I have frequent conversations with leaders regarding change. The term “change is hard” is commonly heard. At times, we can underestimate just how hard…
When healthcare leaders think about advanced practice clinicians (APCs), the conversation often starts with staffing. Where do we have a gap? Where do we need…
I have many teachers. Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick are two of them. They are best-selling authors, presenters, and coaches. Chester has presented in Pensacola,…
Healthcare doesn’t need a fresh start—it needs a thoughtful rewire. Rewiring Healthcare: Foundation to Future brings together senior leaders to step back…
When UCLA Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cori Close led her team to its first national championship on April 5, the story was not just about the win. It was about the kind of team that made that win possible. Her mantra, “Sometimes you, sometimes me, always us,” captures something many leaders talk about but often don’t know how to achieve: creating a culture where people care as much about the team’s success as their own.…
Clarity is not about saying more. It is about removing everything that is not necessary. This came home to me last year when I attended a talk based on the book Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less, by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz. Holding up my mirror of self-reflection, it was apparent to me that my weekly columns were too long. My columns used to run 750 to 800 words…
Nurses Week 2026 is here, and nurse leaders everywhere have asked the same question: What can I do this year that will feel meaningful to my team? Gifts are thoughtful. Celebrations matter. But when you listen closely to nurses across generations, specialties, and settings, what they want most isn’t something you can buy. They want a leader who creates an environment where they can thrive. They want a Human-Centered Leader. A Human‑Centered Leader models well‑being even…
Nurses enter the profession with a strong sense of purpose—a desire to be useful and helpful, to make a difference, to care for others in meaningful ways. But in today’s healthcare environment, with staffing shortages, rising patient complexity, growing administrative demands, and high levels of burnout, it can be harder to feel that “calling” day-to-day. Right at a time when the work matters most, the meaning that fuels it can begin to get crowded out.…
“It is not my job.” Many of us have heard this said or at least implied by employees. While it’s true that people have specific jobs and job descriptions, great cultures are filled with individuals who do what needs to be done. This includes people in leadership roles. For example, a leader sees an employee parking in an area that is meant for customers only. The person does not report to them. What does the…
Every year, National Nurses Week gives us a dedicated moment to pause and recognize the extraordinary contributions of nurses. In 2026, that week falls Wednesday, May 6 – Tuesday, May 12. But the truth is, one week can never fully capture the impact nurses have on patients, families, and the entire healthcare system. Nurses are the constant. In a world of rapid change, advancing technology, workforce challenges, and increasing patient complexity, nurses remain the steady…
Is it doable? It’s an important question. One of the kindest introductions I receive is being called “the master of doability.” Doability means that what is recommended can be done. A lesson that has stuck with me for years is the connection between the number of new or adjusted actions and the success rate of their implementation. Most people want to do well. They feel an urgency to achieve better outcomes. It can be human nature to assume…
Every year as National Nurses Week approaches, I hear the same question from leaders across the country: “How do we show appreciation in a way that actually means something?” It’s a good question, and one worth sitting with before you order another round of branded mugs. I’ve spent more than four decades in healthcare as a nurse, a leader, and a consultant, and I’ve seen a lot of Nurses Weeks come and go. Some were…
I am blessed with the opportunity to write a column. When it started, the focus was 100 percent on helping small and midsize businesses and other types of organizations. Over time, the columns began to cover personal and community topics. Why? Creating great places to work creates better families and communities. A number of conversations created learning this week. The first occurred when a person shared a situation she was going through. Upon hearing it,…
Are you working in your business or on your business? This question is in the book The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. For most people, the answer is “in the business.” This is the day-to-day work leaders do. What is meant by working on your business? It is taking time to step back and look at such items as the standard operating procedures, processes that can be improved, skills that can be improved in yourself and others, etc. When I worked at…