29 Dec Power Suit: Debra Fields

City of Hope’s EVP Debra Fields on trusting your instincts, EQ, and the importance of culture

By Janet Heit

Debra Fields attributes her family’s frequent moves during her childhood to helping her become resilient and adaptable. But it was her father—a rabbi she describes as brilliant, compassionate, and people-focused and who had Type 1 diabetes—who instilled in her the values she practices as executive vice president and chief transformation officer at City of Hope, a multisite medical center specializing in cancer and diabetes research and treatment.

It took Fields several years after graduating from Harvard Law School and working at a large firm to realize she would rather be part of a mission-driven organization. That led to six years as George Washington University’s in-house counsel. But Fields wanted her three young children to be raised closer to her family out West. So, in 1998, they headed to Los Angeles, where Fields joined City of Hope as its first compliance officer.

Executive Woman: What has been the most rewarding part of being in your role. What has been a challenge?

Debra Fields: A few years ago, we acquired three new hospitals in Phoenix, Atlanta, and outside Chicago. Part of my role was to integrate these sites and create one City of Hope culture. We did that by inviting everyone within the system—over 12,000 people—to participate in conversations: Who are we? What does the City of Hope of the future look like? And what does that mean in terms of the values and behaviors we need to have? It wasn’t just culture defining; the process itself was culture building.

EW: Can you talk about a time when you received feedback about your leadership style that encouraged you to make an adjustment?

DF: As a younger leader, I thought I needed to be an expert to opine or speak up. That was something I had to grow into because of who I am, but also because, as a lawyer, I was trained to feel like I had to know everything in order to opine. I’ve since learned the importance of trusting my instincts. And also, there’s real value in not knowing everything. I often think my questions and reflections are deeper.

EW:  What advice would you give to a mid-career leader aspiring to senior management?

DF: In some ways, the most important skills to advance leadership potential are what I call the EQ [emotional quotient] and people skills. One of the things that’s been very important at City of Hope is leaning into the value of inclusion—truly believing in the value of a diverse workforce to the work we’re doing and the people we serve.

In addition to finding a sponsor and role models, don’t be afraid to take on stretch assignments and challenge yourself.

Learn to see the big picture. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You can’t be in the work that we’re in and expect everything to go perfectly, so you need to [be] okay with that.

EW: What are you proudest of in your career?

DF: I’m proud of my ability to translate vision and strategy into execution and delivery in such a complex environment. And I’m proud of my courage over the years to move into spaces where I wasn’t sure that I had all the capabilities to do the role. One piece of advice I’d give is to let things unfold. I see sometimes that younger professionals are fixated on what’s the next thing, what’s their ultimate career goal. I would never have been able to imagine the things I’ve done or where I am now had I not been open to that evolution. EW