\n<\/p>\n
She recalled how, in meetings with senior leaders and external vendors, she often felt small and uncertain about whether her voice mattered.<\/p>\n
Over time, as she gained experience and came to understand the realities on the ground, her confidence grew. She also began to see how leadership decisions, shaped by her speaking up for staff, could improve nurses\u2019 daily work.<\/p>\n
For instance, after she raised concerns about long shifts for nurses, the hospital set about procuring more efficient, time-saving equipment for managing kidney disease, allowing nurses to spend less time handling machines and more time caring for patients.<\/p>\n
In 2016, when the National University Health System (NUHS) began planning the development of the current Alexandra Hospital campus, Lee took on a broader role as nursing lead, overseeing the preparation and training of both new and existing nursing teams.<\/p>\n
She then joined Alexandra Hospital as its chief nurse in 2019, and five years later, after leading her nurses through the COVID-19 pandemic, was appointed deputy chief executive officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realised that while managing others was hard, the role made it possible for me to let the voices of nurses and various other staff be heard,\u201d she said, adding that she saw how diversity in leadership was a safeguard against narrow thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiversity has become a buzzword, and ironically,\u00a0<\/span>it has divided people<\/span>,\u201d Lee said. \u201cBut actual diversity, as in different people with different experiences and backgrounds coming together for a shared cause, is crucial, especially in running a hospital.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen everyone in the boardroom comes from the same background \u2013 when everyone used to be schoolmates or former colleagues \u2013 that\u2019s when there\u2019s a high risk of groupthink,\u201d she added. \u201cAnd that\u2019s when no one thinks out of the box.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n