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Dr Tracey Murray began thinking deeply about leadership after her husband died of stomach cancer in 2016.
Could she still lead? How could she move forward when so much of her life was gone?
Murray, a dean at Coppin State University, reevaluated her role and how she balanced her life.
As a result, she went from always giving 110 percent to giving her maximum effort at 80 percent.
She began scheduling regular exercise to coincide with her meetings, she became more strategic, learned to trust and delegate, and empowered her team.
And most importantly, she has become more patient with herself.
“At the end of the day, only you, the leader, knows what you were trying to accomplish completely, so that’s OK,” Murray says. “You just need to get others to strategize and execute more.”
Murray, who is dean and professor of health professions and director of the Health Center at Coppin State University, will share her perspective at the Daily Record’s Women’s Leadership Summit at Coppin State University on Wednesday, March 20. She will be joined as a co-presenter by Dr. Lori Harbin, assistant professor in the Helen Fuld School of Nursing at Coppin State University.
Be the best leader
Much of what Murray talks about is about inspiring and empowering those around him, and stepping back from roles that require hand-holding.
Though she is a dean, Murray still works occasionally as a family nurse practitioner, and from that position she understands how important it is for leaders to find ways to make time for balanced lives of health, faith and family.
“Leadership is stressful, and if you’re not balanced, you’re not going to be the most effective, optimal leader,” Murray said.
Murray advocates for managers to make sure every employee has a professional development plan. This allows employees to grow and set goals for career advancement, while connecting managers with valuable resources. Murray also believes that the plan can help higher-level leadership make strategic decisions, like what type of training to offer.
In keeping with how he empowers his staff, Harvin said he believes leaders should be visionaries but also encourage others to be visionaries.
For example, she worked with her teaching team to take a step back and have faculty consider different options, which led to better instructional strategies that helped students better understand the information in their courses.
Mentors can offer important advice
For Murray, one of the most important pieces of advice she received at the Immersion Leadership Institute before becoming a dean was when the presenter said, “Don’t just aim to become a dean, aim to become a higher education administrator.” She learned that while dean positions aren’t always available, there are plenty of opportunities for higher education administrators.
Murray returned from the conference and called the dean who had sent her to the lab. He had previously offered her a leadership role, which she had turned down.
“She was asking if she would consider me if there was another opportunity,” Murray recalled.
His colleagues were excited and energized because no one else was in the position yet, and Murray was able to take an important step in his career.
She has found that mentorship is a proven leadership practice that produces results.
She encourages mentoring relationships between people at different stages in their careers, but also connecting with others at a similar stage: She says the camaraderie and knowledge that there are others out there in the same situation and seeing how others are dealing with similar challenges is helpful.
Murray has been advised by mentors in many areas of her life. Her own husband was a key mentor to her. He was CEO of Murray Group LLC, a disabled veteran and minority-owned business that specializes in cleaning and janitorial services, and Murray Group Holdings LLC, a real estate investment company. She was the chief operating officer and became CEO when her husband passed away.
Her husband helped her learn about management and finance, skills that she could apply to her role in higher education administration.
Harvin believes now is the perfect time for women to take on leadership roles, and she looks to people like Michelle Obama and is excited for a future where women, especially African-American women, are in leadership roles.
“There’s always a need for women to support, celebrate and inspire each other,” Harvin said.
Introducing the presenters
Dr. Tracy L. Murray
DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, RN, Dean and Professor, College of Health Professions, Coppin State University
Dr. Tracy L. Murray serves as dean of the School of Health Professions and director of the Wellness Center at Coppin State University in Baltimore. Previously, she served as administrator and faculty at Coppin’s Helen Fuld School of Nursing.
Her clinical experience is in surgical nursing, maternal-fetal, women’s health, family medicine, and end-of-life care. Her research focuses on postpartum depression, medication adherence, hypertension, chronic disease management, learner-centered principles, and evidence-based practice. Her sponsored research and grants focus on health disparities and workforce development, with a focus on populations affected by education and social determinants of health. She has worked in the fields of healthcare and nursing education for over 27 years.
Her mottos are “seize the day,” “work smarter, not harder,” and “seek joy because happiness is temporary.”
Dr. Lori Harvin
Dr. Lori A. Harvin is dedicated to eliminating health disparities in her community and received the Outstanding Community Service Award in 2016. Dr. Harvin is a strong believer in lifelong learning, always looking for opportunities to improve herself and bring out the best in others.
Her research focuses on the effectiveness of faith-based organizations and the role of spirituality in improving health behaviors. She recently published an article addressing the role of spirituality in health care delivery. Dr. Harbin’s other research interests include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, health disparities, student retention in higher education, and social determinants and minorities in nursing leadership.
