Illinois residents have come to rely on Dr. Ngozi Ezike’s televised coronavirus briefings for trustworthy information and encouragement during the pandemic. On December 3, Ezike shared some of her leadership best practices and tools for growth during a virtual holiday event with the Women’s Leadership Council.
Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), was recently named one of the 2020 Chicagoans of the Year by Chicago magazine. Hundreds of viewers tuned in live to hear her conversation with Clarita Santos, executive director of corporate and civic partnerships for Health Care Service Corporation.
The inspiring session was hosted by the Women’s Leadership Council, a group of Roosevelt University alumni and friends. The Council hosts guest speakers and networking events to help its members can grow personally and professionally.
Ezike shared what she’s learned about capable, compassionate leadership over the course of the pandemic. Despite the difficulty and responsibility of her role, Ezike said that it’s “a tremendous honor” to hold her position.
Ultimately, she said, she is motivated and excited about the future. “We’ve all gathered together to make things better,” she said. “If we can hold onto this, even after COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror, we can tackle racial injustice. We can tackle the AIDS epidemic. We can tackle maternal mortality and so many issues in public health and beyond.”
BRINGING HER WHOLE SELF TO HER ROLE
Ezike talked how she brings all of her roles — public health leader, physician, mother, a woman of faith — to her work leading Illinois through this crisis.
For Ezike, transparency and vulnerability at the core of her leadership style. “When I’m talking to my team, I will come out there first and say, I’m stressed, I’m completely overwhelmed, I’m seeking help,” she said. “We have to prioritize ourselves so that we have something left to give others.”
STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY
Ezike told the audience how she has relied her network of friends, family and colleagues to continue to serve Illinois during the pandemic.
“Because I’m such a relational person, I don’t do surface connections,” she said. “I don’t have to have all the answers, but I’m surrounded by people, both at work and in my personal life, who can help me get to the answers.”
As IDPH director, Ezike oversees a team of 1,200 public health experts who are long-time leaders in their field.
“I had to get out of this do-it-yourself concept,” she said. “I realized that I had to lean into the dedicated experts that are already here, and allow them to birth the incredible ideas that allow us to move forward.”
THE ART OF DELEGATION
Ezike said that during the pandemic, she grew as a leader and a manager through effective delegation. When Ezike doesn’t get the results she expects from her team, she said that she looks to her own communication for ways to be more clear.
Ezike advised first-time managers that the three things that matter most are “communication, communication, communication”: about where you want to go, the timeline and what’s needed. Delegation, she said, requires two-way track about expectations and what obstacles need to be removed to reach them.
CREATING A SEAT AT THE TABLE
To close out the event, Ezike reminded the women leaders in the audience to continue to create opportunities for the next generation to follow in their path.
“We have to make sure that we are keeping open the doors that we came through so that other women leaders can come behind,” she said. “That we are sweeping up the shards of glass from the ceilings that we’ve broken.”
ABOUT THE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
The Women's Leadership Council works collaboratively with other groups at Roosevelt University and in the community to identify the critical issues women face. The Council participates in programming, provides mentorship and gives back to initiatives that facilitate real solutions to close the gender gap. Learn more.