As a health care leader, you're probably reading this between back-to-back meetings, maybe during a quick coffee break or late at night when you finally have a moment to think strategically. I get it. Leading teams of current health care professionals or educating the professionals of the future isn't just complex - it's a daily high-wire act of balancing urgent operational demands with strategic thinking.

When it comes to making strategic decisions collaboratively, you're facing a unique set of challenges. Your team members likely include highly educated professionals with deep expertise in their fields. Whether you're leading a teaching hospital, a regulatory college, or a professional association, your people are trained to think critically, challenge assumptions, and advocate forcefully for their positions. That's exactly what makes them excellent at their jobs - and sometimes what makes collaborative decision-making feel like herding cats.

Why is this so challenging in health ca...

Creating lasting change in health care by addressing anti-Black racism through new leadership approaches in medical education and competencies.

In this video from our Reimagining Health Care Leadership event, Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden, a professor and researcher at Dalhousie University, discusses the challenges of confronting anti-Black racism and white supremacy in academic and professional settings.

Dr. Dryden shares personal stories to illustrate the pervasive nature of these issues, including being the only Black person at decision-making tables and experiencing microaggressions such as being asked to prioritize race over gender. She emphasizes the importance of understanding structural racism and the need for leaders committed to anti-racism to address these issues within their institutions.

If you're leading a cross-functional team of health care professionals, you likely already know this story. You present a critical challenge facing your organization, and the room falls silent. Heads nod in agreement—yes, this needs to be addressed. Then comes the question: "How do we solve it?" Suddenly, the unity fractures. Different groups, each with valuable perspectives and experience, propose conflicting solutions. The consensus that a problem exists dissolves into a maze of misaligned approaches.

At our Reimagining Health Care Leadership event, we polled the audience on the statement, “There is consensus between different health care professions regarding solutions.” The results showed that the majority of respondents (68.6%) disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Why does this happen? Each professional group brings:

• Unique training and educational background
• Different approaches to risk assessment
• Varying perspectives on resource allocation
• Distinct professional cultures and ...

Leaders often find themselves several steps removed from the day-to-day experiences of those we serve and lead. The view from the executive suite can feel disconnected from ground-level realities. And that's completely normal. Your role demands strategic thinking and high-level decision-making. However, that same strategic position can inadvertently create blind spots in understanding the lived experiences of patients, staff, faculty, and students.

Why Is This So Challenging?

The barriers to truly understanding others' experiences are both structural and psychological. 

Here are some key challenges:

• Time constraints that make deep immersion feel impossible
• Hierarchical structures that can filter information before it reaches you
• The natural tendency for people to tell leaders what they think leaders want to hear
• Complex regulatory and accreditation requirements that demand your attention
• The rapid pace of change in health care delivery and education

But perhaps the bigg...

In this video from our Reimagining Health Care Leadership event, Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed, a public health physician and Associate Dean, Serving and Engaging Society at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine, discusses her leadership journey, emphasizing the importance of pausing in chaotic situations like pandemics, fires, or cardiac arrests.

She highlights the concept of "inviting stillness into chaos," inspired by children's author Sandra Boynton's song "Busy, Busy, Busy." and introduces Theory U, a framework by MIT's Otto Scharmer, which advocates for addressing problems by staying with them rather than rushing solutions.

Dr- Watson-Creed illustrates the potential pitfalls of busyness in a hospital scenario, stressing that stillness can prevent costly mistakes and improve patient care.

If you're leading a health care organization in Canada right now, you're feeling the squeeze. On one side, your teams are pushing hard to maintain and improve quality standards. On the other, you're facing relentless pressure to increase access and reduce wait times. It can feel like being caught between a rock and a hard place, especially when your resources aren't growing as fast as demands.

As someone who works closely with health care leaders across Canada, I've sat in countless offices where talented, dedicated leaders share their struggles with this seemingly impossible balance. 

The tension is real whether you are leading an organization directly providing services, preparing future professionals to provide those services, or a regulator seeking to protect the public while receiving care.

However, this apparent trade-off between quality and access might be more perception than reality. Let me explain why, and more importantly, show you how some forward-thinking Canadian healt...

As a strategic advisor to Canada's health care leaders, you are hearing more and more about the benefit of creating authentic and supportive environments that enable people to be their true selves. If you approach this topic with a bit of hesitation, that’s completely understandable. You're leading organizations where precision, protocols, and professionalism aren't just buzzwords; they're fundamental to success and safety.

You're navigating a world where standardization ensures quality care and education, where evidence-based practices are gospel, and where deviation from established norms can raise red flags. 

How do you balance this structured environment with the human need for authentic self-expression?

The Real Challenges (Let's Not Sugar-Coat It)

Let's start by acknowledging some key barriers that make this particularly challenging in health care settings:

• Professional identity often overshadows personal identity
• Risk-averse culture can stifle innovation and personal ...

In this video from our Reimagining Health Care Leadership event, Dr. Brenda Merritt, the Dean of the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University, discusses the challenges of traditional strategic planning in employee health, likening it to a marathon without a map.

She highlights her experience as Dean, where a 300-item plan led to disengagement and burnout. In 2022, they adopted a one-page strategic plan they created with our team at OnePagePlans, achieving 19% of goals in the first 6 months and nearly 60% overall by month 20. This methodology focuses on measurable, tangible steps, enhanced motivation, focus, and a sense of accomplishment.

Dr. Merritt emphasizes the importance of clear, actionable plans for effective leadership and team engagement.

Leading a health care organization today feels a bit like conducting an orchestra where half the musicians are playing from different sheet music. You've hired talented professionals, invested in their development, and created supportive environments. Yet something isn't quite clicking – and you're feeling it in your operational rhythms, team dynamics, and, ultimately, in patient care.

As I work with health care leaders across Canada, I hear a consistent theme: our newest professionals arrive with exceptional clinical skills but struggle with the full symphony of modern health care delivery. Many of these new professionals are underprepared for the administrative and organizational aspects of their roles.

At our Reimagining Health Care Leadership event, 62.9% of those polled responded negatively to the statement, “We are adequately preparing future health care professionals for the realities of work.”

Why does this matter to you as a leader? Because every time a talented professiona...

In my work advising health care leaders across Canada, I've noticed that you excel at managing complexity. Whether you're leading a teaching hospital, running a regulatory college, directing a professional association, or educating our future health professionals, you've mastered the art of juggling competing priorities while maintaining high standards of care and professionalism.

But here's a question that often emerges: How can you expand how you see yourself to change the way you lead?

If this question makes you slightly uncomfortable, you're not alone. I've observed that as leaders in health care education, regulation, and practice, you're trained to focus on others - patients, students, professionals, and organizational outcomes. Self-reflection often takes a back seat to the pressing demands of your roles.

Why This Question is Particularly Challenging for Health Care Leaders

Through my advisory work, I've identified several unique challenges health care leaders face when i...