As a physician leader, your words carry extraordinary weight. They can unify a team or divide it. They can encourage in crisis or deepen discouragement. In this episode of VisionaryMD: For Physicians Who Lead, I share seven ways to use your words with clarity, confidence, and vision — so you can lead more effectively and create a culture where people thrive.

A Swiss study of more than 1,500 physicians found that leadership communication — tone, feedback, and information quality — is one of the strongest predictors of physician satisfaction and well-being. That means your words are not just tools — they’re your leadership legacy.

In this episode, you’ll discover how to:

1. Recognize your words carry power.
2. Learn to use words well.
3. Speak with intention.
4. Encourage in crisis.
5. Set a daily intention.
6. Feed your mind with high-quality material.
7. Listen well to lead well.

By practicing these habits, you can create trust, inspire your team, and shape a culture where people thrive.

📌 Key Takeaway

Your leadership is amplified through your words. When you use them wisely, you shape culture, build trust, and inspire your team to perform at their best.

🔑 Resources & References

• Heuss SC, Datta S. Impact of leadership communication on job satisfaction and well-being of physicians.Discover Global Society. 2023.

🚀 Ready to Grow as a Physician Leader?

If you’re a physician in academic medicine ready to step into leadership with clarity, confidence, and vision, I can help. As an executive coach, I work with physicians to:

• Strengthen communication skills.
• Build cohesive, motivated teams.
• Lead effectively in complex healthcare systems.

👉 Schedule a complimentary coaching consultation here:

💬 Let’s Connect

I’m Toyosi Onwuemene, an executive coach for physicians in academic medicine. If you’d like support on your leadership journey, schedule a virtual consultation or connect with me on LinkedIn.

In this episode of the Visionary MD Podcast, executive coach Toyosi Onwuemene speaks directly to physicians who feel frustrated, stifled, or slowed down by the people they’re forced to work with. Drawing from a real coaching conversation, she reframes this tension as a leadership challenge—one that begins not with changing others, but with leading yourself first.

Key Themes

• Why physicians are fundamentally different—and why that matters in team dynamics
• The danger of trying to “fix” cultures that don’t support excellence
• Leading with presence instead of frustration or control
• Choosing intention over resentment when collaboration feels impossible

Five Leadership Strategies for Physicians

1. Leave – If the environment tolerates what you can’t, it may not be the right place for you.
2. Stay Well – If you stay, commit fully and adjust your attitude to protect your energy and health.
3. Understand Who You’re Working With – Clarify others’ motivations and recalibrate expectations.
4. Help Them Win – Lead through service, not dominance. Care personally to influence effectively.
5. Design for Strengths – Create workflows that make the best use of others’ actual capabilities.

Core Takeaway

Transformation doesn’t start with changing the environment—it starts with changing how you show up. Physicians lead most powerfully when they combine presence, intention, and service to others.

About the Host

Toyosi Onwuemene is an executive coach who helps physicians lead with presence, speak with purpose, and bring healing and transformation to the communities they serve.

Connect

Find Dr. Onwuemene on LinkedIn: @toyosionwuemene. Listen for the next episode of the Visionary MD Podcast

In this episode of the VisionaryMD Podcast, Dr. Onwuemene, physician and executive coach for physicians, explores one of the most challenging transitions in medicine: the shift from trainee to faculty.

Inspired by a recent coaching conversation with an early-career physician, this episode addresses the quiet questions many physicians ask once training ends:

• Why is this so frustrating?
• Why does it feel harder than it should be?
• Why does no one seem to be helping me anymore?

Using The Wizard of Oz as a metaphor, Dr. A outlines seven signs that you are “not in Kansas anymore”—and why recognizing this shift is essential for building a sustainable, fulfilling academic career. This is the first of a two-part series.

Key Insights from the Episode

1. The journey doesn’t start until you choose a direction In training, your success aligned with the institution’s success. As faculty, that alignment fractures. Progress begins only when you define what “winning” means for your career.
2. Trying to please everyone will hold you back The approval-seeking behaviors rewarded during training can undermine faculty success. Not every voice deserves equal priority.
3. You’ll meet quirky companions along the way Once you define your path, you encounter colleagues whose values and goals align with yours. These relationships appear because you’re moving—not before.
4. Your clarity enables others to lead When you articulate where you’re going, others organize themselves around that direction. Leadership begins with leading yourself.
5. You’ll encounter leaders who lack resources to support you Many academic leaders achieved success under very different conditions. Some are unavailable; others unintentionally send physicians on resource-poor missions. This is common—and predictable.
6. You will succeed anyway Most physicians who remain in academic medicine do so not because the system worked, but because they refused to quit. Grit, optimism, and persistence matter.
7. The thing you’re looking for is you Like Dorothy’s red shoes, the capacity to move forward—vision, resourcefulness, leadership—was with you all along. The real work is developing yourself, not waiting to be rescued.

Core Takeaway

The greatest asset in your academic career is not a title, institution, or mentor. The gift is you.

What’s Next

In next week’s episode, Dr. Onwuemene will discuss what to do once you realize you’re not in Kansas anymore—and how to take charge of your career with clarity and intention.

References

• The Wizard of Oz (1939), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the VisionaryMD Podcast — the rebranded and relaunched version of what was once The Clinician Researcher Podcast.

After taking time away, I realized that both my work and the world of academic medicine have changed. Physicians are being asked to lead in new and bigger ways — beyond research, beyond clinical care. And that’s why this podcast has evolved into VisionaryMD: For Physicians Who Lead.

In this episode, I share seven reasons for this rebrand — and why it matters not just for me, but for you as a physician leader:

1. Academic medicine is changing. Resources and roles are shifting, requiring new kinds of leadership.
2. Physician identity evolves. From clinician, to scientist, to leader — your identity continues to grow.
3. Training is leadership training. Every step of your medical career has been preparation for leadership.
4. Impact is expanding. Physicians must step into broader spheres — education, operations, health systems.
5. Relevance and resonance. Leadership requires retooling for a rapidly changing environment.
6. Being the vanguard. Physicians must chart new paths in healthcare leadership.
7. Clarity of purpose. For me, that clarity is serving physicians as they lead with confidence, clarity, and vision.

This rebrand is about more than a name. It’s about reflecting the reality that you are a leader — in the clinic, in the classroom, in research, and in your institution.

📌 Key Takeaway

Just as I’ve rebranded this podcast, you may need to rebrand your own leadership identity. Growth requires clarity, courage, and vision.

🚀 Ready for Your Own Leadership Rebrand?

If you’re a physician in academic medicine stepping into leadership — whether in research, education, or administration — I’d love to support you. As an executive coach, I help physicians:

• Transition confidently into leadership roles.
• Strengthen communication and influence.
• Expand their impact within complex healthcare systems.

👉 Schedule a complimentary coaching consultation and let’s explore how you can lead with clarity, confidence, and vision.

💬 Connect

Subscribe to VisionaryMD so you never miss an episode. Share it with a colleague who is stepping into leadership. And connect with me on [LinkedIn] or at [your website] — I’d love to hear your story.

In this episode of the Clinician Researcher Podcast, the focus is on navigating the challenges of a particularly busy season and finding balance amidst competing demands. The discussion explores lessons learned during a time filled with travel, deadlines, and family commitments, offering valuable takeaways for anyone juggling multiple responsibilities.

Key Insights Covered:

• Choosing Busyness:
  • Busyness is often a choice, and prioritizing what truly matters is essential.
  • Reflecting on what aspects of life are most important can help clarify where to direct energy and attention.
• Prioritizing What Matters:
  • Even in the busiest times, it’s possible to make space for what’s meaningful, such as spending time with loved ones or pursuing personal passions.
  • Focusing on high-value work, like writing and research, ensures progress in areas that lead to long-term impact.
• Inbox Overflow and Letting Go:
  • Email and other non-urgent tasks can take a backseat when focusing on more critical priorities.
  • Letting go of the pressure to meet every expectation or respond immediately helps maintain focus on what matters most.
• Rest and Reflection:
  • Prioritizing rest, even in small ways, can lead to greater clarity and productivity.
  • Engaging in reflection, meditation, or prayer helps nourish the spirit and refocus on life’s broader purpose.

Practical Tips for Managing Busy Seasons:

1. Identify and commit to the highest-priority tasks and relationships.
2. Deprioritize less critical responsibilities without guilt.
3. Take time to reflect on long-term goals and align daily activities accordingly.
4. Embrace rest and self-care as integral parts of maintaining balance.

As the episode highlights, busy seasons come and go, but they present an opportunity to reevaluate priorities and ensure alignment with personal values. Listeners are encouraged to think about their own highest-value work and how to balance competing demands in ways that are meaningful and sustainable.

Whether you're juggling deadlines, feeling stretched thin, or struggling to prioritize, this episode offers practical strategies to regain focus and maintain a sense of calm amid chaos.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. The Importance of Deciding Against Overwhelm: Shift your mindset by embracing the decision not to let overwhelm take control.
2. Prioritize Based on Values: Learn how aligning tasks with personal values can create clarity in chaos.
3. The Power of Feedback Over Judgment: Why removing self-judgment and offering actionable feedback to yourself and others fosters growth and creativity.
4. The Benefits of Focus and Specialization: How honing expertise in a specific area can reduce stress and create efficiencies in your work.
5. Grace for Yourself: Accepting that falling behind is part of life and finding the courage to get back up.

Key Takeaways:

• Overwhelm is a choice—decide not to choose it.
• Prioritization isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing the next right thing.
• Judgment drains creativity—choose kindness for yourself and actionable feedback for others.
• Focus is your friend—build on your existing strengths to work smarter, not harder.
• Life’s not about perfection but about progress.

In today's episode, we explore the often-overlooked concept of our privilege. We discuss how recognizing our privileges can shift our mindset towards gratitude and empowerment.

Key Takeaways:

1. Recognizing Everyday Privileges: From having running water to being able to listen to a podcast, small privileges in daily life are worth acknowledging.
2. The Privilege of Professional Roles: Being a physician and a researcher comes with unique opportunities to impact lives and advance knowledge.
3. Gratitude as a Tool for Growth: Focusing on privileges rather than disadvantages fosters gratitude, resilience, and the ability to thrive.
4. Owning Privilege to Make an Impact: By embracing our privileges, we are better equipped to function effectively and contribute meaningfully to the world.

Call to Action:

• Reflect on your own privileges and share them with others.
• Join Dr. Onwuemene's group coaching sessions to further explore ways to thrive as a clinician researcher. Send her a direct message for more details.
• Share this episode with someone who could benefit from this uplifting message.

Connect with Us: Follow the Clinician Researcher Podcast for more inspiring episodes. Have thoughts or questions about today’s topic? Leave a comment or send a direct message to Dr. Nwemeneh!

In this episode of The Clinician Researcher Podcast, Dr. Tracy Onwuemene dives into an unexpected reason that may be holding you back from success in your academic journey. Drawing on personal insights and hard-earned lessons, Dr. Onwuemene shares how reframing challenges and shifting your mindset can unlock your potential and lead to transformative growth.

Through candid reflections, she discusses the distinction between challenges that help us grow and problems that drain our energy without yielding progress. The key takeaway? Success lies in your ability to identify and address obstacles strategically—whether by turning problems into challenges or walking away from immovable "rocks."

Key Points Discussed:

1. Embracing the Difficulty:
   • Academia is hard by design, but the right challenges push us to grow and evolve.
   • Challenges are like weights in the gym—difficult but rewarding.
2. Differentiating Challenges vs. Problems:
   • Challenges lead to transformation and progress.
   • Problems are immovable obstacles that drain energy and yield no growth.
3. Taking Ownership:
   • Your mentor, division chief, or institution isn’t the true problem—it’s how you approach the situation.
   • Empower yourself to find alternative solutions, seek new opportunities, or reframe obstacles as challenges.
4. Shifting the Focus:
   • Stop waiting for others to change and start taking control of your own success.
   • Redirect your energy toward strategies that make a difference instead of fixating on unchangeable problems.

Actionable Takeaways:

• Reflect on whether your current obstacles are challenges or problems.
• For challenges, create a strategy to push through.
• For problems, decide whether to leave them alone or find a creative workaround.
• Remember, the power to change your narrative is in your hands.

Quote of the Episode: "The only problem you can ever have is you—because you are the one with the power to turn problems into challenges or to leave them as they are."

Resources & Links:

• Subscribe to the Clinician Researcher Podcast
• Follow Dr. Tracy Onwuemene on LinkedIn
• Got questions or a topic suggestion? Email us at [email protected].

Join Us Next Week: Tune in as we discuss strategies for building resilience and maintaining balance as a clinician researcher. Don’t miss it!

n this episode of The Clinician Researcher Podcast, Dr. Tracy Onwuemene dives into the complex and often circular challenge of securing protected time in academia. From the struggle to get grants without protected time to the difficulties of gaining protected time without funding, she breaks down strategies and shares personal insights from her career journey.

Dr. Onwuemene emphasizes the importance of clarity, creativity, and strategic thinking in carving out time to pursue research and other professional goals. This episode will resonate with faculty and early-career researchers grappling with competing demands and seeking practical approaches to align their career aspirations with their realities.

Key Topics Covered:

1. The Paradox of Protected Time and Grant Funding:
   • The chicken-and-egg dilemma of needing protected time to secure grants but requiring grants to justify protected time.
   • Why clarity in career goals is critical for navigating this challenge.
2. Clarifying Your Goals:
   • The hidden fears and societal expectations that obscure true desires.
   • How identifying what you genuinely want—whether it’s research success, family time, or a mix of priorities—can guide your decisions.
3. Assessing Clinical Requirements:
   • Understanding your "minimum viable clinical work" to optimize your time and avoid burnout.
   • Asking the right questions about RVU targets and institutional expectations.
4. Evaluating the Relative and Energy Value of Contributions:
   • Determining the financial and personal energy costs of different clinical activities.
   • Balancing what generates revenue with what aligns with your passion and energizes you.

Takeaways:

• Know Your Why: Dig deep to uncover your true priorities and goals.
• Ask Strategic Questions: Understand institutional policies and set realistic expectations for your clinical and research work.
• Maximize Your Contributions: Align your efforts with what brings you energy and delivers the greatest value.
• Be Adaptable: Goals can evolve, and your approach to protecting time should too.

In this empowering episode of The Clinician Researcher Podcast, Dr. Toyosi Onwuemene discusses the importance of stepping up and taking the lead, especially in moments of uncertainty. Reflecting on her own experiences, Dr. Onwuemene shares how she navigated building a conceptual model for rare disease research and discovered the power of proactive leadership.

Key Takeaways:

1. Take the Lead in Defining Your Research Path:
   • Early in your research career, you may follow others' projects. Eventually, you must define what matters to you and build your own niche.
2. Create the Environment You Wish to See:
   • Toxic environments are real, but you have the power to shape your immediate surroundings into spaces that nourish and support you—even temporarily.
3. Be the Change You’re Looking For:
   • Transformation begins with you. Instead of waiting for others to change, shift your own approach to challenges for better outcomes.
4. Open the Doors That Are Closed:
   • Don’t wait for permission to enter spaces that reject you. Create new doors, find welcoming opportunities, and take control of your success.
5. Exit Spaces That Don’t Serve You:
   • Recognize when it’s time to leave environments or relationships that no longer align with your goals or values. Moving on is part of growth.

Quote of the Episode: "When in doubt, take the lead. Leadership is about creating the solutions you need and sharing them with the world. Others are waiting for the change only you can bring."

Connect with Us:

• Share this Episode: Know someone who could use a reminder to take charge? Share this episode with them!
• Follow the Podcast: Subscribe to The Clinician Researcher Podcast for more insights and inspiration.

Thank you for listening! Join us next time for another transformative conversation.

Sponsor/Advertising/Monetization Information:

This episode is sponsored by Coag Coach LLC, a leading provider of coaching resources for clinicians transitioning to become research leaders. Coag Coach LLC is committed to supporting clinicians in their scholarship.

Looking for a coach?

Sign up for a coaching discovery call today: https://www.coagcoach.com/service-page/consultation-call-1