Napoleon was a great motivator of people. From the lowest soldier to high-ranking generals and aristocrats, Napoleon knew that to succeed, he had to have the people around him enthusiastic about their mission. He understood that a leader must win the trust of his followers.(1)
He first won his generals’ trust and then his soldiers’ loyalty by promising them victory and glory. He was a very charismatic speaker and knew how to motivate people. He also understood that winning the trust of those he was not leading was beneficial. After military victories, he would enter the cities of the countries he had defeated and win the hearts and devotion of many of the people he had conquered.
Be aware of the thoughts and feelings of your patients and your staff. Learn to convince people to believe in your mission and adapt to your thinking. If you are confident in your ability to provide patients with a positive experience, your staff will believe in that ability.
Napoleon’s army not only fought for France but was entirely devoted to its commanding general and emperor, making it almost impossible to stop.
Treating your staff like your family is one of the best ways to endear yourself to them and ensure their loyalty. For example, if a person on your staff needs medical care and is unable to obtain an appointment for weeks or months, and you call a colleague to arrange an appointment quickly, your employee feels like part of the practice’s family and will certainly appreciate being treated with this caring attitude.
Napoleon said, “If I had enough ribbon, I could have conquered the world.” We can learn from Napoleon that acknowledging and respecting employee performance will generate enthusiasm and loyalty in your staff regarding patient care. Saying “thank you” for a job well done is critical to creating a culture that emphasizes giving each patient a positive experience when they interact with the doctors and the practice. We suggest that you publicly reward and recognize staff who display compassionate, warm, and team-based behaviors. If staff members know their actions will be rewarded, they are more likely to be satisfied with their work. This reward and recognition process will translate into action steps to increase the patient experience and improve a practice’s online reputation.
Do Things Differently
As a leader of armies and an emperor, Napoleon was always finding new ways to make things work. On the battlefields, most of the opposing armies were perplexed by Napoleon’s novel and unique military strategies. His opponents didn’t know how to fight against his maneuvers and formations. He also would fight at odd times of the day, on consecutive days, in the snow, rain, sun, night, or whenever he believed he would have an advantage.(2)
Begin to think about different ways to approach a job or task. No matter how badly they were outnumbered, the soldiers in Napoleon’s army knew that Napoleon would find a new and clever way to lead them to victory. (The battle of Waterloos in 1815 was an exception.) As a leader, you should look for new ways to do the same repetitive task.
For example, if your practice has a problem managing the schedule because of your operating schedule, you might consider posting your surgery in the afternoon and seeing patients in the morning, when you are more likely to be able to be on time. This can avoid being at the mercy of the operating room staff, which does not understand the rigors of practice and the importance of being on time.
Another example is obtaining prior authorization for appointments, procedures, imaging studies, and medication. This task can be relegated to ChatGPT, which can create a prior authorization request in seconds rather than crafting a letter each time one is required, which may take 20 to 30 minutes of uncompensated physician time.
Thank Those Who Have Helped You Succeed
All soldiers want to feel appreciated, and this also applies to our employees. Napoleon understood that showing gratitude was a great way to gain the favor of his soldiers and his people. For example, while he was making his rounds, Napoleon would say to a general, “Who is the bravest man in this battalion?” The general would select the bravest man, and Napoleon would remove a medal from his own coat and pin the medal onto the selected man. Do you think this soldier would go to the ends of the earth for Napoleon? Of course, he would.
Be willing to show gratitude often and in abundance to those you lead. Say “thank you” and present rewards and gifts, even small ones, to show you appreciate those helping you succeed. It’s the lack of appreciation that leads to discontent in employees. Your success depends on how well the people on your staff perform. From time to time, let them know how much you value their efforts and how much they mean to your organization.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Even though it was unheard of, Napoleon often did things during a battle that were the responsibilities of the lieutenants and the generals below him. With his troops facing direct fire, he was in the thick of it. Some cannonballs nearly took off his head. Napoleon would often be seen by his troops loading cannons, which was a corporal’s job. He was wherever he was needed. This won the respect of the men around him. They felt he was one of them and cared about what he was fighting for. He knew everyone else’s job and would take on tasks he could have easily delegated to someone else. Even though he was emperor, he never lost sight of his responsibility to get the job done.
Never think that a job is beneath you. The privilege of being able to tell others what to do should not be abused. When all a leader does is shout orders from their high and mighty place, they appear out of touch with the people they are leading.
That approach to leadership never results in loyalty, because the employees feel the person in charge needs to do more work. But if you take Napoleon’s hands-on approach, you can connect intimately with the people you lead. Knowing that your boss is willing to jump in and help when you need it instead of judging you if you can’t handle it is very reassuring. As a leader, learn to participate in the work of those you lead.
For example, if I looked at the patient’s restroom and saw toilet tissue on the floor or specimen cups on the sink, I would clean up the bathroom and hope that the staff noticed that I could do the most mundane jobs in the office and that no job was beneath me. This would set an example for everyone else on the staff to go beyond their job description and do what it takes to make the office clean and pleasing to our patients.
Never Stop Innovating
Napoleon introduced many tactical innovations to warfare and statecraft. He believed in lightning military attacks when most European generals were slow, incompetent, or incapable of making on-the-ground decisions without higher orders. He struck fear in the hearts of his opponents by bombarding them with cannon and grapeshot, believing, correctly, that loud noises shook their nerves. He was one of the first leaders to wield propaganda to bolster his position at home and abroad.(3)
But Napoleon needed to improve on his innovations. He never cared to learn about naval weapons, steam power, observation balloons, railroads, bridging materials, troop ships, or general advances in cannon ammunition. Napoleon thought the improvements introduced in his youth were enough. Though he fiddled with the standard equipment, he kept it the same.
Doctors are creatures of habit, comfortable with the status quo and staying within their comfort zone. It is common for doctors to continue using the same diagnostic and therapeutic skills they learned during their early training. The introduction of new ideas usually meets with resistance. One example includes the recommendation for hand washing by physicians. In the early 19th century, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis showed that if physicians merely used soap and water to wash their hands between patients, maternal sepsis and neonatal mortality could be greatly reduced.(4) Semmelweis’s idea met with resistance and rejection. His hand-washing recommendations earned widespread acceptance only years after his death, when Louis Pasteur developed the germ theory of disease, providing a theoretical background for Semmelweis’s findings.
Learning From Napoleon’s Mistakes
We can learn from Napoleon’s mistakes and adopt new ideas and new ways of caring for patients. For instance, who would ever have imagined that doctors would be able to provide care using telemedicine and without being face-to-face with their patients? The use of telemedicine will result in grateful patients. Patients will appreciate that their doctors are pioneers in improving healthcare and having the patient’s interest as the focus of their care.
Mistakes Made by Napoleon
Napoleon’s leadership style had many flaws, eventually leading to his downfall. The loss at Waterloo made him realize that he was not invincible. He didn’t have the same confidence he had during earlier wars. This lack of confidence trickled down to the soldiers and eventually led to his defeat.
If the doctor or the office manager’s confidence is shaken, the employees’ confidence also will be shattered. The doctor sets the tone for the entire practice. If the doctor believes in the practice and his or her ability to provide outstanding care, this will be evident to the staff, and that attitude will trickle down to the patients. Regardless of setbacks, failures, or challenges, it’s important not to lose confidence in yourself and the people around you.
Silencing Your People
Napoleon understood the power of media. When he became emperor, he tried to silence the speech of those who opposed him. There were 65 newspapers in France before Napoleon came to power; there were only 4 afterward.
It is important that doctors listen to everyone. Getting the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of other people is one of the best ways to learn and improve healthcare delivery. If you silence or limit the amount of feedback you get from others about your leadership skills or how well you are doing your job, you stunt your ability to improve in a direction that is beneficial to yourself and your organization.
For example, effective practices can gain ideas, insights, and suggestions from regular staff meetings. In my own practice, I conduct monthly staff meetings. An agenda is circulated before the meeting. The first few minutes are an opportunity for people to relate any positive experiences they would like to share with the rest of the staff. This brief routine sets an upbeat tone for the rest of the meeting. The meeting is limited to 30 minutes. The office manager takes notes and creates a to-do list that is distributed 24 to 48 hours after the meeting. These meetings effectively produce ideas and solve problems, making the practice incrementally better.
Not Trusting Others
Napoleon always had spies listening to everyone’s conversations in Paris. In the marketplace, salon, or café, there was a spy wherever you were. He did not trust many people and always wanted to know what was being said and what was going on.
Trusting and empowering people are great ways to build your organization. Once you trust the people around you to do what is necessary, you empower them to do more than they would have if you were constantly watching over their shoulder. Learn to give the people you lead some space and freedom.
Give them responsibility and show your staff that you trust them. One of us (NHB) has a policy that the front office should solve problems regarding patients without having to check with the office manager or the doctor. The only caveat is that the correction or the solution always should be in the best interest of the patients.
Change What Is Not Working
Napoleon’s failure to adapt eventually hurt his military and political campaigns. By failing to build a navy and looking for alternative innovations, he lost his ability to outmaneuver his enemies and defeat them.
Learn to Delegate
Napoleon’s subordinates could pull off miracles only under strict, careful instruction. Those high in Napoleon’s favor were those who obeyed orders precisely. Promotions weren’t given to those who had independent ideas. The result: when Napoleon’s generals had to think on their own or perform without Napoleon’s instruction, they were often nervous, fumbling, and counterproductive.
Physicians alone cannot do all the work needed for most office visits. Allow the nurse, medical assistant, or other clinical support staff to fully use their skills to create a smooth, seamless visit for the patient so that each patient has a satisfying doctor–patient encounter. Creating standard work routines enables staff to take on additional responsibilities, giving physicians more time to spend on patient care.
Keep Cool
Napoleon had a bad temper. Sometimes, he’d fly off the handle over small matters, and sometimes he’d plan a fit, hoping that his dramatics would inspire his subordinates to action. He used his loud outbursts to inspire fear and respect in the ranks, but they rarely won him points in diplomatic circles.
If a staff member makes a mistake, raising your voice or reprimanding that staff member in front of other employees, or even worse, in front of patients, can be demoralizing to the entire staff. Lesson for the medical profession: Control your temper. Outbursts have a minimal impact and often make you look foolish.
Bottom Line: Not all physicians have Napoleon’s drive or vision, but all of us who care for patients can learn from his experiences.
References
Goodlad G. Napoleon at war: secrets of success, seeds of failure? History Today. 2009;65 (December). www.historytoday.com/archive/napoleon-war-secrets-success-or-seeds-failure .
Joffrin L. A classic dictator?: Napoleon. History Today. 2005;55(7):July.
Napoleon’s Grand Military and Diplomatic Strategy: Divide the Great Powers; Demonstrate Strength; Control Negotiations. March 26, 1807. The Raab Collection. www.raabcollection.com/napoleon-bonaparte-autograph/napoleon-bonaparte-signed-napoleons-grand-military-and-diplomatic
Ignaz Semmelweis, the doctor who discovered the disease-fighting power of hand-washing in 1847. The Conversation. April 14, 2020. https://theconversation.com/ignaz-semmelweis-the-doctor-who-discovered-the-disease-fighting-power-of-hand-washing-in-1847-135528 .