One of my favorite authors, Ross King, published a rather interesting book in 2010 called The Fantasia of Leonardo da Vinci (Levenger Press). This book includes a collection of Leonardo’s riddles, jests, and fables. Leonardo had a keen interest in and fondness for the animal kingdom, and King’s book includes a section on Leonardo’s bestiary as well.

One item that caught my attention in the bestiary segment was “Constancy.” 

The section reads:

Constancy may be symbolized by THE PHOENIX which, knowing that by nature it must be resuscitated, has the constancy to endure the burning flames which consume it, and then it rises anew. 

This passage reminds me of the constancy of change. Everywhere we look, there is the promise of change, the threat of change. We talk about it often—at times hoping for it, sometimes dreading it and its implications. Its presence is seemingly one thing we can always count upon.  

Change is just like the phoenix—we see it coming, churning and bursting into flames.  And once the ashes have settled, we regroup and deal with the change that has occurred: favorable, suboptimal, or otherwise.

What compels me is the attitudinal approach to change. Some of us feel powerless—that we have no influence on change. 

Yet, in many cases, we can decide to lead change (or at least guide the principles of change) rather than being in the position of reacting to it. Changes in how we practice and care for our patients are here with the promise of more forthcoming, and these changes stand to considerably impact our patients and our ability to care for them. It is our duty to be proactive and help lead the changes that will occur.

So, how do we fortify ourselves to impact change? It is essential to empower ourselves by remembering we (and our patients) are key stakeholders. We need to share our perspective from the vantage point of the front lines. Let us also take a moment to underscore the importance of clear communication and close scrutiny and understanding of the problem(s) to be addressed. Working together is key and valuing all input, even when we are in disagreement on another’s perspective, is not only important but helps to build trust. We’re all in this together, as they say, so we must work with what we have. We cannot otherwise effectively guide change.  

I encourage you to take a look around—what can you do to improve systems, quality, access, _______? What can you do to make _______ better now and in the future?  

As always, I welcome your thoughts and perspective.