Sharlet Briggs is the current, and first female, president of Kettering Health Main Campus. Sharlet joined Kettering Health in 2021 as chief operating officer, before taking the helm as president. She is author or co-author of numerous books, a clinical psychologist, and joined Kettering Health following a long and successful career at Adventist Health in California.
Joining Kettering Health at the height of the pandemic, Sharlet shared one of her biggest accomplishments so far is the care the system provided for its frontline workers, and the community they built around their staff during perhaps the most challenging time of their lives.
“My first thought was, ‘how can we really put our arms around our staff and physicians,’” she shared. “How do we—in the midst of a very tough situation—make sure our staff feel like we’re here for them?”
Kettering Health Main Campus set up “resilience rooms,” packed with treats and ways to de-stress for our frontline workers, and Sharlet shared that this reflected her philosophy of leadership— “it’s all about our staff.”
And this philosophy is echoed in what Sharlet shared is the most important thing she’s learned over her incredible career.
“The most important lesson is to put your people first,” she said. “If you focus on your people, the rest will follow. Sure, you have finances, and quality controls, but if you focus on your people, celebrate with them, help them understand the work that needs to be done—that’s the most important lesson.”
For those new to their careers, hoping to enjoy the kind of career Sharlet has had, her advice is simple: work hard and jump in, look for any opportunities you can find, and most importantly, listen.
“Find someone who’s been where you want to be, have conversations with them, and implement their advice,” Sharlet shared. “And get yourself involved. I’ve had so many doors opened to me—trips to Africa, authoring books, and so much more—because I volunteered and was willing to pick something up. Make sure you’re getting involved outside of your work environment and creating community relationships.”
Thanks for being a trailblazer and history-maker, Sharlet!