Description:
This is Dr. Richard Shuman's first book, a culmination of over 30 years in healthcare spanning direct patient care, running a private practice, working in the insurance industry, and leading large physician organizations. In these pages, he shares the lessons he has learned, offering personal insights on what it takes to build effective leaders and responsible organizations. Full of medical stories often hidden from the public eye, the book goes beyond medicine, returning again and again to universal leadership principles that apply to organizations of every kind.
Review Quotes:
"As a high school administrator for over 20 years, I found the leadership lessons in this book both relevant and applicable beyond the walls of medicine. Rich translates complex, high-stakes experiences into clear, practical insights that resonate with anyone responsible for guiding others. This is a thoughtful, accessible guide to leadership, with insights that readily apply to my own work".
Ted McCarthy
Director Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science at WPI, Massachusetts Principal of the Year 2021
"While written by a healthcare CEO, the leadership lessons in Unicorn are truly universal. The engaging storytelling forced me to reassess my own approach with every chapter. It has inspired me to be more intentional in my interactions and to
build a culture that is as productive as it is fulfilling."
Scott Donaldson, MD
Hubert E. Hatcher Family Distinguished Professor of Medicine at University of North Carolina
"Building a Unicorn" is a timely, new look at what constitutes excellent organizational culture and leadership. Dr. Shuman's unique perspective as a career physician and medical care provider brings a fresh perspective that begins with the well-being of all levels of staff, as well as clients/patients, and extends into making necessary, hard-nosed decisions that ensure organizational health. Shuman's riveting experiences and anecdotes from both the medical and management world relate, with personal humility and illumination, the bedrock of his philosophy: when the head-to-toe, whole body health of an organization is properly attended to, that organization is best-positioned to adapt to a changing world with resilience and compassion - and to have sustained success."
David J. LeLacheur
Entrepreneur
Building a Unicorn distills thirty years of hard-earned wisdom into stories that are at once humble, deeply human, and quietly profound. Dr. Shuman's reflections on culture, courage, and the weight of leading others will resonate with anyone navigating the realities of healthcare today. As an executive coach, I will be recommending this book often! Specific chapters are destined to become trusted guides for the leaders I walk alongside.
Kristen Woods, MD, MMM
Healthcare Executive Leadership Coach, Orcinus Health Solutions