A New Blog and a New Book

“The Front-Line Leader” book by Chris Van Gorder, CEO of Scripps Health in San Diego, California, is now available.  Notable book reviews were received on Chris’ philosophy of putting people first, his management tips,  and how he successfully implemented what he learned to build strong relationships and a strong organization.

How do you lead an organization through dynamic change in ways that build loyalty and credibility, stay true to your core values and benefit your community?


I’ve been exploring the answers to that question for the last four decades, first as a street cop then later in health care.


Perhaps the most important answer is this: You can’t lead from the C-suite. You must go where the business of your organization is happening — to the front lines. You have to get your hands dirty and connect in a personal way with the people you are leading.


Along the way I stumbled at times and succeeded in ways I never imagined I would, always learning more about managing staff and serving patients.


I want to share those lessons and the philosophy that has helped Scripps Health grow into one of the top health systems in the United States over the last decade.


I’m doing that in two ways. First, I’m launching this blog where I will write regularly about my experiences as a leader. Feel free to check back here every week or so for my latest reflections.


I’m also sharing my experiences in a new book (my first). “The Front-line Leader: Building a High Performance Organization from the Ground Up” begins hitting book stores today. It’s also available on amazon.com, iPads and Kindles, and soon as an audio book.


Though I wrote the book with the emerging leader in mind, it’s something that anyone can read, all the way up to CEOs.


For a little more about the book take a look at this video: