Leadership can feel incredibly lonely at times, especially in healthcare where the stakes are so high - I've felt it myself, and I know many of you have too.

In this episode, I share why that isolation doesn't have to be the norm, and how building your own "personal boardroom" - a handpicked group of mentors, challengers, advocates, and connectors - can change everything. We explore how this approach has transformed my career, and why it's the secret weapon for any leader looking to amplify their impact without burning out.

What You'll Discover

- Myth of Lonely Leadership: Why the idea that top leaders must go it alone is outdated and how a personal boardroom flips that script for real support and growth.

- Building Your Board: Practical steps to curate people who mentor, challenge, advocate, and connect - turning isolation into a network that fuels your best work.

- Amplifying Your Impact: How this intentional circle doesn't just advance your career; it helps you create better patient care, stronger teams, and lasting change in healthcare.

This episode is my nudge to every healthcare leader feeling the weight: you don't have to carry it solo. Build your boardroom, nurture those relationships, and watch how far you can go together. If it sparks an idea for your own circle, start with one conversation this week – I'd love to hear how it goes.

Episode Resources

Personal Boardroom

Who’s in your Personal Boardroom

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Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

I've been reflecting on psychological safety a lot lately, and today I want to invite you into that conversation with a question: when was the last time you saw something off at work but stayed silent?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I explore why psychological safety – that sense of being able to speak up without fear – is the bedrock of great healthcare teams. Drawing from real research and my own experiences, we look at how silence costs lives, what it takes to build fearless organisations, and why it's on us as leaders to make it happen.

What You'll Discover

- The Cost of Silence: How everyday fears keep us quiet on concerns, ideas, or mistakes and why that's deadly in healthcare where lives are on the line.

- Building Fearless Teams: Practical ways to create environments where honesty, learning, and growth thrive, from modelling vulnerability to embedding it in your culture.

- Leadership as Safety-Net: Why prioritising psychological safety isn't soft - it's the smart move that boosts patient care, team morale, and your own fulfilment.

This episode is a call to action for every healthcare leader: study it, measure it, live it. Our patients deserve teams that feel safe to be brilliant. If this hits home, try one small act of openness this week and see what happens - I'd love to hear how it goes.

Episode Resources

Amy C. Edmondson’s The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth

Amy C. Edmondson’s Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy

The Fearless Organization

What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety - Six misconceptions that have led organizations astray. by Amy C. Edmondson and Michaela J. Kerrissey

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Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

I've seen firsthand how coaching can change everything in healthcare leadership, and today I want to share why it's been such a game-changer for me.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Insights, I open up about my own coaching journey - how it helped me navigate tough times, spot unhelpful patterns, and align my decisions with my true values. We explore what coaching really is (and how it's different from mentoring), why it's backed by solid evidence for building resilience and better teams, and why every healthcare leader should make space for it.

What You'll Discover

- Coaching vs Mentoring: Why coaching focuses on unlocking your own answers, while mentoring shares expertise and how both matter in healthcare.

- My Personal Transformation: The ways coaching gave me clarity during my consultant career, turning external pressures into value-driven choices.

- Evidence for Real Impact: How coaching builds relational skills, boosts well-being, and creates high-performing teams - just like in elite sports.

If you're a healthcare leader feeling the weight, coaching isn't a luxury - it's the tool that helps us serve sustainably. I'd love to hear if you've tried it; drop me a note.

Episode Resources

NHS Elect Coaching Services

Dr Stephen Swensen speaking at The King's Fund

Journal of Management Development: Leadership by Design: Intentional Organization Development of Physician Leaders

BMJ Leader: What is the evidence base for leadership coaching for postgraduate medical doctors?

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LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.