Health IT Influencers: Former HIMSS EVP Carla Smith, Chapter 1

The bar was set pretty high. During her 17-year tenure as EVP, Carla Smith helped guide HIMSS through periods of tremendous growth, launching several successful programs around public policy, workforce development, the advancement of women in Health IT, and innovation. As the industry evolved, so did her strategies.

And so, when it was time to start the next phase of her career, she wanted to find a way to leverage the experience she has gained, while zeroing in on the areas that are close to her heart. It’s precisely what she has achieved with CarlaSmith.Health, the consulting practice she introduced late last year.

In this interview, Smith opens up about what she enjoyed most about her time with HIMSS, what she believes are the most critical components of successful leadership, and what it takes for startup companies to get off – and stay off – the ground. She also talks about the ultimate goal of achieving gender and racial equality in leadership roles, and the “new reality” she has created.

Chapter 1



* Reflecting on her HIMSS tenure

* 12 years of expansion – “It’s the type of growth numerous companies haven’t survived.”

* Stability in leadership

* Changing habits – “People feel a lot of ownership.”

* Active listening skills – “You need to check judgement at the door.”

* Interest in startups: “I could see a change occurring.”



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Bold Statements

I promise you, it’s going to change. It’s going to change dramatically and it’s going to change almost without warning. If that works for you, it might be a good fit.

I want to be part of an environment where I will at least be given the respect of voicing truth to power. It doesn’t mean that you always get your way, but you have to be in an environment where truth can be spoken.

When someone says, ‘We’re not going to do things the way we’ve done it,’ or ‘we’re not going to do that anymore,’ that can be very upsetting. A leader needs to be able to simultaneously share the vision of what can happen when we let go of those things, and what is the path that’s going to take to get us there.

Be very clear as the leader that you believe in the existing people and you believe in the new person, and you are committed to finding a healthy new normal for the group. Be clear that you will work with individuals to create a healthy new environment, and demonstrate it with your actions.

I remain an optimist. I think it’s fantastic for the health sector to have so much innovation in it. Simultaneously, it’s also incredibly challenging because so much innovation can end up as confusing noise. You don’t know where to turn, you don’t know who to listen to, and you don’t know who to believe.

Gamble:  Hi Carla, thank you for joining us. I think this will be really fun. I want to talk about your career, including your time with HIMSS, as well as how the industry has changed, and what you’re doing now.

Smith:  Thanks Kate, I’m delighted to have the conversation.

 

Gamble:  Great. Let’s start by talking about your time with HIMSS. One thing that’s really interesting to me is how you were able to navigate the tremendous growth it experienced. It’s concerning if an organization is growing too fast or getting too big. How did you approach that from a leadership standpoint?

Smith:  I’ve thought a lot about that, because the growth we experienced for about a 12-year period is the type of growth that numerous companies have not been able to survive. What was it that went right for us? I have a few thoughts on that. One is that for many years, it was a three-person leadership team. Norris Orms [former VP and COO] and I reported to Steve Lieber for a number of years. My skills,