I wanted to bring this episode to you because meetings are such a big part of how we lead, especially in healthcare, and yet so many of them feel rushed, reactive, or disconnected.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Insights, I explore what it actually takes to lead meetings that matter, drawing on the principles of authentic gravitas. This isn’t about dominating the room or having all the answers. It’s about how you show up, how you create space for others, and how intentional small shifts can completely change the quality of your conversations.

What You’ll Discover

- Why Presence Isn’t About Performance: Gravitas isn’t about confidence or charisma, it’s about clarity, curiosity, and how you show up for others.

- The Power of Better Conversations: Creating space before the agenda and asking thoughtful questions can transform collaboration and influence.

- From Reactive to Intentional Leadership: Without time to think and reflect, we don’t lead, we simply respond to pressure.

What really stands out in this episode is how much impact sits in the moments we often overlook. The space before a meeting starts, the decision to ask one better question, the willingness to listen instead of jumping straight to solutions. These aren’t big, dramatic leadership moves, but they change how people feel, how they contribute, and ultimately, the outcomes you create together.

There’s also a deeper message here about self-leadership. If we don’t create time to think, to reflect, and to be intentional about who we are as leaders, we default to reacting. And in environments as complex and pressured as healthcare, that shift from reactive to intentional can make all the difference.

If you’ve ever left a meeting feeling like it didn’t quite land, or wondered how to have more impact without being louder or more forceful, this episode will give you a different way to think about it. Try one small shift in your next conversation and see what changes.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Authentic Gravitas: Who Stands out and Why by Dr Rebecca Newton.

Gravitas Is a Quality You Can Develop, Harvard Business Review by Rebecca Newton.

The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven G Rogelberg.

Why Your Meetings Stink—and What to Do About It, Harvard Business Review by Steven G. Rogelberg HBR.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

I want to start this episode with a question that really made me pause. Have you ever been in a room where someone just has that presence? They don’t dominate, they don’t raise their voice, but somehow they carry weight and people lean in.

In this episode of Leadership Insights Book Club, I unpack the idea of gravitas through Dr Rebecca Newton’s book Authentic Gravitas, and honestly, it completely changed how I think about leadership presence. This is about letting go of what we think leadership should look like and understanding what actually makes people stand out in a meaningful, lasting way.

What You’ll Discover

- The Myths Holding You Back: Gravitas isn’t something you’re born with, it doesn’t require confidence, and it’s not about charisma.

- What Real Presence Actually Is: Authentic gravitas comes from focusing on others, not performing importance or trying to stand out.

- How to Build It Practically: From inviting honest feedback to choosing courage over waiting for confidence, small shifts create real impact.

What really stayed with me is how freeing this is. So many people, especially in healthcare, assume leadership presence belongs to the loudest or most confident person in the room. But this completely flips that idea. It’s not about performing confidence or having all the answers. It’s about clarity, curiosity, integrity, and the courage to step forward even when you don’t feel ready.

There’s also something deeper here about self-leadership. If we never create space to think, to reflect, to be intentional about how we show up, we end up reacting instead of leading. And that distinction matters more than we often realise. Even small moments of reflection can shift how we show up in conversations, decisions, and ultimately, the impact we have.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you have “that presence” or felt like your impact doesn’t quite match your intention, this episode will challenge that in the best way. Share it with someone who’s stepping into leadership or finding their voice.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Authentic Gravitas: Who Stands out and Why by Dr Rebecca Newton.

Gravitas Is a Quality You Can Develop, Harvard Business Review by Rebecca Newton.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

I had one of those moments reading recently where something just clicks and you can’t unsee it.

In this episode, I unpack the Pet-to-Threat™ phenomenon, a concept I came across through Dr Uché Blackstock’s work, and honestly, it stopped me in my tracks. We explore how high-performing clinicians, particularly women of colour, can go from being celebrated to being sidelined the moment they begin to challenge the status quo. This is a difficult but necessary conversation about culture, power, and what’s really happening inside healthcare systems.

What You’ll Discover

- From Valued to Vulnerable: How individuals are initially embraced as symbols of diversity, but later perceived as threats when they gain influence and speak up.

- Why Systems Resist Change: The hidden hierarchies and cultural norms in healthcare that make it difficult to challenge inequity without consequence.

- What We Can Actually Do: Practical ways for individuals and leaders to recognise, address, and disrupt this pattern in real-world settings.

What really stayed with me is how insidious this phenomenon is. It doesn’t always show up loudly or obviously. It’s subtle, often invisible, and that’s what makes it so powerful. But the impact is real. We are losing incredibly talented clinicians, not because they aren’t capable, but because the system struggles to accommodate their voice once it becomes too strong to ignore.

This episode is an invitation to reflect honestly. Whether you see yourself in the experiences described or recognise patterns in your organisation, there’s something here for all of us. Because this isn’t just about individuals, it’s about the culture we create and sustain.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Women of Color at Midcareer: Going from Pet to Threat ™ . Psychological Health of Women of Color: Intersections, Challenges, and Opportunities, p 275.” "Thomas, K. M., Johnson-Bailey, J., Phelps, R. E., Tran, N. M., & Johnson, L. N. (2013).

The Persistence Of Pet To Threat ™ By Kecia M. Thomas

Uche Blackstock - Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine

Advancing Health Equity

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

I’ve been thinking a lot about organisational culture lately, especially in healthcare, where the stakes are so high and the pressures never seem to let up.

In this episode, I explore what healthcare can learn from business schools when it comes to shaping culture intentionally, not just letting it evolve by default. This is a conversation about leadership, systems, and the everyday behaviours that quietly define how teams function, whether we realise it or not.

What You’ll Discover

- Culture Is What You Tolerate: Why organisational culture is shaped less by values on a wall and more by the behaviours leaders allow and reinforce every day.

- Learning from Business Schools: How structured thinking around leadership, feedback, and performance can transform how healthcare teams operate.

- From Intent to Action: Why culture change only happens when systems, incentives, and behaviours are aligned, not just when intentions are good.

What really stayed with me while reflecting on this topic is how easy it is to underestimate culture because it feels intangible. But in reality, it shows up everywhere, in how people speak up, how decisions are made, and how safe teams feel to learn and improve. And in healthcare, that directly impacts patient care.

If you’re leading a team or shaping an organisation in any way, this episode is an invitation to look a little closer at the culture you’re creating, intentionally or not.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

The Berkeley-Haas School of Business: Codifying, Embedding, and Sustaining Culture (A)

The Berkeley-Haas School of Business: Codifying, Embedding, and Sustaining Culture (B)

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts

I’ve been thinking a lot about healthcare teams recently, especially the ones I’m privileged to work with that function incredibly well under pressure.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I explore what really makes teams thrive in modern healthcare. We dive into why teamwork is no longer just a nice extra but a core clinical skill, and how Amy Edmondson’s concept of “teaming” helps us navigate a world where teams constantly form, evolve, and solve problems in real time.

What You’ll Discover

- Teamwork Saves Lives: Poor communication and teamwork contribute to a large proportion of adverse healthcare events, making strong team culture essential for patient safety and staff wellbeing.

- Teamwork vs Teaming: Amy Edmondson’s framework explains why modern healthcare depends on flexible “teaming” where professionals collaborate rapidly across roles, departments, and disciplines.

- The Four Pillars of High Performing Teams: Speaking up, collaboration, experimentation, and reflection form the foundation of adaptive teams that learn continuously and improve care.

At the heart of this episode is a powerful reminder that every healthcare professional has agency. Whether you are a medical student, nurse, consultant, or pharmacist, your voice and actions shape the culture of the teams around you. Small moments like speaking up, reflecting together after difficult cases, or collaborating across disciplines can lead to meaningful improvements in care and even system level change.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Naomi Nkinsi Podcast Episode- The Dose The Commonwealth Fund

Cote, C. (2025). What Is Dynamic Teaming & Why Is It Important? Harvard Business School Online Business Insights

Teaming How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy C Edmondson

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts

I've seen too many brilliant healthcare professionals hit that wall of emotional exhaustion, and today I want to talk about why it happens and how we can turn it around with something powerful called esprit de corps.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations Insights, I share the stark reality of burnout: the passion that fades to nothing, the cynicism that creeps in, and the depersonalisation that makes it hard to connect.

What You'll Discover

- Burnout's Real Face: The emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and depersonalisation hitting healthcare workers hard and why it's a system problem, not a personal failing.

- Three Keys to Recovery: How giving people agency, coherence, and camaraderie can rebuild passion and purpose in even the toughest environments.

- Esprit de Corps in Action: The "common spirit" that inspires devotion and loyalty and why it's the antidote to burnout we all need right now.

This episode is a lifeline for anyone quietly battling burnout or leading a team on the brink - esprit de corps isn't some distant ideal, it's something we can build together, and it has the power to transform how we show up for each other in healthcare.

Episode Resources

Commonwealth Fund 2025 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians (10 countries)

NHS Staff Survey National Results Briefing 2024

Mayo Clinic Swensen, S. & Shanafelt, T. (2020). Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace. Mayo Clinic Scientific Press

Pando

Baverstock, A. & Molyneux, P. (2025). 'Kindness in Leadership: Moving the Dialogue from Productivity to Engagement.' BMJ Leader Journal

Lorna Breen Foundation ALL IN: Caring for Caregivers programme. Dr Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

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

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.