ABOUT THIS EPISODE
GUEST BIO
Herbert Van Patten | Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, ISYS Solutions and Career Smart Learning
- 35+ years in workers' compensation, starting as a Spanish-speaking vocational counselor and transitioning to leadership and sales roles
- Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer overseeing nurse case management services (on-site and telephonic across western states) and healthcare training/recertification for medical professionals
- Mentor to college students and young professionals, focused on developing self-leadership skills and helping emerging talent find meaningful purpose in their insurance careers
WHAT IS FOLLOWERSHIP?
Merriam-Webster defines followership as: "the capacity or willingness to follow a leader." In our episode, you'll hear what Herbert Van Patten says about the importance of followership, especially for younger generations.
EPISODE SUMMARY
What happens when we look at workers' compensation not as a system to navigate, but as an opportunity to change the trajectory of injured workers' lives?
In this episode, Herbert Van Patten walks us through his unconventional entrance into workers' comp. Completed military service. The job market was soft in 1991. Fluent in Spanish. Hired as a Vocational Counselor.
He shares his philosophy on leadership development. He also talks about a new concept we don't often discuss: followership.
He makes a case for seeing nurse case managers as the "hub of the wheel." Central coordinators. The connectors who get everyone aligned around a shared mission. But here's what matters. He's not just talking about better claims management. He's sharing a vision for our entire industry. What if we rallied around one unified mission: to use a workers' compensation claim as an opportunity to change an injured worker's life trajectory for the better?
Herbert also challenges how we think about vulnerability in leadership. Have you ever had imposter syndrome? Most of us see it as a problem. He sees it differently. It's a signal for self-examination. A prompt to look at yourself honestly. Leaders don't need to have all the answers. What they actually need is the courage to build trust through honesty, consistency, and transparency. As Herbert puts it: "If we can rally around that unified mission as an industry, how much more effective would we be in the work we do?"
The conversation goes deeper too. Language barriers. Cultural competence. How the younger generation wants to be led differently than we did (Boomers and Gen Xers). And the real stories. Injured workers who, after catastrophic injuries, went back to school. Who completely transformed their lives. Who changed their families' futures.
KEY THEMES
Workers' Comp: A Noble Profession
Stop thinking about workers' compensation claims as something to close. Start seeing them as opportunities to change someone's life trajectory. That's the reframe worth considering. And it's a noble profession.
Doubt Can Lead to Self-Leadership
Imposter syndrome isn't a failure. It's a signal. Use it as a prompt for self-examination. Leaders don't need to have all the answers. They need the courage to find them by working with the people they lead.
Followership As a Skill
We talk constantly about what it takes to be a good leader. We almost never talk about followership. But most of us are following someone. The younger generations relate to followership differently than Baby Boomers or Gen X. Understanding that shift is where real leadership development starts.
Language and Trust Are Inseparable
Speaking to injured workers in their own language isn't just about communication. It's about connection. It's about breaking through the suspicion built into the system. When you connect in someone's native language, you open a door to trust. That's harder to open any other way.
RESOURCES & CONNECTIONS
ISYS Solutions: Nurse case management services across western states and telephonic services nationwide.
Career Smart Learning: Healthcare training and recertification for case managers, nurses, social workers, and other medical professionals.
Institutes of Health (IOH): Intensive outpatient programs for traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and complex chronic pain.
¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp
