If You're Always Putting Out Fires, You May Be An Arsonist...

Why do some leaders spend every day reacting to crises while others seem to create calm, capable teams?

In this episode, Amanda sits down with Coleman Associates CEO Melissa Stratman to unpack the provocative idea behind the title: many of the fires leaders are constantly extinguishing are unintentionally of their own making. Drawing from the new Coleman book, Mastering Leadership: The Coleman Way, Melissa shares lessons distilled from more than 30 years of coaching healthcare executives, developing leaders, and helping organizations build cultures where people—and performance—thrive.

Together, they explore why leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about becoming more intentional, examining the stories we tell ourselves, taking ownership of our reactions, asking better questions, and building the habits that prevent tomorrow's fires instead of simply putting out today's.

Whether you lead an organization, a clinic, a department, or a small team, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership—and leave you with practical ideas you can apply immediately to become less reactive and more intentional every day.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

• Mastering Leadership: The Coleman Way — Melissa Stratman, Amanda Laramie & Adrienne Mann
• Reality-Based Leadership — Cy Wakeman
• Emotional Intelligence — Daniel Goleman
• The Reengineering Revolution — Michael Hammer
• Strong Ground — Brené Brown
• Unreasonable Hospitality — Will Guidara

Guest: Melissa Stratman

Host: Amanda Laramie

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What does it take to grow an organization by more than 25% during one of the most challenging periods in healthcare?

In this episode of the Coleman Associates Innovation Podcast, Amanda Laramie talks with Eloisa Perard, CEO of Gracelight Community Health, about the leadership journey behind Gracelight's remarkable growth. Rather than focusing on expansion alone, Eloisa shares how investing in leaders, embracing accountability, and creating a culture of healthy conflict laid the foundation for lasting success.

Eloisa discusses moving beyond what author Patrick Lencioni calls "artificial harmony" to build greater trust, candor, and collaboration across her leadership team.

She also offers an honest look at her own evolution as a CEO, sharing lessons on self-reflection, resilience, and the importance of caring for yourself while leading others.

Whether you're leading a team, an organization, or your own leadership journey, this episode is filled with practical insights on how investing in people drives sustainable growth.

Book Referenced in the Episode:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Throughout the episode, Eloisa references Patrick Lencioni's concept of artificial harmony—the tendency for teams to avoid difficult conversations in the name of maintaining peace.

Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team explores how healthy teams embrace constructive conflict as an essential step toward stronger commitment, accountability, and results. It's an excellent resource for leaders looking to build more effective executive teams and create cultures where honest dialogue strengthens relationships rather than threatens them.

If you're interested in developing stronger leaders, building healthier organizational cultures, or creating operational excellence in community health, learn more about Coleman Associates' leadership development programs, including High Impact Management Program (HIMP™). Coleman's own book on leadership is called "Mastering Leadership the Coleman Way" by Melissa Stratman.

Guest: Eloisa Perard, MS

Host: Amanda Laramie

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