Norma "MAMA" Diaz - CEO of Community Health Group (CHG) a true trailblazer who began her career in health care early as a volunteer at age of 14 worked her way to the top as CEO
Norma Diaz is the CEO of Community Health Group, a nonprofit based in San Diego which is committed to coordinating quality care and providing exceptional customer service for its members. Norma started working for the organization at 14, and, over time, she worked her way up from errand girl to CEO. Today, she shares what her years of dedication and service have taught her about commitment, compassion, and emotional connection. In this episode, you’ll hear from Norma Diaz on: (00:10:13) Compassionate leadership. Norma describes her leadership style and explains how she learned compassion as a child after witnessing her mother’s long and painful recovery from the severe burns she sustained in the fire that destroyed their family home. (00:25:00) Living life to the full. She recalls the life-enhancing impact of a course she took as a young woman, which encouraged her to identify her priorities, set goals, and plan for a future filled with passion and purpose. Plus, she reveals how she recently shared these transformative teachings with her employees.(00:47:13) Letting go of past hurts. Norma talks about the life lessons she learned from the Dalai Lama and from her 96-year-old mentor Maxie. Above all, she shares how she finally learned to forgive but not forget.(00:56:04) Her daily prayer. We talk about Norma’s daily routine, which starts with her 45-minute morning prayer. As a practicing Catholic and a trained meditation instructor, Norma advises others to pray from the heart and explains how meditation helps her prepare for the day. (01:02:03) Providing exceptional customer service. Norma believes in keeping her employees happy so they can serve their customers with more enthusiasm, respect, and compassion. As well as making a great impression on customers, she encourages her employees to be emotionally present for people and have fun at work.