Les W. Smith joined the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education in December 2019 as chief business strategy officer after a more than 20-year career at Arvest Bank. He was promoted to his existing position in March 2024 after serving as chief operating officer since January 2021.
What advice would you give someone wanting to be a leader in your industry? Be prepared for change. With changes in technology, particularly with artificial intelligence, embracing change and proactively addressing those changes will become more critically important.
What are some aspects of leadership you are still working to improve? Delegation. Instead of looking at it as pushing off work to someone else, look at it as an opportunity to empower your team to grow.
How do you handle pressure and stress in your leadership role? I try to stay organized and prioritize and keep things in perspective. Things are never as good as they seem, but they are also not ever as bad as they seem.
If you were not in your current role, what would you be doing? Working in real estate or finance in some capacity.
Who are your favorite leaders, and why? Gen. Colin Powell. He did not have a “one size fits all” leadership style. He was a situational leader who could adjust and pivot as necessary. That is ever so true in today’s rapidly changing, high technology-driven world. And Truett Cathy — a World War II military veteran and Christian (and founder of Chick-fil-A) who epitomized servant leadership.
What is the best business advice someone has ever given you? It was a quote from Ed Schultz. “Nothing replaces hard work. The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
How significantly has technology impacted your work? The only certainty is change. As health care, technology and higher education continue to evolve, we must remain open to innovation and adaptation to thrive in these constantly changing times.
How do you stay current with industry trends and changes? Reading and research. Higher education, particularly with medical education, is impacted by a wide range of external factors, including government policies and regulations, funding and financial environment (student loans), health care needs and many more. With so many changes coming from so many directions, reading is a must. I follow social media pages pertaining to higher education. I subscribe to trade magazines and journals, newsletters, industry publications, podcasts and other industry news outlets.
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