
David Levine is presently President of DL Consulting, a management consulting group, primarily in health care, looking at strategic management issues of institutions and health care systems both in the public and private sector. David Levine left the Montreal Health and Social Service Agency in April 2012 after ten years as President and CEO. The Agency is responsible for health and social services on the island of Montreal. With a 1.9 million population and a 6.3 billion operating budget this, other than Alberta, is the largest health region in Canada. There are 8 university teaching hospitals, 4 psychiatric hospitals, 12 health and social service networks, and 19 other speciality institutions under the Agency's jurisdiction. Previous to the Agency in 2002 Mr. Levine was junior Minister…
Leaders are not born. Not every one can be a great leader but we can all be leaders. Becoming a leader is a learning experience and as the knowledge one gains mixes with one’s personality different types of leaders are formed. My experience in politics and health care, my experience in learning to lead and then continuing to learn as I lead larger and larger organizations has allowed me to develop tools that I use and continue to use in each project I undertake. A leader is not necessarily a good manager and vice a versa but a good to great leader understands managers and management and how to inspire them. Each of us can be a leader in our business, our schools, our hospitals and our communities. Good priests and rabbis are leaders and great priests and rabbis are great leaders of their congregation. Lead the group, lead the team, lead the orchestra, lead the army, lead your organization or lead a class requires leadership skills that can be learned. Whether we are looking at political leadership, organizational leadership or personal leadership the building blocks and knowledge are the same. Building leadership in my experience is based on 3 pillars: •Building a collective vision •Building relationships and trust •Building knowledge These three pillars of leadership when applied to any situation will allow leadership to emerge. As CEO of the Montreal Regional Health Agency, the Ottawa Hospital and Notre Dame Hospital in Montreal I learnt leadership skills in complex health care organizations. As junior Minister of Health in Quebec I learnt political leadership and as Quebec's Delegate General in New York I learnt diplomatic leadership. Let me take you on a learning journey that will better your own leadership skills.