Why Healthcare Leaders Must Follow The Line Of The Ball

Polo is a fast-paced sport that can also be extremely dangerous. To protect riders and horses alike, it’s critical to follow “the line of the ball.” When you hit the ball, an imaginary line is created between you and the ball, giving you the right-of-way to follow it. No other player can cross your line, as crossing the line of the ball is not only considered foul play but also extremely dangerous. This concept is also relevant to healthcare leaders, who can use it to support smart decision-making that promotes good ethics and innovation while driving loyalty.

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How Ethical Leadership Creates Loyalty, the Ultimate Competitive Edge

The healthcare sector demands excellence and integrity, always in the interest of the patient. To maintain this code, following the line of the ball—in short, playing fairly—is essential. If you cross the line, you let down patients and may even risk endangering lives, just as if you were to violate the right-of-way rule in polo.

Even slight oversights can result in disaster. When individuals or companies cut corners, quality suffers, and when quality suffers, so does reputation. This holds true in any industry. Take Boeing, for example. The company went from being the world’s most trustworthy aircraft manufacturer to suffering serious reputational damage after whistleblowers revealed it had cut corners on production, endangering passenger lives.

Regardless of the industry, if you sell a product or service only to increase profit and revenue, it is a recipe for disaster. Success can be found in a customer-first approach. In the case of healthcare, by prioritizing patients over profit or high margins, it’s possible to earn the trust of patients, who may become repeat customers for life. That kind of loyalty is a powerful competitive edge.

A Patient-First Approach to Healthcare Innovation

In healthcare, putting patients first means prioritizing quality service, implementing technological process improvements, and adopting user-friendly service updates. Innovation is essential for staying ahead, whether that means developing mobile apps for appointment booking or adopting artificial intelligence (AI) for faster diagnostics. However, innovation should never mean compromising on patient care.

The key is balancing technological advancement with ethical practice, ensuring that innovation is designed to serve patients better, not just cut costs. Some tips for success:

Invest in the future: The Boy Scouts’ motto, “Be Prepared,” has always inspired me to think ahead. As technologies like AI drive change faster than ever before, it’s more important to prepare by investing in equipment, property, digitalization, and/or people.
Prioritize quality and patient care over profits: My mother taught me never to do anything merely for the sake of money. Especially in healthcare, a field that can be quite literally life or death, profits should never take precedence over patients.
Build trust through consistent ethical practice: When healthcare leaders prioritize patient wellbeing and quality care, people take notice. That recognition fosters trust and, in turn, inspires lasting loyalty. Joe Girard’s rule of 250 is worth keeping in mind: One unhappy patient might tell 250 people negative things, but one satisfied patient might encourage 250 new patients.

My Question for Healthcare Leaders: Are You Following the Line of the Ball?

I have played polo all over the world, from Ipoh to Palermo—and my sons play as well. The game has taught us valuable lessons that extend beyond the polo pitch. Above all else: Success in healthcare, like success in polo, comes from respecting the line of the ball. Do things right, help others first, and create good karma. The rewards will follow, as the trust of those you serve will lead to long-term loyalty and, with time, sustainable financial gains. So, if you are a healthcare leader, I invite you to ask yourself: Are you following the line of the ball?

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