Suggestions
Dawn Zieger
Vice President, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Geisinger
Dawn Zieger is a healthcare leader with a diverse and unconventional background. After serving in the U.S. Army as a PATRIOT Missile Crewmember, she went on to work in community development in Vietnam and spent a decade in technology, translating business solutions into technology strategy. Zieger also has experience developing services for homeless individuals and volunteering to help open a home for women who have been trafficked. Zieger's passion for leadership, vision for change, and "nerd skills" have led her to a long-term career path in healthcare. She studied for her Master of Public Health at Dartmouth College and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies from Dallas Baptist University. She currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Behavioral Health at Geisinger and has also held leadership roles at JPS Health Network and DFWHC Foundation. With her unique background, Zieger is up to the challenge of leading through change in healthcare.
Highlights
Can you be yourself… unapologetically?
My good friend and I were talking last night about how things have changed in my career over the past 15 years. She said something that made me pause… “You are the most Dawn I’ve ever seen you at work”.
We spend so much time adapting and adopting personas to fit the situations we find ourselves in. It’s easy to lose our strengths in the search to fit in.
If I change myself to fit in, what part of my skills and personality am I withholding? Maybe that unconventional thought is the thing that will lead to breakthrough? Maybe that far fetched vision for what could be unlocks a dream in others?
I’m done apologizing for thinking big, re-envisioning what could be and reserving my thoughts to put forward what’s safe.
You have something unique to offer the world! Let’s be misfits together!
Can you find joy in your day?
Today I had three wonderful life-giving conversations with people I value and who value me.
Many days we can distance ourselves from the mission of what we do, get lost in the details and get frustrated with the processes to make an impact.
We have to fight through insignificant details to get to significant impact. It’s that fortitude that helps us truly be. I’m grateful today that I have been equipped with the patience to make large scale changes and long term impact.
