In my 22 years of writing “Viewpoint,” I’ve learned countless lessons, three of which immediately come to mind:

1. Writing the column is an honor not to be taken lightly.

2. I owe a great debt to the superb Optometric Management editors who work their magic each issue to refine and improve my prose.

3. Some ideas, for whatever reason, haven’t made it into the column.

Below are ideas from a few columns that I’ve started but never quite finished:

• The joy of hobbies. From time to time, “Viewpoint” extols the health benefits of taking a vacation. This is not to ignore the shorter, more frequent breaks afforded by hobbies. An April 2021 review article in Lancet Psychology notes the “large and growing body of evidence on the health benefits of engagement in leisure activities.” So exercise, craft, game, travel, photograph, travel, hike, paint, perform, etc. And don’t worry about being good at it — it’s about the enjoyment.

• Humor: Is it a laughing matter? Humor in health care is a significant enough subject that the American Medical Association (AMA) devoted its July 2020 Journal of Ethics to the topic (bit.ly/AMAhumor). While certainly not a mandatory skill, using humor can help build rapport, relieve stress, and enhance communication. But before you attempt to “kill” in front of patients and/or staff, read the room and use tact, as “humor and laughter are not always enjoyable to all people,” write Drs. René T. Proyer and Frank A. Rodden in the Journal of Ethics article, “Virtuous Humor in Health Care.”

• Zillions of books, articles, podcasts, videos, and blogs are available on touting various leadership styles, and that’s a good thing. At first glance, the long list of leadership styles can be overwhelming: Lead by example, lead in the flow, lead by reimagining, lead with quiet strength, lead like Ted Lasso, and lead like Nick Saban are just a few examples. With all the choices, choosing the right style can be confusing: Should one lead like a fictional TV soccer coach or a real college football coach?

The good news is that with so many options available, you don’t necessarily have to adjust your behavior to any particular leadership style. Instead, you can likely choose a style that closely matches your experience, personality, character, and comfort level. Or, you can use the wealth of content as a reference to create a unique leadership style of your own. OM