"Leading Beyond the Bedside: From Clinical Expert to System Leader" with Dr. Rob Nordgren

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.

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