How practice leaders can build career momentum with an influencer plan

Michele S. Szkolnicki, M.Ed, BSN, RN, FACHE, FACMPE

Climbing the career ladder in medical practice leadership requires more than technical skills and hard work. In a crowded field, leaders who deliberately cultivate visibility and credibility often move ahead faster than those who wait to be noticed. That’s why experts say developing a personal “influencer plan” — a structured approach to networking, speaking, publishing and self-renewal — has become an essential tool for administrators and physician leaders alike.

Mona E. Miliner, MHA, NHA, FACHE, FACMPE, FHFMA, FACHCA, FACHDM

At the MGMA Leaders Conference 2025, Michele S. Szkolnicki, M.Ed, BSN, RN, FACHE, FACMPE, and Mona E. Miliner, MHA, NHA, FACHE, FACMPE, FHFMA, FACHCA, FACHDM, presented a session encouraging practice leaders to create personal influencer plans.

Such plans provide intentional steps to strengthen visibility, expand professional networks and position leaders as subject-matter experts. “It allows you to purposefully position yourself within your industry,” Szkolnicki said. “You have to invest in yourself to be your best self.”

Below are five strategies for building your own plan, along with insights from the presenters on why consistent self-investment matters.

Why an influencer plan?

Szkolnicki and Miliner emphasized that leadership growth requires more than hard work, it requires working strategically and visibly. By presenting at conferences, publishing articles or simply posting insights on LinkedIn, leaders open doors to opportunities that might never have materialized otherwise.

The presenters’ own collaboration illustrates the point: by joining forces, they turned their shared vision into a conference session that boosted both of their profiles.

And, they reminded attendees, career development is not optional — it’s a necessity.

Leaders who fail to renew themselves risk burnout and stagnation. Even modest steps — quarterly check-ins or contributing to a webinar — can sustain growth.

As one session slide underscored: “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.”