A Bright Light in Leadership

Leader Spotlight: Vivian Bright, National Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Professional Development

In a world that seems to value and reward individual success, a world where people fear their own replacement, there is a bright spot here at AbsoluteCare. That’s Vivian Bright, National Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Professional Development. A natural teacher, Vivian was taught early in her career to train and develop someone to take your place. In the end, she says, everyone wins. “I have an abundance mentality and believe there is room for everyone’s talents, even if that means developing someone who moves beyond me. I choose to believe that no one takes anything from me; I just have another opportunity specifically for me.”

Vivian spent 13 years in the hospitality industry before opening a training consulting firm. Many of her early clients were from the healthcare industry, and she got to see firsthand how each employee—from CEO to bedside staff and beyond—performed passionate, life-changing work. That was seductive to Vivian. “We used to have a saying in hospitality: We make a difference, but we aren’t saving lives. In healthcare,” she says, “we are actually saving lives, and AbsoluteCare goes beyond medicine to do it.”

Perhaps it’s because AbsoluteCare does the very thing that’s lacking in America’s healthcare system, the wrong that Vivian strives each day of her life to right. “It is amazing to me that the wealthiest country in the world can’t find a way to make healthcare available, accessible, and affordable for all. Healthcare should be viewed as a right, not a privilege.”

This, of course, goes hand in hand with her view of developing people. Everyone wins.

As a leader, Vivian models the behavior she wants from others: she asks questions, listens intently to the answers, and acts to make a difference. She wants to be seen as a valued resource, as someone who can be trusted and relied upon. “I try to carry myself that way and treat others with the same respect. I was taught very early on that it is immoral to have knowledge that can help someone improve but walk away from doing it because it’s uncomfortable. A leader’s focus needs to be on others.”

Like many in healthcare, Vivian is a gardener. Nurturing and nourishing plants has a natural connection to doing the same with people. “With patient nurturing, [my flowers] bloom, and I enjoy the beauty of them. I see my role as an educator in that same light: To plant seeds of growth into the hearts and minds of my coworkers; to challenge mindsets or share best practices; to sometimes see things in them that they don’t yet see themselves.”

Vivian Bright has been married for 34 years. She has three sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren who call her V-MA. “Nothing is sweeter,” she says. Every bright light deserves its own bright lights.