Insights

Stay Visible. Stay Valuable.

by

Why Visibility and Value Are the New Metrics for Leadership

There have been moments — especially lately — when I’ve felt the weight of all this work. When I’ve looked around and seen roles disappear, committees restructured, and priorities quietly pulled back.

In spite of this, ODLC continues to grow, build, and move forward with measurable impact during complicated times.

How do we continue to thrive? We stay visible. We stay valuable.

From the start, ODLC has equipped leaders to navigate complexity — not avoid it — by emphasizing the ability to create value as a foundational leadership skill. In a shifting landscape, it’s not just what you stand for — it’s how you make it matter.

Through our national work with med tech companies, professional societies, health systems, and clinical departments, I’ve explored how the most effective leaders are meeting this moment — by finding new ways to stay present, purposeful, and aligned with what matters most.

What it Really Takes to Stay Valuable

When visibility is paired with value, awareness becomes action _ and presence turns into progress.

The leaders who are thriving right now are those who study the moment, name the forces at play, and embed equity work so deeply into their systems that it can’t be sidelined because it matters to their communities.

That’s why we built the (drumroll…) ODLC V.A.L.U.E.M Framework — because adaptation without dilution is the next phase of leadership.

The ODLC V.A.L.U.E.™ Framework

We created the ODLC V.A.L.U.E.™ Framework to give leaders something they could immediately put to use. It’s a strategy tool for this moment built to help you align your work, sustain your presence, and lead with purpose when the path isn’t clear.

Each element of the framework reflects what we’ve seen in the field — the habits, mindsets, and tactics of equity-minded leaders who are still moving the needle with purpose and effectiveness.

V – Voice your alignment

Connect your work to system-wide priorities. Ex: safety, quality, retention, and access.

A – Anchor in evidence

Use relevant data and outcome metrics to strengthen your strategy and make the case for sustained investment.

L – Lead from your lane

Influence the spaces you’re already in using the skills you have already mastered. Leadership isn’t about a transcendent title — it’s about effective presence.

U – Understand the moment

Study the landscape. Know the forces at play — political, institutional, cultural, legal. Awareness sharpens your strategy and positions your work for lasting relevance.

E – Embed & Engage

Bring others into the work — and make it part of the standard operations. Equity grows when it’s shared and sustained.

 

“When visibility is paired with value, awareness becomes action — and presence turns into progress.”

 

Moving Forward

This isn’t just a framework — it’s a way to stay grounded when things feel uncertain and to keep leading with clarity when the noise gets loud. Over the next five weeks, we’ll be unpacking each letter of the ODLC V.A.L.U.E.™ Framework in our Insights series — starting with “Voice your alignment.” Expect real-world examples, quick applications, and practical strategies you can bring into your environment right away.

Whether you’re advocating inside your organization, shaping strategy for a society, or guiding patient care teams through change, we are here to help you continue to amplify your value.

Leading Forward,
Dr. Erica Taylor
ODLC Founder

Written by Dr. Taylor
Founder, CEO of ODLC Practice: Duke University Subspecialty: Hand Surgery Dr. Taylor believes the unique combination of our lived experiences, passion for changing the landscape of orthopaedics, and strengths in strategic diversity leadership make the ODLC powerful and inimitable.
Loading...