Listen on Substack, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts

How can knowing your “why” help you lead with greater clarity, purpose, and resilience?

In this Leadership Hacks episode of Learning to Lead, Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, shares a simple but powerful practice: Reflect on your why, make deliberate decisions, and listen deeply to the people around you.

Dr. Bearman explains that effective leadership requires more than articulating professional values. It means paying attention to the choices we make, learning what truly matters to us, and genuinely caring about the people we lead. The conversation also explores how a clear sense of purpose can sustain us through difficult moments, and help us say no to work that distracts from the mission or drains our energy.

Key takeaways:

* Know your why so you can lead and make decisions with intention

* Listen to your team, get to know the people you lead, and show that you genuinely care

* Say no, or not now, to work that does not align with your purpose and priorities

Your why can give you the motivation to go all in on what matters, and the clarity to let go of what does not.

Join the conversation:

What does your why help you say yes, and no, to?

We’d love to hear from you and build this community together. You can share your thoughts with our community in a few ways:

* Comment: Join the live conversation in the comments section below.

* Email: Write to us at [email protected]

* Social media: Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky & X: @LearningToLeadPod

About Learning to Lead:

Learning to Lead focuses on developing and supporting emerging healthcare leaders (students, trainees and early-career healthcare professionals) through conversations with leaders about their experiences and insights (“leader journeys”), foundational leadership concepts (“deep dives”), and the most useful and impactful tools to become better leaders (“leadership hacks”).”

You will be connecting to a community where you can learn, grow, and transform into a more capable and confident leader, ready to reimagine the healthcare system.

Learning to Lead is a collaboration of faculty and students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University.

Creators Rahul Anand, Maya Doyle, Peter Longley and Brooklynn Weber. Student Producer: Krishna Anand; Senior Producer: Brooklynn Weber; Executive Producer: Rahul Anand

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

Listen on Substack, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts

In this episode of Learning to Lead, we talk with Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, Chair of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Richard P. Wenzel Professor of Medicine, and Associate Chief Quality and Safety Officer for Research at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System.

Dr. Bearman brings together a remarkable career in infectious diseases, medical education, healthcare epidemiology, quality and safety, and leadership and a lifelong love of soccer. For Dr. Bearman, soccer is more than a sport. It is a way of understanding leadership, teamwork, culture, and how people with different strengths come together in pursuit of a shared goal.

Together, we explore what the beautiful game can teach us about leading in healthcare:

* why talent alone is not enough, and why the best players do not always become the best coaches

* how leaders can create a culture where people flourish, and

* why the most important question may be whether we can turn “me” into “us.”

This conversation is for anyone who leads, teaches, coaches, follows, or works on a team. Whether or not you love soccer, it will invite you to ask: How can we create teams where the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts?

(Here’s Dr. Bearman’s published article - check it out: Bearman G. Leadership in healthcare epidemiology, antimicrobial stewardship, and medicine: A soccer enthusiast's perspective. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 Feb;44(2):171-174. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.221. Epub 2022 Sep 9. PMID: 36082783.)

Join the conversation:

What are the experiences in your own life from sports and play that can teach you how to lead?

We’d love to hear from you and build this community together. You can share your thoughts with our community in a few ways:

* Comment: Join the live conversation in the comments section below.

* Email: Write to us at [email protected]

* Social media: Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky & X: @LearningToLeadPod

About Learning to Lead:

Learning to Lead focuses on developing and supporting emerging healthcare leaders (students, trainees and early-career healthcare professionals) through conversations with leaders about their experiences and insights (“leader journeys”), foundational leadership concepts (“deep dives”), and the most useful and impactful tools to become better leaders (“leadership hacks”).”

You will be connecting to a community where you can learn, grow, and transform into a more capable and confident leader, ready to reimagine the healthcare system.

Learning to Lead is a collaboration of faculty and students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University.

Creators Rahul Anand, Maya Doyle, Peter Longley and Brooklynn Weber. Student Producer: Krishna Anand; Senior Producer: Brooklynn Weber; Executive Producer: Rahul Anand

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

Available on Substack, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts

How can we navigate conflict, communicate across differences, and repair relationships when conversations get hard?

In this episode of Learning to Lead, Colonel Jess Bunin, MD, co-founder of All Levels Leadership, joins us for a practical and deeply relevant conversation about civil discourse, community building, and the leadership skills needed to communicate effectively when tensions rise.

Drawing from her experiences in healthcare, coaching, academic leadership, and military medicine, Dr. Bunin shares a five step framework for communicating across difference that includes:

* developing psychological safety,

* listening actively,

* finding common ground,

* rethinking our own perspectives, and

* challenging others’ ideas without making them feel attacked.

We also explore what to do in the moment when a conversation gets heated, how to recognize our own defensiveness, and how to return to difficult moments with humility, respect, and a desire to repair.

This episode reminds us that difficult conversations are not simply problems to get through. When approached with skill and courage, they can become opportunities to build trust, strengthen relationships, and move forward together.

🎧 Listen, follow, and share the Learning to Lead podcast today:

Available on Substack, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts

About Learning to Lead:

Learning to Lead focuses on developing and supporting emerging healthcare leaders (students, trainees and early-career healthcare professionals) through conversations with leaders about their experiences and insights (“leader journeys”), foundational leadership concepts (“deep dives”), and the most useful and impactful tools to become better leaders (“leadership hacks”).”

You will be connecting to a community where you can learn, grow, and transform into a more capable and confident leader, ready to reimagine the healthcare system.

Learning to Lead is a collaboration of faculty and students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University.

Creators Rahul Anand, Maya Doyle, Peter Longley and Brooklynn Weber. Student Producer: Krishna AnandSenior Producer: Brooklynn WeberExecutive Producer: Rahul Anand

Got ideas? We’d love to hear from you and build this community together:Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky & X: @LearningToLeadPod or email us at l[email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

In this Leadership Hacks episode of Learning to Lead, Jessica Bunin, MD, co-founder of All Levels Leadership, shares two simple but powerful practices for becoming a better leader.

First, she explains the value of a listening tour: intentionally hearing from people across roles and levels to better understand the culture, needs, and realities of an organization.

Then, she explores the leadership power of saying “I don’t know” — a small phrase that can build psychological safety, encourage help-seeking, and model humility.

Together, these hacks remind us that effective leadership is not about having all the answers, but about listening deeply, knowing our limits, and having the courage to seek help when we do not have all the answers..

🎧 Listen, follow, and share the Learning to Lead podcast today:

Available on Substack, Spotify and Apple Podcasts)

About Learning to Lead:

Learning to Lead focuses on developing and supporting emerging healthcare leaders (students, trainees and early-career healthcare professionals) through conversations with leaders about their experiences and insights (“leader journeys”), foundational leadership concepts (“deep dives”), and the most useful and impactful tools to become better leaders (“leadership hacks”).”

You will be connecting to a community where you can learn, grow, and transform into a more capable and confident leader, ready to reimagine the healthcare system. Learning to Lead is a collaboration of faculty and students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University.

Creators Rahul Anand, Maya Doyle, Peter Longley and Brooklynn Weber. Student Producer: Krishna AnandSenior Producer: Brooklynn WeberExecutive Producer: Rahul Anand

Got ideas? We’d love to hear from you and build this community together:Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky & X: @LearningToLeadPod or email us at l[email protected]

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

In the Season 4 premiere of Learning to Lead, Dr. Rebecca Zucconi joins us to explore how storytelling can make communication more meaningful, memorable, and effective.

Dr. Rebecca Zucconi shares a simple yet powerful framework: every story has a challenge, a choice, and an outcome. This structure keeps your audience invested and wanting more. Beyond this structure, she gives us her top 3 ingredients in a great story: relatable, clear and focused on the audience’s needs.

Storytelling isn’t just about sharing info; it’s a process of turning experience into meaning, and meaning into action. It’s about engaging your audience and helping them connect with your narrative on a deeper level.

Want to learn how to transform your everyday experiences into compelling stories? Join us as we explore storytelling techniques that resonate!

Are you ready to be brave and tell more stories?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

In this episode of Learning to Lead, Dr. Beth Frates, MD discusses how effective leadership begins with truly understanding your team and aligning their individual strengths with a shared mission. Drawing from her experience in lifestyle medicine leadership, she highlights the importance of building personal connections, fostering collaboration, and helping each team member contribute meaningfully.

She also emphasizes servant leadership—leading by supporting others, celebrating small wins, and keeping the organization’s purpose at the center of all efforts. The conversation reinforces that by listening to individuals and investing in their growth, leaders can create a positive ripple effect that drives progress across the entire team.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

In episode of Learning to Lead Dr. Beth Frates MD, a Harvard-trained physician and pioneer in lifestyle medicine, shares the experiences that shaped her path into healthcare and leadership. Listeners will hear how she navigated major career decisions—choosing physical medicine and rehabilitation over cardiology and later stepping away from a traditional academic trajectory to pursue the emerging field of lifestyle medicine. Beth offers insight into the challenges of leading in a space that once lacked formal recognition, as well as the importance of aligning career choices with personal values, purpose, and well-being.

The conversation also explores behavior change, both at the individual and systems level, highlighting the realities patients face and the need for empathy, patience, and small, sustainable goals. Beth emphasizes the power of modeling healthy behaviors as clinicians and the importance of integrating lifestyle medicine into healthcare education.

This episode is a powerful reflection on authentic, purpose-driven leadership, resilience in the face of uncertainty, and the impact of staying true to one’s values while forging a new path in medicine.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

In this episode of Learning to Lead, Dr. Brooke Salzman, MD shares a powerful leadership hack: focusing on strengths. Recorded in honor of Jefferson’s Interprofessional Care conference, the conversation explores how recognizing and amplifying the strengths of others fosters psychological safety, collaboration, and growth.

The team discusses practical ways to apply this approach in teaching, teamwork, and feedback, while also reflecting on the challenge of recognizing your own strengths. This episode offers actionable insights for building stronger, more supportive teams by leading with strengths.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

In this episode of Learning to Lead, Amber King PharmD, BCPS, FNAP shares a powerful leadership insight: trust your team. Recorded in honor of Jefferson’s Interprofessional Care conference, she discusses how delegating, empowering others, and valuing diverse perspectives strengthen collaboration—especially in interprofessional settings.

The conversation also explores how trust is built through communication, consistency, and psychological safety, along with the importance of asking questions and staying open to different approaches. Tune in for practical tips on fostering trust and leading more effectively.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com

In this episode of Learning to Lead, five fourth-year medical students from QU Netter share insights from over a year of combined experience on away rotations, one of the most high-stakes and formative parts of medical training. 

They discuss how to make a strong impression, navigate unfamiliar environments, and balance confidence with humility when you don’t know all the answers. The group also explores working effectively with residents, managing self-doubt, and approaching key moments like asking for letters of recommendation. 

Through personal stories and practical advice from healthcare, military training, and sports, this episode offers a candid guide to not just surviving away rotations, but standing out and contributing in any new environment when time is limited and the stakes are high.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com