Women Of The C-Suite: Laura Templeton of Compassus On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive
An Interview With Vanessa Morcom
The impact you have as an individual is greater than you know. As a leader, I often feel the responsibility of my role, but I don’t realize my broader impact. It’s important for leaders to take time to reflect on the effect we have on the individuals around us, in our industries and beyond. My aunt always told me to “slow down and smell the roses.” That’s something I try to remind my team leaders. Leadership is an honor and privilege. I am forever grateful I have the opportunity to be a leader and work with some of the most amazing talents I have ever met.
As a part of our interview series called “Women Of The C-Suite”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Templeton, Executive Vice President and COO of Compassus.
Laura Templeton, RN, BSN, MBA is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Compassus, one of the nation’s leading providers of integrated home-based care services including home health, infusion therapy, palliative and hospice care. With more than 25 years of clinical and operational experience, her natural leadership skills and nursing background combine to drive excellence across the enterprise to benefit patients and families. Templeton earned an undergraduate degree in nursing from Central Methodist University and an MBA in health care from William Woods University.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I began working as a nurse’s aide and worked in a long-term care facility while I worked on my nursing degree at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. My mom was a licensed practical nurse, or LPN, and my dream was to become an RN and work in obstetrics. I did that and delivered babies as an OB nurse, driving 90 minutes each way to work while I worked on my master’s degree and my husband and I began raising our family. After I received my MBA in health care from William Woods University, I started working as a director in areas that included maternal child health, ICU, telemetry and cardiac short stay. But it was when a close friend convinced me to shorten my commute and apply for a job in hospice that I found my true calling. It was a life-changing moment. This was the first job where I knew I was having an impact on how people live — and how they live differently, die differently. It’s a true calling. I love what I do.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
More than a single story, rather, it’s the journey of my time in my current role and the company’s journey through the years. When I started, Compassus was a hospice company, but we’ve grown to become one of the leading integrated home-based care providers in the country. Being part of that evolution from a small organization to treating more than 24,000 patients on any given day has been incredible.
When I was a young clinician in the field, I didn’t think about the possibilities ahead of us. I focused on the business at hand: providing the best hospice care to those who needed it. As I grew and had the opportunity to take on various roles within our leadership team, I learned to think in terms of the company’s broader vision.
People’s preferences and needs have changed and most prefer to receive care at home whenever they can. We understood we needed to evolve to meet those needs, and today we partner with some of the leading health systems in the nation to provide home-based care to more people who need it.
Our partnerships over the years have not only fueled the company’s growth, but they have been instrumental to developing our corporate identity and culture. Every partnership we embark on involves a merging of cultures that is interesting and unique. Certainly, with any new venture there are many logistics involved in ensuring success, but what many don’t realize is how much of a learning experience it is for all involved. While Compassus works to educate new partners about our care model and processes, our partners have just as much to teach us about their patients, markets and protocols that are just as integral to our success.
Every partnership I am privileged to be a part of is a remarkable learning opportunity that impacts who I am as a leader and opens my eyes to the possibilities we can achieve when working together with others.
Editor’s note: Reference point for the comment regarding patient preference to receive care at home:
https://apnorc.org/projects/long-term-care-in-america-americans-want-to-age-at-home/
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I grew up in the Midwest and began my career in Missouri. As I began working in other regions, I found communication styles could be quite different. That was an eye-opening experience for me. I look back at that and smile because I had several blind spots as a young leader.
I recall an early trip I took to one of my East Coast regions that particularly resonated with me. Up until that point most of my career had been centered in the Midwest and I was used to interacting with patients and peers in that region. On this trip I met with fellow colleagues from the region who were much more straightforward in their communication style than I was used to — and yet, the patients and families loved it!
Health care is local, and I learned immediately I had to be open to new ways of doing my job. As health care providers and as leaders, we must be willing to adapt to new environments. We can bring our past experiences with us, but we must also learn from local leaders, teammates, partners and patients, all of whom can provide new insights. Listening is an important leadership trait, and working together leads to stronger ideas and better solutions.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have been blessed over the years to have many wonderful mentors, so it’s important to me to be a mentor to others. As a former nurse, I understand the path to the C-suite doesn’t often begin in a clinical setting, but I believe the experiences and insights I gained as a clinician have made me a stronger leader. I will be forever grateful for the wisdom and support of the people who have cared for me and invested in me, beginning with my mom and dad and continuing to and including the people who surround me at Compassus today.
Leadership often entails making complex decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?
When it comes to decision-making, I try to focus on finding the right balance and prioritizing needs. For example, AI is a popular topic across industries — health care included. There are many potential applications for AI in health care, but not all of them make sense for our patients or business. As COO of Compassus, it’s my job to be aware of the potential innovations AI can bring while focusing on implementing ideas that will have the greatest positive impact on our care delivery and how we fulfill our mission.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
As COO, I need to be the person that looks at our business holistically, including what we’re focused on currently and where we are heading in the future. When I was in nursing, the view of my world was limited to providing quality care for patients and families — it was my top priority, as it should have been. As I progressed into leadership roles, that priority didn’t change but I started to understand the broader industry landscape and how other elements impact quality care. Now my responsibility is both to our patients and their families and also to our staff, partners and peers as we look to elevate and improve high-quality care delivery.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive? Can you explain what you mean?
I think most people would imagine health care executives and corporate officials are very distanced from the people who are providing the care. In truth, we’re one team working to achieve the same goals and organizations like ours that prioritize quality and personalized patient care know that. As a leader, it’s my job to help our teammates see the many ways we are connected, offer guidance and support, and ensure our teammates have the right tools, experience and desire to make an impact for our patients. Everyone is critical to our mission and vision and we all want to be successful together.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I believe all professionals who raise a family while working must overcome many challenges and conflicting priorities. Often, women bear the brunt of these challenges whether by choice or expectation. I’m a proud mother of three sons ages 26, 23 and 19. My career and raising a family have always been one-in-the-same life for me. Early in my career, I’ll confess I struggled to find the right balance as the roles of leader, wife and mother clashed at times. I have learned that there is room in my life, my schedule and my heart for all three. As a leader, you must be able to set priorities, and being a parent is a job that requires leadership. I’m grateful my experience as a parent and an executive have been complementary and I’ve been able to use those skills in both settings.
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
Early in my career I had the support of wonderful managers and mentors. I don’t know that I would have expected to enjoy such a comparable level of support in leadership roles and now as a COO — but thanks to the team I work with, I do. From my peers to the leaders, directors, managers and team members throughout the organization, we have a workforce that is compassionate, mission-driven, skilled and professional. Our board and executive team are visionary, and our team members extend our “Care for who I am” culture to one another as well as to our patients and families. I have never had a sense that it is “lonely at the top.” Quite the opposite, I feel surrounded by support.
Is everyone cut out to be an executive? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
When I started my career, I had a passion to become an OB nurse, and I loved what I did but I had an itch to learn and do more. I believe that curiosity to learn and do more — to have a greater impact — is where the path to leadership begins. You must be a person who learns from their mistakes and who pays it forward to others throughout their career journey. You must be patient with yourself and with others but also decisive and willing to act for the greater good of the organization and the people it serves. You have to surround yourself with people you trust and give them the autonomy to do their jobs. Each person should follow the career path that fills their cup, whether that is in leadership or a support role.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. The impact you have as an individual is greater than you know. As a leader, I often feel the responsibility of my role, but I don’t realize my broader impact. It’s important for leaders to take time to reflect on the effect we have on the individuals around us, in our industries and beyond. My aunt always told me to “slow down and smell the roses.” That’s something I try to remind my team leaders. Leadership is an honor and privilege. I am forever grateful I have the opportunity to be a leader and work with some of the most amazing talents I have ever met.
2. It’s not just the conversations you have, it’s the ones you don’t. I’m a big believer of open and honest communication. Communication isn’t just verbal. It also requires being sensitive to the people around you and understanding that they might prefer to communicate differently than you do. Does a team like to be communicated with via email or in-person meetings? How do they absorb information and feedback best? It means being aware of how you come across to others. Throughout my career, I have had to cultivate different listening and communication skills to be an effective leader.
3. You don’t have to know all the answers. Admitting you don’t have all the answers creates trust with your team and opens the door for problem-solving and co-creating together. Part of being a leader is empowering others to develop solutions and acknowledging the value we each bring to the team. Collaboration gives your team ownership in the decision-making process and builds trust.
4. It’s okay to be vulnerable. This goes hand-in-hand with not knowing all the answers. I’ve learned that showing some vulnerability and having a little bit of fun builds trust and creates an environment where others feel comfortable and safe contributing their own ideas. It’s also okay to feel uncomfortable. If you’re not a little uncomfortable or trying new things, then you probably aren’t challenging yourself enough.
5. Fill your cup before you fill others. When I first started on my leadership journey, I felt I had to get everything done before I could go home. But there’s always more to do tomorrow. You have to pace yourself, know how to prioritize and understand that extends to your own health and wellness. You can’t go 100 miles-an-hour all the time because it will exhaust you and that’s when mistakes can happen. This is the same message we give our caregivers and clinicians — you can only be effective caring for others if you also prioritize caring for yourself. Please take time to fill your cup, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I’m passionate about changing health care and how it is delivered. So many people experience a fragmented health care journey. We work hard to provide seamless transitions of care to our patients, families, and communities. I would like to see higher utilization of integrated home-based care. I would love to see more physicians and health systems reaching out to home-based care to help individuals be successful at home.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
Someone I’ve enjoyed following throughout her career is Taylor Swift. Taylor is a global icon, but her career journey has been filled with resilience, determination and the drive to overcome virtually any obstacle in pursuit of her dreams. I am inspired by her creative thinking and ability to build a following among people of different age groups, backgrounds and locations. The way she advocates on behalf of herself and others is inspiring.
When I was younger, I tended to be a quiet leader, someone who led first by example and only used my words when necessary. Taylor has taken a similar approach in her leadership. She often lets her work — her music — speak for itself, but she is not afraid to defend her decisions or fight for what she believes in. Her mindset to change the music industry and how she’s changed her own public perception through her words and emotional connection is very empowering.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at vanessa@morcom.media
