Healthcare Leadership Excellence

In this episode, I sit down with Professor Linda Macomber, Professor of Practice at National University, and a pioneer at the crossroads of healthcare and technology. From her early days as an ICU nurse to becoming a HIMSS Life Fellow and professor, she’s spent four decades demonstrating what’s possible when curiosity meets preparation. For Linda, AI isn’t a threat, it’s a renaissance. We talk abo...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kamaljit Kaur, a physician who decided the system wasn’t working for her or for her patients and had the courage to build something different. Instead of accepting the limitations, she opened a membership-based practice where prevention and relationship come first. We talk about the reality of “swimming without floaties”, what it takes to step out on your own,...

In this episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast, I’m joined by James Dismond, President and CEO of MiraSol Health. James shares what it is like to step into executive leadership at a young age and lead an organization that grew from serving 40 patients a day to more than 200. He talks about the challenge of guiding a five-generation workforce and why leadership begins with active l...

In this episode, Ernesto Gómez joins me to talk about unlocking the untapped potential in your team and why most leaders leave 40% of it unused. As former CHRO for a $9 billion company with 83,000 employees, Ernesto brings decades of experience leading across the Americas. We start with the story that connected us: the book Endurance and Ernest Shackleton’s legendary ability to pivot when the plan...

In this episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast , I’m joined by two seasoned pros, Neil Marshall and Kurt Mosley, who have spent decades interviewing and placing thousands of healthcare executives across the country. What they’ve uncovered is this: the first 90 days of leadership matter. A lot more than we often realize. Now, you might be thinking, “Karl, I’ve been in my role for f...

In this episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast, I welcome back Dr. Chika Oriuwa, physician, poet, keynote speaker, and author of Unlike the Rest: A Doctor’s Story. She joined us just a few months ago, and we knew right away we’d need to bring her back. This conversation gets to the core of something many leaders quietly struggle with: why soft skills feel so hard and why they matt...

In this episode, I speak with Artuğ Acar, a mechanical engineer, startup advisor, and former executive at Amazon Robotics, RightHand Robotics, and Mercury. Artuğ was named one of Business Insider’s top 10 leaders transforming North America, and after this conversation, it’s easy to see why. Artuğ shares how leadership and problem-solving intersect and why your ability to build trust will always ma...

In this episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast, I sit down with Micah Remley, CEO of Robin, for a conversation that hits right at the heart of what so many leaders are wrestling with: the workplace. Not just the policies. The experience . Micah leads the country’s top workplace management platform, and he brings a mix of data, practicality, and lived leadership that makes this epi...

In this episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast, Shandy Welch returns to unpack one of the most powerful and personal leadership ideas we’ve explored yet: Shedding is not optional for growth. It’s essential for survival. Shandy shares what it really means to let go, not just in theory, but in practice. From releasing a 25-year professional identity as a nurse practitioner to naviga...

In this episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Ann Hirsch, physician, coach, peer review chair, and a leader I’ve worked alongside in some high-stakes settings. With over three decades of clinical experience, Ann brings a powerful combination of bedside wisdom and real-world leadership insight. We talk about what it means to lead under pressure—when the stakes...

In this episode, Dr. Judy Wright joins us with a perspective that’s both practical and powerful. As a practicing family physician and trusted consultant on physician wellness and leadership, she speaks from lived experience, not just theory. We get into the heart of what makes teams stay or walk away. Dr. Wright explains how emotional intelligence directly impacts retention, safety, and trust, and...

In this episode, I sit down with Tom Lawry, author of Hacking Healthcare and the just-released Healthcare Nation: The Future Is Calling . Tom brings decades of global leadership experience, from senior roles at GE and Microsoft to his current work advising healthcare leaders worldwide. But what sets Tom apart is how clearly and courageously he challenges us to think differently. We cover everythin...

What does a 2,700-mile bike race across the Continental Divide teach us about leadership? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Ty Hopkins, chair of the Department of Exercise Science at Brigham Young University, elite endurance athlete, and someone who knows firsthand what it means to push past limits. After reading his article in the BYU alumni magazine about racing the Tour Divide (a gr...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Chika Oriuwa to explore why the so-called soft skills of leadership, authenticity, vulnerability, curiosity, and compassion aren’t soft at all. Chika brings a unique background in psychiatry, neurobiology, and public leadership, and she shows us the hard science behind how great leadership actually works. She explains how mirror neurons, cortisol regulation, an...

On this episode of the Healthcare Leadership Excellence Podcast, we welcome David Norris, co-founder and CEO of Afinion Health, a company revolutionizing how providers manage the relentless burden of their inbox through AI. David brings decades of experience in tech and healthcare and shares how his team is building tools that not only reclaim five hours a week for clinicians but also reduce cogni...

Cynthia Pong joins us, and what a conversation. A former public defender in New York City turned career strategist, author, and executive coach, Cynthia brings a distinctive voice and deeply practical lens to leadership, especially for those navigating high-stakes, high-pressure environments like healthcare. We dig into how to lead from wherever you are even in massive systems that feel immovable....

In this episode, I speak with Lorraine Armijos, a seasoned Lean consultant, executive coach, and founder of LAR Insights. Lorraine brings nearly 20 years of experience helping healthcare leaders apply Lean in meaningful, lasting ways. She explains that Lean isn’t just a set of tools; it’s a mindset grounded in respect for people and continuous improvement. We talk about how Lean often fails when i...

In this episode, I welcome back Dr. Joseph Michelli, bestselling author and global authority on customer experience. From Ritz-Carlton and Zappos to Starbucks and One Medical, Dr. Michelli has worked with some of the world’s top brands to understand what truly drives service excellence and why those lessons are essential for healthcare leaders today. We explore insights from his newest book, All B...

Dr. Rob Orman is back, and we’re talking about something most of us notice but rarely talk about in healthcare: customer service. Or, as Rob reframes it, the “patient experience”. We swap stories, both stellar and frustrating, and dig into why simple things like eye contact, clear communication, and listening can make or break trust. Rob explains the difference between giving people what they want...

In this episode, I sit down with Dan Fox, Managing Director of Healthcare at Drips, to explore the real-world impact and potential of AI in healthcare. Dan brings over a decade of AI experience and explains what’s changed in the last few years to bring artificial intelligence to the center of the conversation. We break down key terms like large language models and deep learning in a way that makes...

In this episode, I sit down with La Tonya Roberts, founder of Harmony Consulting Group, who brings nearly two decades of global experience in coaching, organizational development, and transformation across 30 countries. We dive into what it takes to lead in the middle of healthcare’s daily pressures, where leadership training is often assumed but rarely taught. La Tonya offers insight into how lea...

In this episode, I welcome back Kevin Torf, CEO of T2Group, for a deeper dive into his book Getting the Job Done. Last time, we only scratched the surface. This time, we explore the full “PROJECTS” framework he’s developed over decades of project leadership in healthcare and tech. Kevin walks us through each letter in the acronym: Planning, Reflection, Organization, Juggling, Empowerment, Communic...

Shandy Welch joins me again for a deep dive into Positive Intelligence, a framework that helps leaders better understand the internal habits that shape how we show up. If you’ve ever been told you're “too intense,” “too nice,” or “not present enough,” this one’s for you. Shandy walks us through how Positive Intelligence helps uncover the saboteurs (those mental habits that sabotage our impact...

Shandy Welch is back with me for a second round on Endurance, the incredible story of Sir Ernest Shackleton, and what it teaches us about real-world leadership. In this episode, we pick up where we left off and dig deeper into what it means to lead through chaos, change, and uncertainty. Shandy brings sharp insight on what leaders today can learn from Shackleton’s ability to pivot without creating...

In this episode, I sit down with Maz, our Director of Outreach and the mastermind behind the podcast. We explore what success looks like outside of work and how our personal passions shape who we are as professionals. She brings up some thoughtful questions that pushed me to reflect on my own tendency to overwork. We talk about the idea of work-life blend versus balance, and how blending our profe...