What if flourishing leadership isn’t something we achieve, but something we practice — moment by moment — through intention, vulnerability, and wisdom?

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Scott Parsons sits down with Dr. Kimara Ellefson — National Director of Strategy & Partnerships at the Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health — and explores how leaders can cultivate flourishing across healthcare systems by first cultivating it within themselves.

Together they explore:

• Flourishing leadership as knowing who we are — and who we’re becoming
 • Why leaders must “nourish their own souls” before caring for others
 • Character, caring, and practical wisdom as foundations for thriving cultures
 • Emotional intelligence, relational influence, and the courage to pause
 • Feminist relational theory and the power of community in leadership
 • Ecosystem-wide flourishing — moving beyond burnout and learned helplessness
 • The role of reflection, intentional habits, and shared humanity in healthcare
 • How small “pauses” create space for practical wisdom and better decisions
 • Why our leaders may impact our health as much as — or more than — our doctors

Kimara brings extraordinary clarity and compassion to leadership in healthcare — inviting us to rethink how we support healers, cultivate culture, and build systems where everyone can flourish.

This episode is for leaders in medicine, organizational development, education — and anyone who believes that leadership is, at its heart, a relational and moral act.

Learn more about the important work of the KNN by visiting The Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health. 

Thank you for listening to the Flourishing Leaders Podcast!
Hosted by Dr. Scott Parsons, this podcast explores how character, virtue, wisdom, and purpose can shape a more flourishing life and leadership journey.

Learn more at: Flourishing Leaders Academy
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Flourish with us—because leadership rooted in character changes everything.