Ever dream about becoming a leader? You know you have the necessary skills, and you observe other women in medicine lead like a boss *hair flip*.
So, what does it take?
Vision. Preparation. Action. Repeat.
As a female leader pioneer in the field of medicine, I am excited to share with you what my roles are, what exactly I do and how I lead my medical teams.
I am the founder and CEO of Michelle Dellene LLC, a coaching business dedicated to Healing the Healers. I developed Michelle Dellene LLC to help women in medicine suffering from autoimmune disease, burnout, toxic relationships and overall empowering them to optimize their physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual health through my coaching services.
Now, I didn’t just wake up one day out of the blue and decide to start up my very own coaching company. I personally battled MS, experienced burnout as a Surgical Physician Assistant, went through a traumatic divorce and dedicated two years of intense study to truly understanding and practicing how nutrition, yoga and meditation can heal the physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual bodies.
I chose to use the lemons life threw at me to make lemonade. Better yet… I recognized the energy I projected out into the universe could be altered through conscious awareness and transformed my unhealthy habits to create my unique healing journey.
Once I recovered from the debilitating MS flare, learned how to lean into the healing potential of my parasympathetic nervous system, healthily detached from toxic ties and realized the potential of using food as medicine to heal the body, I optimized my psychology with daily affirmations, balanced my emotional health through medicinal movement and expanded my energy by electing to only invest my time and attention to what serves my Highest Self. Most importantly, I evolved my spiritual health through daily Transcendental Meditation. I knew I struck gold when it came to digging in the gold mine of healing. I felt a deep inner drive to share my story with the world and help other women in medicine struggling to heal from similar challenges.
That was my vision. Now it was time to prepare. I read every book I could get my hands on when it came to leadership, becoming an entrepreneur, self-development and success. I recognized that action would not only get the ball rolling on making my business REAL, but it was the only way to truly help others.
So, I did, what Aries do best… TAKE ACTION.
One of my favorite business mentors Ed JC Smith always says, “you will always get what you want or learn what you need to know in order to get what you want.” This is exactly what I discovered when taking action. Every challenge in leadership led me to discover more about how I could strengthen my skills to become a leader. I pushed myself and stepped up even when I thought I wasn’t quite ready and surprisingly succeeded.
Most of us, especially as women, have a limited belief perspective when contemplating our ability to lead. Many of us have the skills necessary to do so, but somewhere in our experience of life we have adopted a false belief that we are unable to. It is just the repetition of creating the vision, thoughtful preparation and devotional action that empowers us to succeed and break through these false limitations of our mind.
Therefore, I commit to be an exceptional female leader in medicine. Not only to enjoy the life I live to the fullest potential but to share my wisdom with other aspiring women in medicine ready to heal, lead and succeed.
My choice to continue to develop as an exquisite female leader in medicine provides deep meaning to my purpose, or as we call it in yoga, dharma (what you are destined to do here on Earth), as a healer.
So, what is it exactly that I do?
In addition to running my own coaching business, I work as a Neurosurgical Physician Assistant, serve as the President Elect of The American Association of Surgical PAs, teach Vinyasa, Kundalini and Gut Health Healing Workshops and raise my super adorable four-year-old daughter, Ella.
In every role, I do my best daily to deliver high-quality leadership. As a Neurosurgery PA, this involves counseling patients in the clinic, directing my medical team, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, educating my patients throughout the peri-operative course of treatment, collaborating with other providers and, most importantly, learning every day.
As the President Elect of AASPA, I meet weekly with the conference planning committee as we create an incredible CME Conference for all attendees, I actively participate in monthly board member meetings, run the student networking events, travel to the Annual AAPA Conference as an exhibitor to network with fellow surgical PAs, leaders in medicine and promote awareness of our prestige organization.
As a yoga teacher, philanthropist, educator and mother, I selflessly provide my love for healing through leading classes, teaching students in workshops, volunteering my expertise and practicing patient parenting with my four-year-old.
No matter the hat I choose to wear in the present moment, effective leadership all comes down to three essential values.
- Devotion
- Integrity
- Dedication
When you are devoted to delivering what you have promised, there is no question of whether it will successfully happen, it’s just a matter of timing. For me, it’s all about passion. Leading with my heart I know I will always succeed. When you devote your life to leading by example, this means you devote your actions to firmly represent your belief system. Every day you choose to lead, to heal, to succeed no matter what small or big experience the universe manifests for you. It is all a part of the big picture.
How do you feed your devotion?
Understand your why.
Revisit why you have decided to lead. Remember what it felt like to dream big. Imagine yourself achieving your goals as a leader. Take some time to fill your cup before your attempt to pour out into the community.
Speak the truth and understand the universe is always witnessing every thought, feeling, action, behavior & habit. When you set out to do something, do it with integrity. Understand your honest intention and witness how your commitment positively influences your reality.
Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk. Lead by example. Keep moving forward and follow through with what you say you are going to do.
Finally, but most importantly, dedicate yourself. You’ve understood your devotion, you’ve delivered wholesome results, now it’s time to cultivate healthy habits to sustain your leadership dream.
That means showing up daily. In yoga we call this Tapas or discipline. Formulate a system that works well for you and make it easy so you can continue to practice it long term.
For me that means, daily yoga asana with 20 minutes of transcendental meditation under the stars before my daughter wakes up in the morning. It means revisiting my goals every new moon to reflect on what I have accomplished and celebrate it. It means journaling at night to understand what my subconscious beliefs are. It means checking my email every day and responding with an authentic energy that reflects my honest opinion. It means showing up for my clients and delivering top quality coaching. It means providing pristine health care to my neurosurgical patients. It means collaborating with other powerful leaderships even when it is intimidating.
Your journey as an elite female leader in medicine will look entirely unique to you and your journey. Embrace it. Practice unapologetic creative expression of your strength and show up each and every day.
No matter what, never give up.
You are capable of much more than you may believe yourself to be.
So go get ‘em, tiger! I’m right here cheering you on!
With limitless love & expansive light,
Michelle Dellene
CEO & Founder of Michelle Dellene LLC
President-Elect of The American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants
Neurosurgical PA-C
Registered Yoga Teacher
Proud Mama
