2024 AMSN Annual Convention Keynote Preview: Lee Rubin
Lee Rubin will deliver the opening keynote at the 2024 AMSN Annual Convention, which will be held Sept. 12–14 in Toronto. Get to know Rubin and preview some takeaways from his keynote, “5 Components of Extraordinary Teams,” here.
AMSN: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your area of expertise?
Lee Rubin (LR): I've got a unique background. I was fortunate to receive a full athletic scholarship to play football at Penn State University. I was a three-year starter and captain of the team but did not play professionally. After school, I spent 15 years in human resources with Fortune 500 companies. So, between sports and my professional corporate experience, I brought more than 20 years of team-building experience into my career as a keynote speaker.
AMSN: Why is it important for attendees of the AMSN Annual Convention to attend your keynote? Without giving too much away, could you provide a few takeaways for attendees?
LR: The beauty of my talk is that it applies to our teams at work but also applies to the teams we are a part of outside of work. Too often, leaders and contributors feel that having talented individuals will guarantee team success. That is the farthest thing from the truth. High-performing teams don't happen by accident. This talk will address the issues that help talented individuals build extraordinary teams.
AMSN: What about your keynote has you most excited?
LR: That’s an easy one … the audience. Because of the subject matter of my message (teamwork), it is relevant across all industries. As a result, I have the privilege of sharing my talk with a wide variety of organizations. However, there are two groups of people, or industries, that I am honored to share my message with: educators and folks in the medical industry. They do so much, and this is my way of saying thanks.
AMSN: What are some guiding principles that have influenced your life and work, and how can medical-surgical nurses apply those to their own careers?
LR: I sincerely believe that we really are ”better together”. However, there’s an important caveat to this statement: not everyone understands how to work together. We all understand that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. However, the parts don't always know how to work as a whole. Again, it doesn’t happen by accident. We will talk about some of those things, like sacrifice, communication, and trust.
AMSN: Is this your first trip to Toronto? If so, what do you hope to experience? If you’ve visited before, what are some must-dos and must-sees for first timers?
LR: This is not my first trip to Toronto, but it's been a while. So, I’m approaching this trip as if I’m a first-time guest. At the risk of sounding corny, I am really focused on meeting some great people and delivering a great message. Anything above that — in terms of enjoying the city — will be an added bonus.