How Leaders Drive Change in Healthcare

Most people say they’ve transformed culture. Few actually have. I was once told that in large organizations, culture change is like turning an aircraft carrier: slow, painful, and barely perceptible. That might be true if you settle for surface-level change. But I didn’t have that luxury. At a healthcare company with 80,000 employees, I wasn’t hired to run HR. I was brought in to reimagine it - as Chief People Innovation Officer, tasked with transforming how people experienced their work across hundreds of locations, acquired entities, and entrenched silos. And we did it. Not with strategy decks or slogans. We started with people. 1. Real research, not just surveys We didn’t open a “best practices” playbook. We had thousands of real conversations. We asked: What connects you to your work? What breaks your spirit? From that, we found the common thread: the drive to deliver extraordinary care. That insight became our EVP, not a brand line, but a rally cry. 2. Our Employee Value Prop became the operating system Most companies treat EVP as a marketing tool. We used it to rewire decisions across the employee lifecycle. We hired for values, not just skills. Rebuilt onboarding to connect every hire to purpose. Challenged policies that didn’t reflect who we said we were. The EVP wasn’t a campaign. It was our blueprint. 3. Innovation, everywhere To build a culture of innovation, we democratized it. We launched: A company-wide Innovation Challenge to surface bold ideas from the frontlines. An “Everyday Innovation” platform to spotlight small wins. A design-thinking toolkit for managers so innovation lived in every unit, not just HQ. 4. Results that mattered Cost-per-hire dropped. Quality of hire rose. Trust and purpose scores spiked, so did patient satisfaction. Retention improved. The biggest win? Leaders stopped asking if culture mattered. They started asking how to scale it. 5. The right partners push you beyond the expected We didn’t just hire consultants. We brought in provocateurs. Thinkers from outside healthcare who challenged our assumptions. One of them now runs their own venture, Fauna. That’s the ripple effect of great thinking. Here’s the truth: Real culture change doesn’t come from town halls or t-shirts. It comes from aligning strategy to people, and people to purpose. It’s hard, messy, nonlinear work. But when done right, it redefines what’s possible. Not just for the organization, but for everyone inside it. If your EVP is buried in a slide deck, you’re leaving transformation on the table. Want to bring it to life? DM me so I can share more of the story, or better yet, reach out to the folks at Fauna. They were with me every step of the way. Maybe its time you tried something new.

I've led teams of engineers, clinicians, and researchers for 15 years. The pattern I see everywhere: brilliant people performing below their potential. Why? The control paradox. Medical training teaches us that details matter. Lives depend on precision. So we bring that same mindset to leadership. Result: we suffocate innovation. Here's what I learned building a 75-person healthcare team: The 4 leadership principles that changed everything: 1/ Hire for judgment, not just expertise ↳ Smart people can learn new skills ↳ Good judgment is much harder to teach ↳ Give them problems, not solutions 2/ Default to trust, verify through outcomes ↳ Set clear expectations upfront ↳ Measure results, not hours worked ↳ Intervene only when performance drops 3/ Create psychological safety for failure ↳ Healthcare punishes mistakes harshly ↳ Innovation requires safe experimentation ↳ Celebrate learning from intelligent failures 4/ Lead with questions, not answers ↳ "What do you think we should do?" ↳ "What's your recommendation?" ↳ "What would you need to make this work?" The result? Our team became significantly more productive. Turnover dropped substantially. Innovation projects flourished. The irony: giving up control gave me more influence. The lesson for healthcare leaders: Your job isn't to have all the answers. Your job is to create conditions where the best ideas emerge. ⁉️ What's the best leadership advice you've received in healthcare? ♻️ Repost if you believe trust beats control 👉 Follow me (Reza Hosseini Ghomi, MD, MSE) for leadership insights in healthcare

In my 2 decades in healthcare leadership, one truth has remained constant: Change Is Inevitable. The global pharmaceuticals market is set to grow from $1585.05 billion in 2022 to $2401.22 billion by 2029, driven by advancements in AI, personalized medicine, and regulatory changes. Handling these changes doesn’t have to be difficult. Here’s some advice on how you can lead your team smoothly during uncertain times: 1. Implement Weekly Learning Sessions With new technologies emerging almost daily, keeping up can feel overwhelming. Instead of leaving your team to figure it out on their own, implement weekly learning sessions. Dedicate just 30 minutes every week to discuss a new regulation, technology, or industry trend. 2. Use a Decision-Making Framework for Rapid Changes Develop a decision-making framework tailored to your organization. For example, a simple RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix can clarify roles and speed up decision-making during critical times. It ensures that everyone knows their role when a quick pivot is needed, reducing bottlenecks and confusion. 3. Personalize Communication Based on Team Dynamics Every team member processes change differently. Use your knowledge of your team’s strengths and communication styles to personalize your approach, like detailed reports, verbal updates. By tailoring your communication, you can ensure that everyone stays aligned and focused, reducing the anxiety that often accompanies change. 4. Leverage Cross-Functional Teams for Technology Integration Technology integration can be a major disruptor if not handled correctly. Form cross-functional teams that include IT, compliance, and clinical staff to oversee the integration of new systems. This collaborative approach not only ensures a smoother transition but also allows for immediate feedback and adjustments. It’s a strategy that’s worked for us. 5. Set Up a Real-Time Compliance Tracker Keeping up with regulatory changes is non-negotiable, but it doesn’t have to be a constant headache. Invest in a real-time compliance tracking system that alerts your team to changes as they happen. Leading through change in any industry isn’t about reacting to every new trend. It's about creating a structured, proactive approach that allows your team to thrive even in tough times. #Leadership #Innovation #Pharma #HealthCare #BioTech #Management

🙋♀️ How to Introduce Change in an Organization Facilitating transformation is a key literacy for healthcare leaders. In my role opening the new Texas Children's Hospital Austin over the past 3.5 years I worked with lots of young docs who wanted to start things — Programs, tech projects, unique service lines. I was their first stop. But creating something de novo in the largest pediatric healthcare system in the country takes an intentional approach. It doesn't work like a startup. This is what I told them 👇👇👇 1️⃣ Define the change You need a clear vision. 👁️ I do this with a 1-2 page executive summary. Something pithy, subdivided, visionary with clearly thought out operational steps. This should be developed (in your head) with a compelling elevator pitch for those critical hallway conversations. Remember that your vision summary is as much for you as it is for anyone else. You'll never know what you're thinking until you write it down. I never see the subtle lapses in my logic until I've put it on paper. 2️⃣ Create the value proposition Spell out why the organization needs your initiative. 🔡 Anchor your vision in something real: inefficiency, burnout, lost revenue, patient harm, missed opportunity. And be ready with clear benefits. This is where you help skeptical stakeholders visualize how good this will be to the organization. If you can create a sense of urgency it will help your cause. 3️⃣ Seek alignment Get key folks on board. One by one. 🚣♀️ I then disseminate this concept sheet to the highest practical level of leadership in the area want to change — in my case an senior or executive VP. This is key: I share this strategically with one person. The sense of selectivity that comes with knowing they were my first stop can be powerful . With buy-in from someone of influence, I then leverage this on my next stakeholder pitch to players who are more likely to help me bring this thing to reality. 4️⃣ Create proof of concept Show people what you got. 🎭 When you're selling something there's nothing better than evidence — the thing that helps people see the reward for participation. A living example; a brief trial, pilot, etc. In my organization you sometimes just have to bootstrap it and start in order to get to that first tangible chunk of success. 👉 Remember the bigger the organization the more likely you'll meet resistance. It's like gravity, only more annoying — You have to accept it and deal with it. Don't take it personally. Understand that pushback will come and counter with that clear, solid value argument. Persistence, consistency, and time are key elements in getting there — that can be the hardest part. 🐶 Eating the dog food — I just started a bold project of my own and had to use these steps. And every time I do this I learn something new. How do you start something? 📰 If you like this, check out my newsletter https://lnkd.in/g5GWsep3 #Leadership #Hospitals #Healthcare  #management