Don't Pick Up All the Dog Hairs

Book excerpt: Everyone wants to know what to do to be successful. But if you’re wondering what you should NOT do, here’s all you need to know! Ron Dwinnells sought leadership skills from early on in his career, and Don’t Pick Up All the Dog Hairs is the delightful and informative culmination of that search. If you’re looking for insights into how to deal with situations and enhance your life at home and in your career, Dwinnells delivers—with advice via chapters with names like “Don’t Fly with Turkeys,” “Don’t Dress like a Warthog,” “Don’t Be a Jamoke,” and “Don’t Run Over the Cat.” Don’t Pick Up All the Dog Hairs began serendipitously while Dwinnells was teaching public health and leadership classes at a local medical school. He advised his students what-not-to-do as a leader through entertaining stories from his own very unique background, conveying lessons he had learned from failures, adversities, mistakes, and even enemies from leadership experiences along the way. The lecture series became so popular with students, it won him accolades and several teaching awards—and pressure to write his stories down. Dr. Dwinnells, a pediatrician and certified physician executive, did just that, and we’re the beneficiaries. But don’t let the clever chapter titles fool you. Don’t Pick Up All the Dog Hairs is full of serious wisdom in chapters like “Don’t Fail to Prioritize,” “Don’t Be a Manager When You Are Supposed to Be a Leader,” and “Don’t Drain the Emotional Bank Account.” So put down the vacuum and enjoy some advice (and laughter) while learning to be your best. Ron Dwinnells is the CEO of ONE Health Ohio, an integrated community health center program serving the medically uninsured, underinsured, and underserved populations in northeast Ohio. His clinics have served over one million patients during his 35 years at the helm.