The transition from practicing physician to system leader looks smooth from the outside. Internally, it’s often much more complicated.

In this episode, Ashley Wendel talks with Dr. Rob Nordgren, Divisional Chief Medical Officer at Sutter Health, about what physicians have to learn as they move from bedside expertise into broader organizational leadership. They discuss the identity shift that comes with leadership, the role of trust and emotional intelligence, how to navigate resistance and change, and why courageous conversations matter so much in complex systems.

This is a grounded, honest conversation about what leadership really asks of physicians now - not just expertise, but influence, self-awareness, and the ability to bring people with you.

Send us Fan Mail

Episode Summary (succinct, with key highlights)

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Dr. Erica Kreismann - emergency medicine physician turned executive coach - to explore what it means to be a woman and clinician leader in today’s healthcare landscape. Erica shares her own formative journey, from training in New York City during 9/11 to making a radical “pattern interrupt” move to Tasmania, and how those experiences reshaped her understanding of purpose, contribution, and sustainable leadership.

Together, they unpack why so many high-performing women in healthcare feel hollow or stuck - not because they’re failing, but because they’ve outgrown the unspoken rules they were taught: be nice, be liked, don’t disappoint, and “if not me, who?” Erica names the invisible weight of emotional labor, the mental load, and the structural realities of medical training that still aren’t designed for women’s lives. The conversation reframes resilience as a shared responsibility - part individual self-awareness and compassion, and part organizational systems that reduce moral injury and create conditions where clinicians can thrive.

Key highlights include practical pathways for change:

• Using curiosity (especially self-curiosity) to identify the narratives we’ve carried
• Recognizing how old stories once protected us but now hold us back
• Building a mindfulness practice that supports presence over performance.

This conversation is a powerful invitation for women leaders - and those who care about women leaders - to give yourself permission to disappoint others, take up space, and lead from a more authentic, sustainable truth.

Send a text

What if leadership felt less like carrying all the answers - and more like creating the conditions for others to think and act well together?

In this episode, Ashley Wendel is joined by Dr. Richard Winters, a practicing emergency medicine physician, Director of Leadership Development for the Mayo Clinic Care Network, ICF-certified coach, and author of You’re the Leader, Now What?, for a grounded, honest conversation about what clinician leadership really asks of us.

Together, they explore why leadership can feel so destabilizing for clinicians and how practical frameworks, coaching skills, and facilitation can make the work both more humane and more effective.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why the shift from expert → facilitator is one of the hardest (and most important) transitions for clinician leaders
• How leadership struggles are normal, not a personal failure—and why naming that matters
• The difference between technical problems and adaptive leadership challenges where no one has the “right” answer
• How to build shared reality before rushing to solutions - and why knowing the answer can actually get in the way
• Why emotional intelligence alone isn’t enough - and how effective leaders balance connection and results
• Coaching as a core leadership competency, not a remedial tool or “extra” task
• Why leadership development must lead to real behavior change, not just completed courses

If you’re a clinician carrying pressure to have all the answers, this episode offers relief, clarity, and practical ways to lead with more intention - without losing yourself in the process.

Send a text

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Beeson and I dive deep into what it truly takes to build, and sustain, a culture of excellence in healthcare.

Drawing from his experience leading transformation at Sharp Healthcare and founding Practicing Excellence, Steve shares why identity-based change is far more powerful than behavior correction alone, and why clinician engagement is the single most important predictor of successful transformation.

We explore:

• How and why Steve began his journey in human development in healthcare by founding Practicing Excellence
• Why healthcare cultures struggle with massive behavioral variance
• How clear identity creates consistency without stripping individuality
• The essential pillars of a culture of excellence: declared intent, measurement, human development, and accountability
• Why leadership development is often the first thing cut - and the most costly loss
• The role of vulnerability, authenticity, and coaching in effective leadership
• How scalable, continuous human development changes outcomes
• What future leaders must learn to thrive in an increasingly complex healthcare environment

This conversation is both strategic and deeply human, grounded in evidence, shaped by real-world leadership challenges, and rooted in the belief that healthcare can be better for patients and for the people who serve them.

If you care about culture, leadership, clinician well-being, and meaningful change, this episode is an invitation to think differently, and lead more intentionally.

Send us Fan Mail

ER physician–turned–healthcare leader Dr. Tony Briningstool joins Lead Well MD to unpack how trust is built when seconds matter - and what the HBO series “The Pitt” gets right about life in the trauma bay. From first-contact behaviors that create instant patient trust to the moment-to-moment cues that make teams feel psychologically safe, Dr. Briningstool breaks down the leader habits that steady a room under pressure: consistency, clear modeling, and calibrated vulnerability. We explore “trust at speed,” co-regulation vs. self-regulation, and how to read (and repair) the nonverbal signals that stall performance. Dr. Briningstool also shares lessons from his journey from ER doc to CEO of Emergency Medicine at Sound Physicians - including lessons learned while playing college football at Michigan State under George Perles and Nick Saban - and why focusing on the process of excellence reliably delivers the outcome.

Send a text

In this episode of Lead Well MD, host Ashley Wendel talks with Dr. Sergio Zanotti, Chief Medical Officer for Critical Care at Sound Physicians and host of the podcast Critical Matters, about what it takes to build what he calls a “Fearless ICU.”

Drawing on decades in critical care leadership, Dr. Zanotti shares why psychological safety is the single most important factor in high-performing ICU teams - and why it’s not about being “soft,” but about creating an environment where people can speak up, learn from mistakes, and still be held accountable to the highest standards.

The conversation explores how psychological safety impacts patient outcomes, team performance, and clinician well-being; the quiet cues that signal whether a team feels safe; and practical leadership actions that foster trust, inclusion, and learning in high-stakes environments.

From COVID-era lessons to everyday ICU rounds, Dr. Zanotti offers both strategic insights and tactical tips - like inviting the quietest voice in the room to contribute - that any clinical leader can apply immediately.

Whether you lead an ICU, a clinic, or a cross-functional team, this episode will challenge how you think about authority, vulnerability, and the real cost of silence in healthcare.

Send a text

In this powerful episode of Lead Well MD, we step outside of medicine and into the world of military leadership — but stay firmly rooted in what matters most: building trust in high-stakes, high-pressure environments.

Ashley is joined by Colonel Randall Wickman, a retired U.S. Army Infantry Officer, combat-wounded veteran, and former Pentagon leader who now works in healthcare leadership development. With nearly 30 years of active duty, Colonel Wickman has led soldiers in some of the most intense environments on earth - and he brings battle-tested wisdom directly to clinician leaders navigating the chaos and responsibility of modern healthcare.

Together, they explore:

• Why trust is everything when the stakes are high
• A three-part framework for trust: competence, character, and reciprocity
• How quiet teams - not loud ones - are often the ones in crisis
• How structured reflection builds accountability and prevents blame
• What it means to truly earn the title of "leader" - in the OR, on the floor, or in combat

If you’re a physician leader navigating burnout, team dysfunction, or the isolation of responsibility, this conversation will change how you think about trust - and how you build it.

Send a text

How does a clinician leader balance being professional with being an authentic, vulnerable leader that builds trust? In this episode of Lead Well MD, we sit down with Dr. Greg Johnson, the System Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at UnityPoint Health, to talk about just that.

In our conversation we discuss this delicate balance between being real and being professional and offer strategies for how leaders can build trust and connection by being their authentic selves ... without crossing the line into oversharing.

We dive into how vulnerability can be a strength in healthcare leadership, and share some practical guideposts for those navigating this complex space. Dr. Johnson offers insights from his career and personal experiences, emphasizing the value of human connection in achieving better outcomes for teams and patients alike.

Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just stepping into leadership, this conversation will challenge you to rethink how you show up for your team.

Send a text