The 3 essential responsibilities: a leadership story.

The 3 fundamental and essential responsibilities of leadership--setting a compelling and appealing direction (vision), selecting the right people (talent), and creating and embracing the right set of guiding core values (culture)--are reviewed in the context of the many contributions and leadership legacy of Dr Stanley J. Dudrick, one of the giants of American surgery. Critical success factors which enable the development of leadership as an organizational capacity in any department or unit are emphasized. They include building a team of faculty and residents who are aligned on mission, vision, and values; forging a climate where people are willing to have difficult conversations rather than avoiding complex problems; and the establishment of an esprit d'corps where people experience that they are contributing to a purpose larger than themselves.