Orthopedics leader stresses importance of setting up team to succeed
Leadership requires flexibility and motivation to help others thrive
IN THE NEWS: A positive outlook, adaptability and flexibility are key attributes of a strong leader in the orthopedic space.
Dr. Jonah Davies, a UCI Health orthopedic surgeon, dual fellowship-trained in orthopedic trauma and shoulder and elbow surgery, spoke with Becker’s Spine Review about the hardest lessons he has learned as a leader.
“One of the hardest lessons I have learned is that you can’t expect others to respond or act exactly as you would in every situation. Each person brings their own blend of character traits, skills, experiences and perspectives, which makes them unique. If you try to force people into roles or situations with rigid expectations, you risk setting them up for failure because it may not align with how they process or approach challenges.”
He also discussed what leadership means to him and the importance of putting a larger team in a position to succeed.
“True leadership means placing others in a position to succeed and supporting them along the way. That often requires adapting to individual needs, sparking creativity and nurturing motivation so that people can thrive. It takes more effort than applying blanket policies, but the payoff is worth it: greater job satisfaction, stronger dedication and improved team retention.”
Davies is an associate professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. His clinical interests include upper extremity trauma and reconstruction, shoulder and elbow joint replacement, peri-articular fractures, non-unions, elbow joint release and ligament reconstruction and rotator cuff disease.
He has published numerous articles and textbook chapters and has served on scientific and safety boards for several national multicenter studies. Davies is the elbow section editor for the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma and is actively involved in longitudinal research projects on shoulder and elbow fractures and arthroplasty.
Make an appointment at UCI Health Orthopedic Surgery Services by calling 714-456-7012.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).