Healing the Hearts of Healthcare: Leadership

Are you carrying the emotional weight of your entire department? As a leader, it is time to use this simple psychological method of "So What? Now What?"

In this episode of Healing the Hearts of Healthcare: Leadership, we deconstruct a vital psychological tool for executives and managers. Learn how to use "So What" to objectively detach from the daily whirlwind of healthcare crises, and use "Now What" to invite a different outcome--always responding with love in your heart.

We teach you how to shift your leadership style from reactive to reflective. By choosing a "Now What" response of support and empathy, you don't just solve problems—you heal the heart of your team.

Are you leading with passion, or just going through the motions? In the high-stakes world of healthcare, it’s easy to feel "stuck" in the daily grind—but when a leader loses their spark, the whole team feels it.

Join Arleen for a heartfelt exploration of how to recognize when you’ve hit a plateau and why taking action is essential for your team’s well-being. Drawing on wisdom from the book Unstuck by Keith Yamashita and Sandra Spataro, this episode is a call to reconnect with your purpose so you can continue to inspire those who provide grueling, lifesaving care every day,

In this week’s episode, Arleen delves into the profound impact of the tragic shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—an event that sent shockwaves through the healthcare industry. The overwhelming public response, marked by anger, frustration, and mistrust, has spotlighted the deep-seated challenges within our healthcare system and the need for leaders to offer continued support to team members.

Arleen calls on healthcare leaders to step up during these turbulent times by supporting their teams in reclaiming their purpose. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on what is within their control: approaching care delivery with intentionality, fostering empathy and compassion, and maintaining steadiness regardless of external chaos.

Arleen underscores that a leader’s primary responsibility is to create a safe psychological space where team members can perform at their best. Leadership, she reminds us, is a skill honed through practice. By role modeling compassion, offering kind words, and responding with empathy during challenging moments, leaders set the tone for their teams and demonstrate the power of conscious choice.

In this episode, Arleen challenges leaders to reflect on their interactions with their teams and evaluate their leadership approach. As healthcare continues to face immense challenges, it is the actions of leaders that will empower their teams to fulfill their calling: caring for others even during challenging situations.

Tune in to explore how you can embrace your leadership role and create the conditions for your team to thrive amidst the complexities in the field of healthcare.

In today’s episode, Arleen reminds leaders that every team member has a unique story which may include details you might never know or learn. Regardless of what team members go through, leaders have a duty and responsibility to treat every team member with dignity and respect. Arleen reminds leaders in this week’s podcast of the different ways they fail to show dignity and respect when interacting and communicating with team members. If you are not careful, those interactions may result in team members treating your patients and family members in a way that does not promote dignity and respect. 

Arleen invites leaders to look inward, particularly regarding how they interact with team members on a daily basis. If you are going to keep people motivated to stay in the workforce, leaders must evaluate the way they interact with every team member. 

You can 100% self-evaluate the way you interact and communicate with team members, especially during those high-stress periods. Learn these simple steps you need to take to ensure every single interaction is one that promotes dignity and respect.

Have you ever hired someone who seemed perfect for your team, only to watch their enthusiasm fade overnight? That once-bright spark begins to flicker, leaving you questioning your decision.

In today’s episode, Arleen emphasizes a crucial concept in team performance: the importance of identifying whether challenges stem from a lack of skill, will, or a combination of both. She urges leaders to take prompt action by providing support, encouragement, and guidance.

Arleen also highlights the power of asking questions with genuine curiosity. This approach not only challenges your own assumptions but also helps you better understand the support your team members need to regain their confidence and drive.

Arleen invites you to tune in and she shares sample questions she used to better understand where to focus your attention and support.

Arleen reminds leaders that to form trustful relationships with team members, you must be genuine, authentic and consistently role model essential leadership behaviors. Arleen reminds leaders in order to influence healthcare workers to come back each day, it starts with forming trustful relationships and modeling these leadership behaviors every single time, with a goal of gaining consistency.

Arleen reminds leaders that you must embrace a mindset where you seek to understand by asking questions in awe and curiosity designed to better understand the specific challenges your team members face. And that you cannot influence and motivate your team to return the next day, if you are not role modeling behaviors appropriately especially in those challenging times.  

Arleen reviews the 13 behaviors highlighted in Steven M. R. Covey’s great book, The Speed of Trust. By learning these 13 important behaviors, leaders are in the best position to better understand where you need to further develop in order to support team members, so they are motivated to return the next day and do it all over again.

Arleen reminds leaders that mastery is achieved through practice, starting with evaluating these 13 behaviors and your ability to consistently demonstrate them with every single team member in every situation. Arleen shares that you can be an exemplary leader who positively influences team members in every situation. 

In this podcast, Arleen reminds leaders that if you want to be the type of leader where people follow behind you, you must learn how to lead consistently from your personal values and organizational values.  That’s right, you are a role model. Values can never just be words on the wall that people walk by. Instead, leaders must learn how to articulate each value in such a way that they understand what is expected and why it is important. 

Arleen reminds leaders it’s not simply role modeling the values through your words, deeds and actions, it is also about articulating those values in a way that your team can understand. Arleen shares examples from the ICare Model in healthcare to better direct leaders on ways they can role model each of the values: Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence. 

Arleen reminds leaders discussing those values during interviews, orientation, onboarding and ongoing 1:1 discussions with team members to ensure they are attracting people who are a good fit for what you are trying to build. Arleen shares examples of how leaders can address performance issues through proactive coaching and redirecting people to self-reflect on those values to identify ways to improve.  

You can view all the videos on Arleen’s Healing the Hearts of Healthcare YouTube channel or visit her website at www.healingtheheartshealthcare.com for additional resources. Like, Share and Subscribe!

In this podcast, Arleen reminds leaders of one of their greatest superpowers–being a leader who is encouraging rather than discouraging. Arleen reminds leaders that healthcare workers who provide care delivery are faced with numerous challenges, including not always seeing the best in the people they serve. 

Being a great encourager is essential for leaders in creating enthusiasm, hope, optimism and being mindful of your word choices in a way that propels your team forward to face another day. You do this simply with your approach! Think about it–if you encourage your healthcare workers, you role model the behaviors you want to see in them. Arleen reminds you that your patients need encouraging words in order to heal. So go ahead–start using one of your greatest superpowers. Encourage your team members every day, especially when they experience stress. Arleen reminds leaders to always respond in an empathetic and compassionate way, always leading through a spirit of love instead of placing judgment and inadvertently being that leader who discourages instead.

In this podcast, Arleen invites leaders to self-reflect and look inward to find ways to shift from feelings of dread and disliking your job to shifting to a mindset where you LOVE what you do. We discuss when you learn ways to inspire, motivate, encourage, and support team members your confidence will improve, and you will begin to LOVE your job because you are gaining mastery in your competencies.

Arleen reminds leaders, of the importance of developing mastery in role modeling those core leadership competencies of optimism, enthusiasm, self-determination, grit and inspiring your teams through re-direction every day. Arleen shares that the work your team members do is full of challenges and can leave team members feeling both mentally and emotionally challenged, often leading to burnout. When leaders don't love or see the benefit of their leadership skills, you miss the opportunity to connect with the people you serve.

Arleen invites leaders to this call to action--it is time for change. Leaders must understand that the way you care and support team members during the challenging times, is exactly what they will do in stressful times with patients, family members, visitors and one another.

Arleen invites leaders to not waste another minute. Tune in to learn how you can LOVE your role as a leader and reignite your passion for leadership again!

In this podcast, Arleen highlights the important role leaders play in bringing the workforce together by creating something that is bigger than themselves. Arleen shares her dream, a workforce driven by leaders who understand how to create a culture where every person is made to be part of a team, and the support is palpable.

Arleen reminds us of the factors that prevent leaders from creating a strong sense of team. (1) Generally, you are not seeing people at their best, because life is full of challenges; (2) Team formation must be directed with intention by leaders who are focused on bringing the workforce together; and (3) Every individual on your team is coming to the workplace with different life experiences, including things that can be triggering to them in how they react.

Arleen takes us on a deep dive into one of the episodes from the TV Show “The Bear” nominated for 23 Emmys. She shares how the writing and acting in this series artfully depicts pain, suffering and the worst things about our past experiences and how they surface in highly stressful situations. Arleen discusses how this new restaurant sets a lofty goal to achieve a coveted Michelin star, a recognition of excellence in the culinary world. We discuss how every experience feels like a pressure cooker when they attempt to achieve the impossible.

Arleen shares the great work from Patrick Lencioni’s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. We dive into a discussion regarding the environment when there is an absence of trust and how that impacts people on a team to support one another beyond their daily assignments. Arleen reminds leaders that with education, and intention, you can create the conditions for team members to thrive, working to support one another, despite challenging and stressful circumstances.