Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: My name is Rachel Leyk, I am a Nurse and Senior Improvement Advisor at Sanford Health focusing mainly in the areas of patient safety and surgical quality improvement. Prior to my current role, I worked on a medical surgical/trauma unit for eight years as a staff nurse and clinical care leader.
I am 34 years old and married to my husband Jesse of 12 years and together we have our daughter, Elleana (1). My husband and I are both from the St. Cloud, MN area, but moved to Fargo for the career opportunities at Sanford Health.
Q: Who is someone who has been influential in your journey?
A: My mom and dad played a crucial role in my journey, instilling the necessary character, values, and strong faith that have made me who I am today. My grit came from them and continues to be fed by those I surround myself with in adulthood. .
Q: What drives you?
A: The pursuit of getting or being better than the day before, that in itself is a worthwhile endeavor and a great place to start.
Q: What are some important life lessons you have learned?
A: It can mostly be summed up in this quote by Abhysheq Shukla: “Life is too ironic to fully understand, it takes sadness to know what happiness is, noise to appreciate silence, and absence to value presence.” I think these are the experiences that teach you to be grateful.
Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in our community?
A: Visiting the many parks our community has to offer, walking and enjoying the sunshine as well as the many stores and shops to find unique treasures at!
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: I see myself expanding my career with additional leadership opportunities, branching out from subtle leadership by influence to formal leadership while continuing to lead by influence and not authority.
Q: Tell us about some books that have changed the way you view leadership.
A: “Right Thing, Right Now” by Ryan Holiday, The author does an excellent job of detailing the core characters of some well-known leaders in history and what makes them respected.
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey is another favorite with tangible takeaways and examples of how to be successful leading yourself and others.
