If you want to understand why a nurse, tech, or frontline clinician stays, struggles, or walks out the door, don’t look at the org chart. Look at their direct supervisor. And in healthcare right now, that relationship matters more than ever. Gallup’s research shows that roughly 70 percent of the variance in team engagement traces back to the manager. Persistent staffing shortages and burnout mean we can’t afford to lose people an organization has already…

Leaders often underestimate how loudly their silence speaks. Even when you think you’re holding it together, your team is reading every micro-shift in your face, posture, and tone. They feel your stress long before you ever name it, and their performance responds accordingly. The Problem Most leaders believe they can “power through” frustration, pressure, or anger without anyone noticing. You tell yourself you’re being professional, staying quiet, and keeping the train on the tracks. Yet…

I recently had the opportunity to present at the American Hospital Association’s 2026 Leadership Summit. The theme of this year’s gathering was (Re)Designing Care Delivery and Operating Models for the Future. The event brought together hundreds of healthcare executives to explore innovative solutions for value-based care, capacity management, and a sustainable workforce. The theme of “(Re)Designing Care Delivery” reminded me of our approach over the past few years of “Rewiring”…not just change for change’s sake, but thoughtful…

Recently my grandchildren, whom I call the “littles,” taught me an important leadership lesson. We were walking along a beach without any beach toys, shovels, or fishing gear. They really wanted to go fishing, and my response was, “We can’t; we don’t have any bait or fishing poles.” The littles heard a design problem: If we can’t get to the fish, we will bring the fish to us! Immediately they decided to build a reservoir.…