In this episode of Lead Change, host Mary K. Mulcahey, MD sits down with Dr. Nancy Spector, Professor of Pediatrics and Senior Vice Dean for Faculty at Drexel University College of Medicine, and Executive Director of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) and Executive Leadership in Health Care (ELH) programs.

Dr. Spector shares her leadership journey—from her roots as a pediatrician and chief resident to becoming a nationally recognized leader in faculty development, equity, mentoring, and systems-level change. She reflects on formative moments in her career, including the importance of mentorship, peer support, and leadership training early and throughout one’s professional life.

The conversation explores the origins and evolution of ELAM, its mission to transform leadership at the highest levels of academic medicine, and its shift from “fixing women” to fixing systems. Dr. Spector discusses inclusive leadership, allyship, infrastructure-building, and the necessity of preparing leaders to manage and lead effectively amid ongoing uncertainty.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Spector emphasizes purpose-driven leadership, strategic patience, and the power of creating environments where diverse talent can thrive—ultimately improving medicine, science, and patient care.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership training is essential at every stage of a medical career, not just at senior levels—and should ideally begin in medical school.
• Peer mentorship is often as powerful as senior mentorship, providing support, perspective, and shared growth throughout one’s career.
• Effective faculty development goes beyond teaching skills to include career alignment, professional growth, and leadership identity.
• The future of leadership in academic medicine depends on fixing systems and infrastructure, not asking individuals to adapt to broken models.
• Inclusive leadership requires partnership and allyship, including engagement across gender, disciplines, and professional roles.
• Successful leaders focus on alignment with purpose (“the why”), helping individuals and organizations maximize impact.
• Leading in today’s environment means accepting uncertainty and learning to lead through it, rather than waiting for clarity.
• A critical leadership skill is the ability to identify gaps, build infrastructure, and then empower others to lead.
• Maintaining a sense of humor and humility is key to longevity and resilience in high-level leadership roles.

In this episode of Lead Change, Dr. Mary Mulcahey sits down with Dr. Alex Ghanayem—orthopedic spine surgeon, longtime Loyola faculty member, department chair, and past president of the American Orthopaedic Association—for a candid and deeply reflective conversation about leadership in medicine.

Dr. Ghanayem shares how his leadership journey unfolded organically, never driven by titles or ambition, but by consistently doing the work, earning trust, and saying yes when others saw potential in him. He reflects on nearly 30 years at one institution and how stewardship, culture, and people—not individual recognition—define true leadership legacy.

The discussion explores leading through disruption (particularly the post-COVID era), the importance of financial and organizational sustainability, and why leaders must think years—not months—ahead. Dr. Ghanayem emphasizes integrity and trust as the true currency of leadership, the discipline required to stay focused amid constant noise, and the humility needed to empower others and step out of the weeds.

Throughout the episode, listeners gain practical wisdom on leadership development, the value of professional societies like the AOA, and why aspiring leaders should stop chasing titles and instead invest in relationships, allies, and the long-term health of their organizations.

Key Take-Home Points

• Leadership is earned, not planned.
  Many impactful leaders never set out to lead—they focused on doing meaningful work well and accepted responsibility when trusted by others.
• Integrity and trust are leadership currency.
  People may disagree with you, but if they trust your intentions and integrity, productive leadership is possible—even in conflict.
• Think long-term, not just short-term.
  Today’s challenges were shaped by decisions made years ago; effective leaders must look 5–10 years ahead and plan accordingly.
• Culture matters more than structure.
  A strong, people-centered culture creates resilience, collaboration, and a willingness to go the extra mile—even in challenging environments.
• Great leaders “become smaller.”
  Self-awareness, humility, and understanding how your presence affects others are essential to empowering teams.
• Transition from doer → manager → leader.
  Leaders must resist staying in the weeds and instead trust, support, and elevate those closest to the work.
• Focus on what you can control.
  Noise and distractions are inevitable—discipline and strategic focus allow leaders to move forward effectively.
• Don’t chase titles—build allies.
  Leadership success is never achieved alone; relationships and trust built along the way make advancement possible.
• Professional societies matter.
  Organizations like the AOA play a critical role in leadership development, education, and safeguarding the future of musculoskeletal care.

Episode 11:  The Power of Presence, Reflection, and Purpose

In this episode of the Lead Change podcast, host Dr. Mary Mulcahey sits down with Janet Foutty, former CEO of Deloitte Consulting and Executive Chair of Deloitte US, and co-author of Arrive and Thrive. Janet reflects on her 33-year career at Deloitte, her leadership philosophy, and her current focus on advancing women’s health through organizations like Women’s Health Access Matters (WAM).

The conversation explores Janet’s service-oriented leadership mindset—flipping the traditional leadership pyramid to focus on enabling others—and how lessons from business leadership translate directly to medicine and healthcare. Janet discusses why investing in women’s health research and innovation is both a moral imperative and an economic opportunity, highlighting historic inequities and underinvestment.

A major focus of the episode is Arrive and Thrive and its seven leadership practices. Janet emphasizes the importance of investing in your best self through self-awareness and reflection, embracing authenticity with consistency, and redefining concepts like “executive presence” to be inclusive rather than coded or exclusionary. She also shares practical tools, such as Deloitte’s Business Chemistry framework, and reflects on how leadership styles evolve across different career chapters. The episode closes with Janet’s favorite leadership thinkers, quotes, and advice on preparation, focus, and lifelong growth.

In this episode of Lead Change, Dr. Mary Mulcahey interviews Dr. Matt Provencher—renowned orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, military leader, researcher, and mentor. Their conversation explores Dr. Provencher’s extensive career in the U.S. Navy, his clinical and research work, his leadership philosophy, and his roles across professional sports and major orthopedic societies.

Dr. Provencher describes the development of MOTION, the Military Orthopedic Tracking Injuries and Outcomes Network, born from a need to systematically capture outcomes across a unified EMR. He highlights the importance of team-building, persistence, and leveraging subspecialty societies (like SOMOS) in advancing large-scale research initiatives.

He discusses his leadership experience as Director of Surgical Services aboard the USNS Mercy, managing hundreds of medical professionals from multiple countries and NGOs in humanitarian and disaster-relief missions. He shares how these high-stakes leadership scenarios shaped his appreciation for communication, structure, team trust, and leading by example.

Dr. Provencher also reflects on his time as Head Team Physician for the New England Patriots, where teamwork, interdisciplinary communication, and optimizing return-to-play protocols were central to success.

Throughout the episode, he emphasizes humility, service, patient-centeredness, and the drive to continually teach, innovate, and give back to the next generation. He also discusses his motivations for pursuing an MBA, how it enhanced his leadership in professional societies like AOSSM, and its role in improving organizational strategy, financial stewardship, and meeting innovation.

The episode closes with his favorite leadership books and his go-to quote from JFK: “Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another.”

In this episode of the Lead Change podcast, Dr. Mary Mulcahey welcomes her friend and colleague, Dr. Berte Boe, a consultant orthopedic surgeon at Oslo University Hospital and the first woman to serve in the presidential line of the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, and Arthroscopy (ESSKA). Dr. Boe shares insights from her multifaceted career as a clinician, researcher, and leader.

She discusses her dual focus on shoulder and knee surgery, an uncommon combination in Europe, and her evolution from clinician to section head and international leader. She opens up about her path to earning a PhD in orthopedics, how early challenges as a young woman in a male-dominated field motivated her to excel academically, and how she now mentors the next generation of surgeons and researchers.

Dr. Boe reflects on her leadership philosophy—grounded in team-building, openness, humility, and inclusivity—and outlines her goals for ESSKA, including advancing the Women in ESSKA initiative and fostering international collaboration. The episode closes with a discussion of her favorite leadership lessons, including managing diverse personalities and keeping ego in check, and her favorite quote:

“Believe that you can, and you’re halfway there.”

Key Takeaways

1. Leadership Is About People, Not Position: Dr. Boe emphasizes that a strong team culture—where everyone is encouraged to reach their potential—is essential to sustainable success.
2. Authenticity Over Imitation: She learned from great mentors but discovered she had to lead her own way rather than trying to replicate others.
3. Mentorship Multiplies Impact: By supervising medical students and PhD candidates, she passes on both technical and research skills while promoting academic engagement in orthopedics.
4. Diversity Strengthens Organizations: As the first woman in the ESSKA presidential line, Dr. Boe is passionate about inclusion and mentorship for women in orthopedics through initiatives like Women in ESSKA.
5. Continuous Learning Is Leadership: From earning a PhD to attending leadership courses, Dr. Boe models lifelong learning.
6. Leadership Style: Direct, open, decisive, and team-oriented—balancing firmness with approachability.
7. Managing Different Personalities: Inspired by the book Surrounded by Idiots, she recognizes that effective leadership requires understanding varied personality types.
8. Ego Is the Enemy: Staying grounded, approachable, and engaged with her team is essential to her philosophy.
9. Favorite Quote: “Believe that you can, and you’re halfway there.” — a reminder of confidence and perseverance, especially for women in leadership.

In this episode, Dr. Mary Mulcahey speaks with Dr. Akanksha Mehta, Professor of Urology at Emory University School of Medicine and Director of Male Reproductive Health at the Emory Reproductive Center. The conversation explores Dr. Mehta’s clinical focus on male reproductive and sexual health, her research on male infertility and access to care, and her leadership journey in academic medicine.
Dr. Mehta discusses her collaborative work with the CDC’s Division of  Reproductive Health, where she sought to expand research beyond female fertility to include male factors in reproductive outcomes. She highlights the importance of education and awareness about male infertility, the need for equity in research funding and clinical resources, and the critical role of interdisciplinary  collaboration.
As Program Director for the Urology Residency at Emory, Dr. Mehta reflects on her
responsibilities, from curriculum design to cultivating a positive departmental culture. She shares insights on evolving surgical training, mentoring residents to be adaptable for the future, and the broader satisfaction that comes from training the next generation.
The discussion also delves into her presidency of the Society of Women in Urology (SWIU), where she advanced initiatives around mentorship, inclusion, and allyship—opening the organization to male allies to strengthen diversity and progress. Dr. Mehta emphasizes the leadership lessons she’s learned from these experiences: the power of collaboration, inclusivity, and learning from differing viewpoints.
Finally, she reflects on leadership development programs (including ELAM and institutional training), the value of executive coaching, and influential leadership readings such as Lean In, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, and HBR’s Emotional Intelligence collection. She closes with two favorite quotes:
 “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
 “Leaders create other leaders, not followers.”

In this special live episode of the Lead Change podcast, recorded at the Inspire Women in Orthopaedics Summit 2025 in Philadelphia, Dr. Mary Mulcahey sits down with Drs. Meghan Bishop and Danielle Ponzio, co-founders and co-chairs of the INSPIRE Summit. Both accomplished orthopaedic surgeons at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Bishop and Ponzio share the origins, growth, and vision behind the conference—a space designed to empower, educate, and connect women in orthopaedics. 
They reflect on how INSPIRE evolved from an idea to a nationally recognized event
emphasizing leadership, mentorship, authenticity, and collaboration. This year’s summit incorporated fresh perspectives from orthopedic leaders, executive coaches, and professionals outside of medicine, covering topics such as advocacy, work-life integration, leadership development, and finding one’s “why.”
Throughout the conversation, the guests discuss lessons learned in leadership, the importance of authenticity, and the transformative power of mentorship. They also share their favorite leadership books and quotes—Dr. Ponzio citing Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, and Dr. Bishop highlighting the athletic mindset from Beyond Grit and her lifelong motto: “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

Key Takeaways

• Purpose-Driven Leadership: Understanding your “why” helps guide your “what.” Passion and purpose fuel success.
• Authenticity Matters: Being true to yourself allows you to thrive in your role and find the right environment for growth.
• Collaboration Across Fields: Including voices from business, coaching, and advocacy enriches leadership and broadens perspective.
• Mentorship & Representation: Building networks of female leaders strengthens the pipeline and fosters lasting impact.
• Evolving Together: The INSPIRE Summit continues to grow by adding new topics, diverse speakers, and fresh approaches each year.
• Leadership Lessons: Listening, inclusion, and confidence are essential leadership skills—especially for women in male-dominated fields.
• Inspiration in Action: The event embodies the spirit of empowerment and
  community—encouraging women to lead, lift others, and embrace opportunity.

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Mary Mulcahey interviews Dr. David Dejour, internationally renowned knee surgeon, past president of ESSKA (European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy), and head of the Lyon Ortho Clinic. Dr. Dejour reflects on his distinguished career, leadership experiences, and the evolution of orthopaedic sports medicine
in Europe.
He shares how ESSKA has grown into a global organization emphasizing education, community, and the “ESSKA spirit,” including the development of cadaver courses, a core curriculum, and European certifications for advanced surgeons. Dr. Dejour highlights his role in launching the Women in ESSKA initiative and mentorship programs, helping diversify leadership in orthopaedics.
The conversation touches on pivotal career moments: building his own reputation alongside his father’s legacy, fellowship training in the U.S., leadership lessons from business school, and shaping the Lyon School of Knee Surgery’s collaborative culture. Dr. Dejour also speaks passionately  about teaching, research, and the joy of mentoring young surgeons, emphasizing curiosity, rigor, and creativity in clinical practice.
He concludes by advising young surgeons to fully commit to their passions, work hard, and embrace leadership opportunities as they arise.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership is strategic and long-term: Successful leadership in societies like ESSKA requires multi-year planning, collaboration, and continuity across presidential terms. 
• Education is central to impact: ESSKA’s cadaver courses, curriculum, and
  certifications have set new standards for surgeon education in Europe.
• Diversity and mentorship matter: The Women in ESSKA initiative and mentorship programs have helped open doors for female surgeons and foster inclusive leadership. 
• Pivotal moments shape leaders: Fellowship experiences abroad, stepping outside comfort zones, and personal growth programs were turning points in Dr. Dejour’s career. 
• Know yourself to lead others: His leadership training focused on self-awareness rather than leadership “rules,” emphasizing emotional intelligence and reflection. 
• Mentorship fuels the field: Teaching and challenging young surgeons keeps him inspired and drives innovation. 
• Operational excellence supports vision: Great ideas need strong teams and staff to bring them to life—both in surgical practice and organizational leadership. 
• Commit fully to your passions: Leadership opportunities arise naturally when you’re deeply engaged and hardworking in your chosen field.

In this episode of Lead Change, Dr. Mary Mulcahey interviews Dr. Ellen Casey, attending physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. A former collegiate gymnast, Dr. Casey has built her career around sports medicine, research, and leadership. She shares insights from her journey—ranging from her early days as a gymnast and team captain, to her current role directing research at HSS Physiatry and serving as team physician for USA Gymnastics.

Dr. Casey emphasizes the importance of individualized leadership, collaboration, and adaptability. She discusses her role in reshaping residency leadership structures, her perspective on balancing clinical care with research, and her philosophy of leading with authenticity and vulnerability. She also reflects on challenges of prioritization, the myth of a perfect system, and the need to embrace change throughout a medical career. Influenced by mentors and leadership resources like Deep Work, Simon Sinek, and Brene Brown, Dr. Casey models mission-driven leadership rooted in teamwork, continuous learning, and service.

Key Takeaways

• Individualized Leadership: Lessons from gymnastics and residency leadership show the value of supporting people’s unique strengths rather than forcing uniformity.
• Redefining Systems: Dr. Casey helped restructure residency leadership into a three-chief model, creating lasting positive change.
• Mission-Driven Practice: Clear purpose and “knowing the why” are central to her leadership style.
• Balancing Roles: Time management, deep work, and strict prioritization are essential to balancing clinical, research, and leadership responsibilities.
• Authenticity and Vulnerability: Being open, reflective, and authentic fosters trust, growth, and stronger mentorship.
• Adaptability in Career: Change—whether geographic, institutional, or personal—can lead to unexpected growth and opportunities.
• Team-Based Leadership: Collaboration across disciplines and perspectives strengthens patient care, research, and organizational culture.
• Continuous Learning: Books, podcasts, and mentors fuel ongoing leadership development; even popular culture (e.g., Ted Lasso) can offer leadership lessons.
• Core Values: Service, community, and the courage to “lead change” shape her leadership philosophy.

In this episode of Lead Change, Dr. Mary Mulcahey interviews Clare Coonan, founder and president of Adjacent Consulting and an experienced executive coach who has spent over 20 years helping leaders in healthcare and academic medicine navigate transformation. Clare shares her unconventional journey from teaching high school biology and directing nonprofits to becoming a sought-after coach and facilitator. She explains her approach to coaching, emphasizing clarity, accountability, and authenticity, and discusses the importance of breaking free from self-limiting beliefs.

Clare offers practical insights on fostering healthy team dynamics, using well-crafted questions to unlock creativity, and facilitating strategic planning sessions that harness collective wisdom. She also reflects on lessons learned from working with diverse leaders, the role of creativity in leadership growth, and how diversity of thought leads to innovation. Throughout the conversation, Clare’s passion for helping individuals and teams thrive is evident, inspiring listeners to embrace coaching as a tool for professional and personal development.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Path to Coaching: Clare’s career evolved from teaching and nonprofit leadership to executive coaching, shaped by pivotal setbacks and opportunities.
Four Coaching Pillars:

1. Clarify personal and professional goals.
2. Identify skills, activities, and opportunities to achieve those goals.
3. Provide accountability and ongoing evaluation.
4. Offer on-demand consulting support for emerging challenges.

Strategic Planning Wisdom: Effective plans come from diverse ideas colliding, a structured process, and disciplined follow-through—implementation is 80% of the work.
Leadership Lessons: Leaders must recognize their “default style” (gas pedal vs. brake) and adapt to others’ approaches.
Breaking Self-Limitations: Clare encourages leaders, especially women, to pursue opportunities without self-disqualifying based on incomplete qualifications.
Superpowers: Clare is known for her ability to distill clarity and craft powerful, well-worded questions that shift conversations.
Books to Explore: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Crucial Conversations, Crucial Accountability, Radical Candor.
Diversity Drives Innovation: True innovation stems from diverse experiences, perspectives, and cognitive styles.