President's Message | September 2021

Sep 22, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

Not everyone has perfect qualities to be a leader, but every one of us will need to be leadership-oriented to be successful in the future. Are you ready to step up?

Team SDPA just wrapped up their annual Leadership Summit, which took place in Napa, California. This was a wonderful opportunity for the 2021-2022 Board of Directors and Committee Chairs to come together, share ideas, and connect. With current and future society projects at the forefront of discussion, we cheerfully started off with the mantra “SDPA ALL DAY.” While we largely focused on topics related to the society and the Derm PA profession, we spent time reflecting on our own “entrepreneurial spirit,” the driving force behind not only individual endeavors, but also those we pursue when part of a leadership team.
 
Keynote speaker Howard Tullman, a successful “serial” entrepreneur and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois, delivered an engaging presentation on “the entrepreneurial mindset,” based on his book The Perspiration Principles. He dissected his “Dozen Rules for Making Your Own Future” and talked about “The Perspiration Principles” with emphasis on the five Ps:

• Passion: Care more than others think is wise.
• Preparation: Study more than others think is smart.
• Perspiration: Work more than others think is possible.
• Perseverance: Risk more than others think is safe.
• Principles: Dream more than others think is practical.

We pondered our unique skill sets and each shared two out of the dozen rules that resonated with us personally. The weekend was productive and filled with rich discussion on how individual style and talents are an essential contribution to SDPA.

In the end, we discovered that Napa is not just a quaint town nestled in California’s wine country, it’s also an acronym—Notable Amazing PAs! Cheers to our SDPA NAPAs who delivered over the two-day retreat. I cannot wait to share with you what is in store in making the SDPA excel. After all, as the saying goes, “none of us is as smart as ALL of us.” So now, I invite you to reflect on your own entrepreneurial mindset and consider how you might be an asset to a leadership team.

With you and for you,

Renata Block, MMS, PA-C
SDPA President