Douglas Flora: Embrace being a learner – it’s the best investment you can make in yourself
Douglas Flora, Executive Medical Director of Oncology Services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shared on LinkedIn:
“One thing my kids (and my team) hear frequently from me is: ‘Be the best at getting better.’ It’s not about being perfect or having all the answers. It’s about staying curious and committed to learning every single day.
Satya Nadella said it best in a conversation with Wharton’s Adam Grant:
‘[Say] you have two students—one with more innate capability, and the other with less. The person with less but is a learn-it-all will ultimately [become] better… You can’t act like a know-it-all; you must be a learn-it-all.’
That mindset shift—from ‘Know-it-all’ to ‘Learn-it-all’—is where real growth happens. It’s in reading books that push you outside your comfort zone, listening to podcasts that make you question your own beliefs, and engaging in conversations that stretch your perspective. Surround yourself with people who encourage this kind of growth, and you create an environment where continuous learning becomes the norm.
This is why I spend so much time here, sharing the things I’m reading and learning. It’s a way to keep myself accountable and to spark that same curiosity in others. Growth doesn’t happen in isolation; it happens when we challenge each other, exchange ideas, and commit to getting just a little bit better each day.
So, shift gears next time you’re tempted to focus on proving what you know. Embrace being a learner—it’s the best investment you can make in yourself.”
More posts featuring Douglas Flora.
Douglas Flora is the Executive Medical Director of Oncology Services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, overseeing clinical operations, strategic planning, and the expansion of cancer programs. He is also the co-founder of the Center for Precision Medicine; Genomic Health.
As the Editor-in-Chief of ‘AI in Precision Oncology,’ the first peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to this field, he plays a pivotal role in advancing research. He is also an active board member of the American Cancer Society and ACCC, where he contributes to advocacy, education, and innovation within the cancer community.
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