Servant Leadership: Lessons Learned from the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, Dr. Thom Mayer

Oct 17, 2023

Servant Leadership: Lessons Learned from the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, Dr. Thom Mayer

I was deeply honored to interview Dr. Thom Mayer, who is the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, Executive Vice President of Leadership for LogixHealth, Founder of BestPractices, Inc., Speaker for Executive Speakers Bureau, Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University – and Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University.

Dr. Mayer is one of the most widely-sought speakers on healthcare patient experience, leadership and management, hardwiring flow, trauma and emergency care, pediatric emergency care, EMS/disaster medicine, and sports medicine. His work in each of these areas has resulted in changing the very fabric of patient care.

He was recently nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. USA Today named him one of the “100 Most Important People in the NFL.”

When asked about these awards, Dr. Mayer simply says, “I have only one talent. I know how to hire people who are not only better than me, but much better than me. They won the awards, not me.”

What struck me most about our discussion was how truly humble and caring Dr. Mayer is, and how much he exemplifies Servant Leadership. Dr. Mayer’s belief is that each and everyone of us is a leader. I encourage everyone to listen to this episode and share with your community, family and friends. You will be inspired and have hope for our future in healthcare, starting with today.

Discussion Points:

  • What is the best framework for understanding the 6 main drivers of burnout?
  • Why does innovation occur at the speed of trust?
  • How do we cure burnout?
  • What are some of your top lessons learned as a national leader?
  • What are top organizational solutions for resolving burnout that you have used successfully?
 
Listen to the complete podcast.

 

 

 

Thom Mayer, MD, FACEP, FAAP, FACHE

Medical Director NFL Players Association

 
 Dr. Mayer is the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, Executive Vice President of Leadership for LogixHealth, Founder of BestPractices, Inc., Speaker for Executive Speakers Bureau, and Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University and Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University. He was named the 2018 winner of the James D. Mills Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Medicine Award, which is the highest honor of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He was recently nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. USA Today named him one of the “100 Most Important People in the NFL.” Tom Peters, the internationally acclaimed leadership guru, referred to his work as “gaspworthy.”

 

When asked about these awards, Dr. Mayer simply says, “I have only one talent.  I know how to hire people who are not only better than me, but much better than me.  They won the awards, not me.”

 

Dr. Mayer has been the founder, CEO, and principal shareholder of physician leadership, staffing, and management and ambulance transport companies with revenues exceeding $100 million, which were then sold with an average IRR in excess of 38%.  He continues to hold intellectual property rights to all the content developed by these companies.

 

He is one of the most widely sought speakers on leading in times of crisis, patient experience,, hardwiring flow, trauma and emergency care, pediatric emergency care, EMS/disaster medicine, and sports medicine. His work in each of these areas has resulted in changing the very fabric of patient care.

 

In 2022, Dr. Mayer helped lead a mobile team to Ukraine. On September 11, 2001 Dr. Mayer served as the Command Physicians at the Pentagon Rescue Operation and has served on 3 Defense Science Board Task Forces, advising the Secretary of Defense. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, over 200 book chapters, and has edited or written 25 textbooks, including:

  • Leadership for Great Customer Service:  Satisfied Employees, Satisfied Patients: 2nd Edition
  • Leadership for Smooth Patient Flow
  • Hardwiring Flow
  • The Patient Flow Advantage
  • Strauss and Mayer’s Emergency Department Management.
  • Battling Healthcare Burnout

 

Dr. Mayer was named the ACEP Outstanding Speaker of the Year and has been named ACEP’s “Over-the-Top” award winner 3 times.  Battling Healthcare Burnout won the ACHE’s James Hamilton Award for the best healthcare leadership book in 2022 and Leadership for Smooth Patient Flow won the ACHE’s James Hamilton Award for the best healthcare leadership book in 2008.  In sports medicine, his work at the forefront of changing concussion diagnosis and management in the NFL has changed the way in which these athletes are diagnosed and treated.

 

Dr. Mayer was the originator of the entire NFL Concussion Guidelines program, and thus has changed the nature of concussion diagnosis and management world-wide.  He gives many examples of his NFL experiences in his talks.

Dr. Katie Cole

Affectionately called “The Healer’s Healer,” Dr. Katie Cole is an award-winning psychiatrist and consultant who works with physicians and organizations to reinvigorate their passion for medicine, create healthier work/life balance, and prevent costly burnout.