Many have held the role of chief of surgery in Grey’s Anatomy’s 19 seasons, but Teddy’s takeover of the thorny role from Meredith already proved that she’s what Grey Sloan Memorial needs.
Despite getting it when it was mostly considered a thankless job, to the extent that she might not have applied to the position because of how few benefits there were, Teddy proved she could handle it her way and succeed even in an unprecedented crisis.
Indeed, Teddy’s unusual leadership might be precisely what will turn Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital around after a long series of relatively conventional chiefs of surgery.
After Bailey’s surprise resignation in Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s ending, it was Meredith’s turn to try and revive Grey Sloan Memorial, especially after many of the problems Bailey had to fix stemmed from Meredith’s willingness to consider a better job offer in Minnesota.
Given the residency program being shut down, Meredith’s main objective was to sort out Grey Sloan’s weaknesses so that it could go back to being a teaching hospital. Having Meredith obtained that and left shortly after made Teddy’s takeover as chief happen at a peculiar moment, which could secure many future benefits for Teddy.
Teddy Didn’t Let Bureaucracy Stand In Her Way On Grey’s Anatomy
When Meredith took over Bailey’s position and became interim chief, adherence to rules was imperative as she needed to solve all the issues that began accumulating during Grey’s Anatomy season 17’s Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the long way Grey Sloan still needs to go to gain back its status as a world-leading hospital, Teddy gets to become its chief of surgery at a fortuitous moment when there is still room for improvement, but the hospital’s most impending problems have already been taken care of.
This makes Teddy’s tenure as chief one where she can cut through the red tape to beat challenges, something Meredith could have never done in that role.
Grey’s Anatomy’s Teddy’s Military Experience Gives Her An Advantage In A Crisis
Except for Webber and Bailey, most of the previous Grey Sloan Memorial’s chiefs of surgery accepted the job because of the prestige the role brought. Grey’s Anatomy’s earlier seasons had Derek Shepherd, Owen Hunt, and even Preston Burke vying for the chief of surgery post, almost only for the role’s influence and how it could have benefitted their career.
Those who managed to hold the position for longer only had to keep letting Grey Sloan be great without having to implement multiple changes that would have made the Grey’s Anatomy hospital better.
Not only Teddy’s promotion to chief of surgery in Grey’s Anatomy season 19 requires more of her compared to her predecessors, but also how her military experience formed her makes her the perfect leader in a crisis. Despite her background being similar to Owen’s, his military advantages almost only influenced his work as an emergency doctor.
Instead, what Teddy learned during her time in the military gave her a more proactive and practical outlook even when dealing with organizational challenges, which she proved in the way she handled the anti-abortion protesters in Grey’s Anatomy season 19, episode 11. This makes Teddy Grey Sloan Memorial’s best possible chief.