For a glimpse into the leadership style of Steve Edwards and his approach to communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, look no further than his Twitter page.
On the Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth CEO's page is a pinned tweet from Nov. 13, 2020 — a quote from John Barry, author of books on the 1918 flu pandemic and the 1927 Great Mississippi Flood.
The quote: "Those in authority must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. ... A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart."
Mr. Edwards held to that philosophy as his leadership style changed compared to before the pandemic. He said his style shifted from "being very diplomatic to becoming more flat-footed to tell the hard truth, to manipulate nothing, to distort nothing."
That philosophy seeps into how he communicates with the public through his own Twitter page. His goal has been to make posts about COVID-19 apolitical and purely factual.
"During the pandemic, I continued to share facts thinking information can save lives," Mr. Edwards said. "I feel very fortunate. This is the town I grew up in. When we are treating patients, it is not market share. [These are] my friend's parents and grandparents and cousins and people I know — so we've been very dedicated in telling the flat-footed truth."
Still, he acknowledged that his Twitter page is not perfect. He is dyslexic, and there may be occasional spelling errors, he said. The content of his tweets have, at times, been controversial, too.
In a July 1, 2021, tweet, Mr. Edwards said, "If you are making wildly disparaging comments about the vaccine, and have no public health expertise, you may be responsible for someone's death. Shut up."
He was also sued in July by the mother of a young patient over a tweet he made and its "COVID" promo code for complimentary telehealth visits. The woman did not want her son associated with the word "COVID."
Mr. Edwards tweeted Aug. 2, 2021, that his organization "decided to provide free COVID telemedicine to address the uninsured and reduce exposure risk. In the software, a coupon code had to be chosen instead of [the] insurance field, 'COVID.' It was a public service. I regret [that] anyone would think it is part of a conspiracy theory."
The CEO told Becker's that he stands behind his tweets and his goal of communicating accurate information. "I tend to no longer communicate [with people] if they push misinformation. If they have a legitimate question, I'll stay up all night to try to answer questions."
Mr. Edwards noted that this approach has drawn mixed reactions — from the "occasional unhinged person," but also community members who are grateful he's being outspoken.
His openness includes his recent COVID-19 diagnosis as well. Mr. Edwards, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive for the virus earlier in January. He worked from home as he recovered and reported mild symptoms.
Now, he is out of isolation and back at work — but only until May, when we will retire as CoxHealth CEO altogether.
"I think it is rare that a CEO can be highly effective beyond 10 years," Mr. Edwards said in a Nov. 19 letter to staff. "It's easy to become rigid, recalcitrant and inadvertently thwart progress, which are things I never want to do."
Mr. Edwards' healthcare career spans nearly three decades. He originally joined CoxHealth in 1982, beginning on the grounds crew and later working as an orderly until 1984. After college, graduate school and a residency, he returned to CoxHealth in 1992 and moved up the ranks to become president and CEO in 2012.
Throughout his career, a gift his father gave him after he completed graduate school has stayed with him. The gift was a subscription to Money, which began in 1972 as a print magazine covering topics related to retirement and personal finance strategies. It is now an American personal finance brand and website.
"He kept renewing [the magazine subscription] until it set home with me that the best way to plan for your future is to have enough money saved that you have the courage to be a good leader. I've seen too many leaders make decisions guarding their employment, guarding their career, their future, and maybe not making the most courageous decision."
Mr. Edwards' advice for young leaders: "Have enough money in the bank that you don't worry about keeping your job, but focus on doing your job."