WittKieffer Impactful Leaders Podcast

An "Immigrant Kid" on Higher Ed Innovation: Paul LeBlanc, Ph.D. (Part I)

The child of a blue-collar Canadian family, Paul LeBlanc, PhD, has gained notoriety as one of the most successful innovators in U.S. higher education. What drew Dr. LeBlanc to academia was the human interaction between teacher and student and its transformative power. No matter how higher education evolves and innovates, he believes, that fundamental connection must remain.   
Disruptive innovation doesn't just happen by "throwing spaghetti at the wall," Dr. LeBlanc says, but requires forethought ("knowing what kind of innovation you are trying to do"), the right people, and the right incentives. Most institutions, he notes, say "We care about our students" and yet don't incentivize faculty and staff to truly care and prioritize the student experience.  
In this first installment of a two-part series with WittKieffer Senior Advisor Elsa Núñez, EdD, Dr. LeBlanc speaks about his career journey and how it led him to innovate and find new and better ways to reach students, most notably as president of Southern New Hampshire University, author of Broken, and co-founder of the company Matter and Space. Innovating and advocating for change hasn't always been easy, he shares: "You do more by getting kicked to the mat than you do by winning the fight." 

Comfortable in a Leader's Skin: Susan Huang, M.D.

Like many physician executives, Susan Huang, M.D., didn't begin her career with leadership in mind but gravitated in that direction when it became clear she could have a greater impact – impact "at scale". That realization has led her to her current role as Chief Physician Executive at Providence and Chief Executive of Providence Clinical Network.  
In our latest Impactful Leaders Podcast, Dr. Huang speaks with Consultant Vinny Gossain about her career journey and approach to leading others. Whether overseeing a handful of physicians or hundreds, Dr. Huang has learned to embrace a learning mindset, to exercise humility, and to trust the expertise of those around her in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. One might say that Dr. Huang, a dermatologist by training, is comfortable in her own skin as a physician leader.  
While the current environment is complex and unpredictable, Dr. Huang reminds those around her that healthcare has always been daunting and uncertain. The key, she says, is to adapt. "With change our responsibility is to think, 'How do we change?'" 
Dr. Huang's career advice for other physician leaders is twofold: "Just say yes" in looking for opportunities to grow as a leader; and "Find a way" in terms of seeking unique solutions for seemingly intractable challenges. Enjoy their conversation.  

Rewriting the Rules in Higher Education: Teresa Flannery, Ph.D.

At age 14, Teresa Flannery, PhD worked a short stint on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., teaching visitors to the city how to play American children's games, from Red Light Green Light to Red Rover. It was a memorable experience that foreshadowed her current leadership as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Terry has worked with CASE colleagues and leaders across higher education in an ongoing effort to review and revise the standards and metrics by which higher education institutions operate – the rules of the game – in areas such as philanthropy, alumni engagement and, currently, marketing and communications, and to disseminate them to more than 3,000 member institutions in more than 80 countries worldwide.
Higher education, she admits, faces immense challenges today in justifying its value to an increasingly skeptical public. In this conversation with WittKieffer's Melissa Fincher, Terry shares insights into industrywide efforts CASE is supporting to better communicate what makes higher education special and how it is a "strategic asset" for countries around the world. She maintains optimism and a broad perspective on the future—higher education has been around for more than 1,000 years and has adapted to challenges before; it will do so again, she believes.
Throughout her career Terry has learned to "lean more into curiosity and less into judgment" in approaching challenges and guiding her colleagues and team members. Wrapping up the conversation, she advises other leaders to exercise patience in their careers: "You can have everything," she says, "you just can't have it all at once."

Exchanging a White Coat for a Suit: Brian Erling, MD, MBA

In this Impactful Leaders Podcast conversation with WittKieffer Senior Partners Nelson Mann and Michelle Johnson, Dr. Erling looks back upon his leadership journey – back to his time as a nursing assistant in high school to his current role helping to turn Renown's fortunes around. Continuous learning has been a common thread for him, including pursuing an MBA degree. "There's almost a stigma that . . . clinical leaders are not business people, that we can't make the tough decisions," he says. The MBA "was tangible for me. It wasn't just letters after my name." 
As is true for many physician executives, Dr. Brian Erling's transition from "white coat to suit" was not easy but has been extremely rewarding. While no longer practicing, he leverages his clinical expertise every day as President and CEO of Nevada-based Renown Health. "You don't walk away completely from medicine when you become an administrator," he says. "You can wear both hats and you can do it effectively." 

Flipping Leadership on Its Head: Chad Lefteris

As President & CEO of UCI Health in Southern California, Chad Lefteris makes it a point to put himself in the shoes of others, a kind of golden rule that ensures he and his leadership team treat others the way they would want to be treated. It has allowed them to make bold changes with concern and consideration for how those changes impact the people involved.  
In this Impactful Leaders Podcast with WittKieffer Senior Partner Michelle Johnson, Lefteris shares insights on leadership gleaned from his career across various roles. They also discuss UCI Health's talent management and leadership development approach which aims to, among other things, help technical experts see themselves as having the potential to lead beyond their immediate space.  

A Mandate for ROI and Transformation: Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D.

Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., President of the University of New Haven in Connecticut, is laser-focused on ensuring not just return on investment for students but a transformative experience that positions them for an uncertain, complex future. "Impact and transformation is what motivates me and gets me up in the morning," he tells Sandra Chu for WittKieffer's Impactful Leaders Podcast.  
Dr. Frederiksen's success derives from his past experience in the classroom as well as in key functional university roles, especially enrollment and fundraising, as well as work with the state of Tennessee in economic development. He grasps the complexity of the institution and how all of the pieces are integral and must work together. New Haven is what Dr. Frederiksen would consider a "high-stakes university" in which margins are tight, and nothing is taken for granted. What is necessary, therefore, is attention to ROI and providing "concrete deliverables" for students. It also requires engaging with donors and ensuring they feel their contributions have a direct impact. "You can't save your way out of trouble; you need to invest," he says.  

Leaning into Leadership Development: Jim Dover

Avera Health President and CEO Jim Dover got his start in medicine as a phlebotomist and EKG technician in Idaho, thinking he wanted to be a lab scientist until a friend suggested he think about leadership. That nudge led him to pursue an M.H.A. degree, to read up on leadership, and pursue an executive path. Along the way he made sure to lean into difficult situations -- "you end up learning more from those experiences than any others," he says, speaking with Senior Partner Michelle Johnson for WittKieffer's Impactful Leaders Podcast.  
Difficult situations for health system CEOs include discussions around succession planning and leadership development. It's easy for organizations to "kick the can down the road," he says, since these activities involve tough conversations with current leaders about their futures. It requires organizations to take time to assess the potential of executives, help them develop individualized plans for growth, and reassure them that discussions about their futures (including potential successors) won't impact their ability to do their jobs in the here and now.  
 

Accelerating Physician Leader Impact: Justin Dimick, M.D.

As Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan, Justin Dimick, M.D., could be forgiven if he were motivated by ego and personal success. And yet his own gain is not what drives Dr. Dimick but rather the growth and development of others to excel and achieve their goals. Being "preoccupied with helping people fulfill their potential" is what motivates him to be a leader, mentor, and designer of innovative training programs at Michigan.  
In this episode of WittKieffer's Accelerating Physician Leader Impact series, part of our Impactful Leaders Podcast, Dr. Dimick speaks with WittKieffer's Michael Anderson, M.D., about leading in the current moment. Dr. Dimick advises colleagues to keep their heads down and work hard, to not get caught up in the chaos and uncertainty around them. For those who focus on doing good work, he says, opportunities will come.  
 

Immersed in the Unconventional | Thomas Evans, PhD

An immersive study abroad experience when he was 15 years old set Thomas Evans, PhD, on a course toward lifelong learning and a desire to create experiences for others that are truly transformational in their lives.  
That experience was one of many that made Evans a good leader, someone comfortable in ambiguous situations and looking to find the opportunities within them, he tells WittKieffer's Sandra Chu for our Impactful Leaders Podcast series. His leadership journey ultimately led him to the presidency of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, where he has helped the institution continue to transform itself by creating offerings domestically and internationally that provide unique, difference-making options and pathways for students and families, whether expanding programs for military veterans (the school is ranked number one in this respect by Military Times) to starting inventive online programs to expanding programs in the health professions to support much-needed job creation and career growth for individuals. A guiding question for his work, "What can I do to create an opportunity for someone they never thought they'd be able to do?" Using a baseball metaphor, he wants traditional "spectators" to feel the excitement of catching a foul ball and being drawn into the field of play.   
While admittedly "unconventional," Dr. Evans is also intentional and pragmatic in pursuing new initiatives for UIW that address a clear local or societal need – "laying down sidewalks where you see paths already going." His ideas are informed by engaging with students, families, community organizations, local and industry leaders, and even foreign governments to provide educational offerings that add value and meaning.  
Dr. Evans is optimistic about the future. Higher education's challenges are simply opportunities for reinvention and transformation, he believes.  

Discovering Comfort in Discomfort and Complexity: Gregory Johnson, M.D.

"You need to get comfortable being uncomfortable," Dr. Gregory Johnson, Chief Medical Officer for UnityPoint Health, says about leadership. Through discomfort comes growth.  
Dr. Johnson's career story is replete with occasions where he challenged himself and welcomed discomfort in order to learn and grow. As a family medicine physician (and the son of a doctor), bedside manner has always been important to Dr. Johnson. In the leadership suite, this means staying in touch with the needs of patients, engaging with and trusting clinicians to do their jobs well, and innovating in ways that truly benefit individuals and communities – including those many rural communities served by UnityPoint who can benefit from advances in, for example, virtual care, mobile clinics, and new technologies.  
In this Impactful Leaders Podcast episode with WittKieffer's Vinny Gossain, Dr. Johnson looks back on the reasons he got into medicine ("I was hooked" from an early age, he shares) and how he's grown as a leader as a way of impacting ever-larger numbers of people. "Leadership is complicated," he says, but it is more important than ever.