One of my favorite leadership ideas is the GPS Theory. When you miss a turn, your GPS doesn’t judge you. It doesn’t guilt trip you or bring up the last three exits you blew past. It just finds a new route. That’s how life works too. You’re going to miss turns. You’re going to take the wrong exit. But the destination doesn’t disappear just because you went off course. The only thing that changes is the road you take to get there.

Now, apply this principle to how emergency department leaders should think about our employees. When they miss a turn, we sometimes get discouraged and don’t love them back to the destination. As leaders, we might just have to find a new route to get them there.

Let’s say, for example, an employee is emotionally detached (and, at times, uncompassionate) in her interactions with patients, or makes cynical comments about them, or snaps at coworkers. She is not living up to the standards you strive to uphold as an ED, or a healthcare organization for that matter. She is off track. But what do you do next?

Of course, it’s urgent to correct the behavior. Even if it’s just one person, the behavior is toxic for your culture and harmful to the patient experience. But often it isn’t just one person. Negative behaviors are often symptoms of a negative culture…and negative cultures yield poor clinical outcomes, exacerbate burnout, and drive good people away.

But here’s the thing: The way we handle people when they are off track matters. It has everything to do with how they reengage and try to get back on track. We need to approach them with a spirit of loving care.

This is good for our well-being and theirs. When we respond with loving care instead of frustration, we lower our own stress, stay aligned with our values, and preserve trust on the team. Over time, the loyalty and stability we build makes our culture stronger and our job easier.

So how do we love people back to where they need to be? A few tips:

Diagnose before reacting. Don’t assume it’s an attitude problem. Ask yourself: Is this burnout? Compassion fatigue? Feeling unheard? A trust fracture? Negative behavior is often a symptom of system pressure—and there is plenty of pressure in the ED. Loving leadership begins with curiosity, not accusation.

Reconnect them to purpose. Cynicism grows when meaning fades. Ask what drew them to emergency care in the first place. Remind them of a moment when their care made a difference. Sometimes people don’t need a reprimand—they need to remember why they’re here.

Be clear about the standard. State plainly: “This behavior doesn’t reflect who we are.” Tie the correction to dignity, patient safety, and team trust. Accountability protects the culture.

Lift them up rather than calling them out. Coach with love and an eye toward psychological safety. Ask reflective questions instead of making declarations. For instance: “What’s been weighing on you lately?” or “Where are you feeling stretched thin?” This sparks growth rather than defensiveness. When people feel safe, they’re far more likely to adjust.

Prescribe a small rewire. Avoid overwhelming them with too much change. Identify one concrete shift to practice this week: eye contact, a pause before responding, warmer handoffs. Small rewires create momentum.

Adjust the environment if needed. Is the workload unsustainable? Has trauma gone unprocessed? Are they constantly in the hardest rooms? Sometimes loving someone back on track means changing conditions, not just correcting conduct.

Follow up. Reengagement is not a one-time conversation. Circle back. Reinforce improvement. Show that growth matters. The follow-up itself communicates care.

Finally, take a hard look at your culture. This issue may not be a one-off. Systemic change might be needed. In my book Rewiring the Emergency Department: Innovative Solutions for Modern Emergency Care, I give practical tips for creating a culture of loving care in the ED.

When leaders respond with loving care instead of frustration, defensiveness drops, and ownership rises. Trust strengthens. Burnout decreases. The entire team watches how you handle those missed turns. It doesn’t happen overnight, but over time, you will realize that you’re rewiring your culture.

Regina Shupe will present on Rewiring the Way We Care for Our Team Members and Rewiring the Emergency Department: Designing the Future of Emergency Care at the Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future Conference, to be held April 28-29, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more about the conference, to see the detailed agenda, and to register, please visit RewiringHealthcare.com.