in – If you be¬lieve in a cause enough, it will be natural for you to lead as you will see what does not exist today. The vision will give you the fuel to persist through tough times. The pur¬pose must live deep in your heart. The purpose or desire will cause you to grow if you care about it enough. It will be more than money to you.
"Be prepared to be disappointed in people – Any ac¬tivity on any scale involves cooperation and work with others. Inevitably, you will be disappointed, taken advan¬tage of, even wronged willfully. You must not let this hinder you from continuing to trust people.
"Have the ability to fire people – A prerequisite to lea¬der¬ship is the ability and willingness to fire people. If you can’t do this, you have no business in a leadership role.
"You can only reproduce what you are – As a leader, you will reproduce yourself in others as they watch and learn from you. Your actions and words will become ac¬cepted behavior. This is the “leading by example” thing in full force. Your sense urgency, lack of it…exactness or sloppi¬ness or any other attribute will come from you!
"The Law of the Lid – I got this from John Maxwell’s thoughts on leadership. My interpretation of it is that the leader of any area or organization is the limiting factor of how high or far it can progress. As leaders, WE are the lid! Therefore, in order to grow our area or companies, we need to change ourselves first by raising our lids… by ad¬vancing our leadership. We only need look into the mirror to see what needs work in the company."
CC: "What is the one question you wished I would have asked you?"
AR: "You asked about mentors but you did not ask about some of the greatest minds I have admired. Voltaire is perhaps the brightest flame that has ever walked on the planet. Einstein would be up there as well. I love people that can see through the masks and mirrors of this world. My favorite Voltaire quote is "Doubt is an unpleasant con-dition, but certainty is absurd.'"
An Interview with Andrew Reed
– by Chris Comeaux
