Lawrence Chin, MD, FAANS, FACS got into medicine through a leap of faith. “It was really an uninformed decision,” he recalls, one that was more about instinct than planned preparation. Today, potential physicians have so much information about specialties and careers that they often decide not to take that leap. Thus, part of Dr. Chin’s job as a leader and mentor is to encourage others to follow their curiosities and passions without a full picture of what to expect.   In this Impactful Leaders Podcast episode, part of our Academic Medicine Dean Insights special series, Dr. Chin, Dean of the College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, shares his journey from neurosurgery to academic leadership—and the lessons learned along the way—with WittKieffer's Valerie Weber, MD, herself a former dean. His story is one of curiosity, mentorship, and a deep commitment to institutional impact.  Reflecting on his early influences, Dr. Chin recalls, “I didn’t realize it at the time but my chair during residency was a mentor and a sponsor,” Dr. Chin recalls. “He was the kind of person I wanted to be, the doctor I wanted to be, the leader I wanted to be.” For deans and aspiring deans, his path offers insight into how formative relationships shape leadership identity.  Dr. Chin offers a candid look at the realities of leading in today’s academic medicine environment. From financial pressures and shifting public policy to the emotional demands of serving students, faculty, and health systems, he describes the dean’s role as “an extreme job.” His recent co-authored study on dean tenure reveals that most deans leave their roles within 3–4 years—often before a student completes their degree. “It can’t be good if you think stability plays any role in how a dean can be effective,” he says. “I don’t see how 3 to 4 years is ideal in any circumstance.”  Throughout the conversation, Dr. Chin shares his philosophy on aligning personal fulfillment with institutional mission. His approach centers on understanding what drives each member of the academic community and creating conditions for them to thrive—an essential mindset for deans shaping culture and strategy. For current and future deans, Dr. Chin’s reflections offer practical wisdom for navigating complexity with clarity, compassion, and purpose. 

A Pitch for Leading with Passion and Purpose Dr. Vicki Johnson’s leadership journey is rooted in purpose, resilience, and a deep commitment to helping others rise. As founder and Chief Executive Officer of career resource firm ProFellow, and a four-time fellowship recipient, Dr. Johnson has built a platform that empowers ambitious professionals to access elite opportunities. Her path—from public policy and disaster management to entrepreneurship and authorship—reflects a consistent drive to serve. “If you're in a leadership position, you will succeed if you're really driven by that personal mission,” she shares.  In this episode of our Accelerating Physician Leader Impact special series, Dr. Johnson discusses with WittKieffer's Michael Anderson, MD, how preparation and clarity of purpose helped her overcome early career challenges and build credibility in high-stakes environments. She emphasizes the importance of self-confidence and strategic communication, especially for emerging leaders navigating competitive spaces. Her forthcoming book, Pitch Your Potential, offers a formula for crafting compelling personal pitches—tools she’s used to build partnerships, win fellowships, and mentor thousands of professionals.  Mentorship is a central theme in Dr. Johnson’s work. She challenges traditional approaches that limit ambition and instead advocates for empowering mentees with actionable guidance. “I never give an opinion about what I think they can and can't achieve,” she says. “I just fully support their goals, and I make a point to give them a blueprint, not an opinion.” Her insights offer a refreshing take on how leaders can foster growth and unlock potential in others.  They also explore practical strategies for communicating impact, building authentic networks, and staying anchored in purpose. Dr. Johnson’s story is a powerful reminder that leadership – especially for physicians – is not just about credentials—it’s about conviction, clarity, and the courage to step up.

Angel Pérez, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), confesses to being an "accidental leader" who needed nudging from others to become a senior leader in admission and enrollment. One of his current goals, therefore, is to identify routes to leadership for others in the enrollment profession. His ideas are outlined in his book The Hottest Seat on Campus: A Roadmap for Mastering Leadership in College Admission, which he considers a "love letter to the profession." In this installment of WittKieffer's Impactful Leaders Podcast, Dr. Pérez joins Senior Advisory Kasey Urquídez for a candid and inspiring conversation on the evolving demands of enrollment leadership. A nationally recognized voice in educational access and student success, Dr. Pérez shares insights from his book and reflects on his journey from first-generation college student to leading one of higher education’s most influential organizations. Dr. Pérez emphasizes the emotional and public pressures facing enrollment leaders, and the urgent need for empathy and support from institutional leadership. “The chief enrollment officer is not your savior,” he explains. “So many presidents hire someone and expect all the challenges to disappear. But this role is complex, and success requires strategic investment, coaching, and care.” His reflections challenge institutions to rethink how they empower those in the hottest seat on campus. He also shares personal lessons learned from burnout and recovery, advocating for a shift from self-care to self-management. “Half of winning the battle in enrollment is on how we manage ourselves,” he says. “How do we create routines, boundaries, and fulfillment in both our work and home lives?” Looking ahead, Dr. Pérez offers a hopeful vision for the future of college admission and enrollment—one rooted in innovation, resilience, purpose . . . and love.

Part II: Creating Culture, Connection, and Community Three experienced, respected Chief Executive Officers in the aging services field recently took time to connect and share ideas and innovations with WittKieffer Senior Partner Lisa DeSimone Arthur, leader of the firm's Aging Services, Home Health and Hospice Practice. The executives include: Jan Hamilton-Crawford, CEO of Oakwood Village in Wisconsin Tyler Kendall, CEO of Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge (WCBR) in Virginia Adam Marles, CEO of Missouri-based EverTrue, formerly Lutheran Senior Services In the first segment of the two-part series, the executives focused on growth and innovation in turbulent times. In this second installment, they focus on leadership and their secrets of success. Topics include:   Fundamentals of leading in aging services today Engaging the board as collaborators and partners Attracting and retaining a dynamic, quality-focused workforce Creating an authentic, participatory culture Advice and words of wisdom for today's CEOs and executives in aging services   It's a special, honest conversation about finding meaning and embracing mission as an individual leader and collectively with one's entire organization.  

Part I: Blending Growth, Innovation, and Mission   WittKieffer recently hosted an extensive conversation with three dynamic chief executives in the aging services field. Senior Partner Lisa DeSimone Arthur, leader of the firm's Aging Services, Home Health and Hospice Practice, led a discussion of key industry issues with:  Jan Hamilton-Crawford, CEO of Oakwood Village in Wisconsin  Tyler Kendall, CEO of Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge (WCBR) in Virginia  Adam Marles, CEO of Missouri-based EverTrue, formerly Lutheran Senior Services  In this first segment of a two-part series, the executives explore how they are forging ahead with growth and innovation despite an extremely challenging marketplace. Topics include:    Driving growth and new revenue streams, while remaining agile to manage market shifts  Embracing AI, robotics, and new technologies without losing the human touch  Fostering resident engagement that goes beyond "a cruise ship on land"  Embedding operational improvement in the organizational culture  Meeting the "middle market" and community needs despite uncertain financial benefit    Collectively, the three executives offer unique perspectives and creative suggestions for surviving and thriving in aging services today.   

Dr. Conor Delaney’s leadership journey began with a love for surgery and a curiosity about how systems work. From his early days in transplant immunology to his current role as Executive Vice President of Cleveland Clinic and President of its Florida market, Dr. Delaney has consistently sought out opportunities to build teams, improve care, and lead with purpose. “I like surgery,” he reflects. “But what really kept me moving forward was asking, ‘How can I help? How can I step up?’”  In this episode in our Accelerating Physician Leader Impact series, Dr. Delaney shares with Michael Anderson, MD, how mentorship and intentionality have shaped his approach to leadership. He emphasizes the importance of creating a culture where people feel comfortable seeking guidance and making decisions collaboratively. Whether mentoring junior residents or leading large hospital teams, Dr. Delaney believes that regular, authentic engagement is key to developing resilient and empowered leaders.  As healthcare faces unprecedented challenges, Dr. Delaney offers a three-pillar framework for navigating complexity: focus on quality, support your team, and optimize operations. He discusses how aligning people around the shared goal of delivering high-quality care can be a powerful motivator, even in turbulent times.   The key to physician leadership going forward, he says, is to identify opportunities for talent development earlier and earlier in individuals' careers, so they build a familiarity with leadership before they are called to lead. 

Amelia Parnell, PhD, and Michael Christakis, PhD, are deeply invested in one another's success. As President/Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair, respectively, of 13,000-member NASPA, they are engaged in a common vision to elevate the organization and thus elevate student affairs leadership across higher education in what are very difficult times. Their work at NASPA, the leading membership association representing student affairs administrators worldwide, is as much about inspiring each other through mutual support and forging connections with others as it is about new ideas and creative strategies.   “Ultimately, it all comes down to relationships," says Christakis, who is also Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment at the University of Albany. "I like people to have access to me, and I like to have access to people.” All leaders, he says, are in a position to make time for others if they simply choose to do so. Parnell echoes this sentiment – "Leadership involves lots of relationships" – and adds her commitment to learning, mentorship, and shared success, referencing a guiding principle she inherited: “There’s enough sunshine to go around.” As a leader, she says, one gets a lot of sunshine, or credit, but it's essential to allow others to share in the spotlight. Both leaders stressed the importance of humility, ongoing learning, and creating space for others to thrive.  In this spirited Impactful Leaders Podcast with Jen Meyers Pickard, PhD, Senior Partner and Student Affairs Practice Leader for WittKieffer, Drs. Parnell and Christakis share their personal journeys into student affairs and leadership, reflecting on formative experiences and the mentors who shaped their paths. Parnell describes her early work with the Florida A&M Upward Bound program and her strategic mindset, saying, “Even before I had the formal title of leader, I was always looking for strategies for how to connect things together.” Christakis recounted his start as a resident assistant and his progression through housing roles, noting, “I’m a true res-lifer . . . that was sort of where my journey started.”  They transition into a discussion on the current state and future of student affairs and the need to balance innovation and tradition. NASPA and student affairs leaders, Parnell says, must “bring people along” and ensure that strategic changes are inclusive and sustainable. Together, Drs. Parnell and Christakis envision NASPA as a personalized, collaborative, and advocacy-driven organization that remains highly responsive to the needs of student affairs professionals. 

Inspired by strong women in her family, Alexa B. Kimball, MD, launched into medicine admittedly "naïve" but enticed by the power of making an impact, at first in dermatology. When patients came to her with ailments, "I could tell them what it was and how I could help them." It's that ability to make a defined, direct impact that has inspired Dr. Kimball to advance in her career and to pursue leadership through deliberate professional development (including a foray into journalism). Today, as Chief Executive Officer and President of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Kimball leads more than 2,400 physicians across a complex and evolving organization. In this episode of WittKieffer's Impactful Leaders Podcast, hosted by Executive Partner Kim Smith and Physician Executive Consultant Dick Nesto, MD, Dr. Kimball shares how she built a career around the principle of empowering physicians to deliver exceptional care. "I wake up in the morning and I know what my job is," she says. "It's to take care of doctors so they can take care of people." That singular focus has allowed her to thrive in a complex organization whose entities (namely the Beth Israel and Lahey systems, which united in 2019) have varying histories and cultures. "You don't have to have a single culture to make it work," she says. "You just have to have cultures that are respectful of each other." Dr. Kimball approaches mentorship, organizational growth, and physician well-being with both strategy and compassion. She reflects on the importance of coaching, the evolving needs of younger generations, and the challenges facing research physicians today. “Staying calm is part of the job,” she advises. “That’s how you keep people inspired and also calm in times of anxiety.” Dr. Kimball's insights are valuable for experienced physician leaders as well as the next generation. 

Early in his career, Dennis Pullin wore suits off the rack that didn't quite fit. Over time, he started to wear tailored suits and have them regularly altered and refined. It was a metaphor for his leadership growth: “Every adjustment or alteration in my suits, I sort of made those type of alterations and adjustments as I became the leader that I wanted to be.” It's no surprise that this defining metaphor is central to his new book, Suited for Leadership. Leaders should look the part, argues Pullin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Virtua Health. But this doesn't mean they should feel complete or like a finished product. Humility is required to appreciate one's shortcomings as well as strengths. In this episode of WittKieffer's Impactful Leaders Podcast, Pullin speaks with Senior Partner Rachel Polhemus about his leadership journey, philosophy, and impact. Pullin shares his evolution from humble beginnings to becoming a nationally recognized healthcare leader. His ethos is deeply rooted in authenticity and service. He reflects, “In healthcare, we don't make widgets. We're people helping people,” underscoring his commitment to human-centered care. Throughout the conversation, Pullin highlights Virtua Health’s transformative initiatives, including the acquisition of a struggling health system, the creation of the Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences, and the launch of mobile health units and community development projects. These efforts reflect his dual imperative: “To do good means being committed to providing quality care. . . . To do well means being a good steward of our financial resources.” Pullin’s advice to aspiring leaders is both personal and profound: “Be fearlessly authentic,” he says, the "key to living a fulfilling and purposeful life."

Samual R. Todd, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Grady Health System in Atlanta, proves daily that safety net hospitals can deliver the same standards of quality and excellence that other top systems do. In fact, because Dr. Todd and his colleagues so embrace the organization's mission, it makes it easier to commit to its success and impact.     "We don't get to turn people away; that's both a privilege and a challenge," he states. "Every decision we make . . . needs to be filtered through that lens."  In this Impactful Leaders Podcast episode with WittKieffer Principal Dan Dimenstein, Dr. Todd recalls his journey to medicine and leadership. Drawn to trauma care from a young age due to its high-stress, high-impact nature, he also gravitated toward leadership roles that presented similar risks and rewards. He emphasizes that clinical excellence doesn’t automatically translate to effective leadership, though qualities he honed in the trauma ward such as decisiveness and teamwork serve him well as a CMO.   At Grady, a network of safety net facilities in Atlanta, Dr. Todd is focused on building a culture centered on equity, alignment, and accountability. He underscores the importance of supporting physician leaders in their development, as well as the next generation of clinicians through Grady's academic partnerships with the schools of medicine at Emory University and Morehouse College.   Looking ahead, Dr. Todd envisions Grady continuing to expand its reach beyond its walls and deeper into the community, including a new freestanding health center being built in South Atlanta. The future for Dr. Todd is about maximizing impact and sustaining excellence, a pursuit that never ends: "It should be a lifestyle," he says. 

Having worked together for decades, Thomas Lee, MD, and Jessica Dudley, MD, understand and complement each other as leaders – Dr. Lee is the more high-level and strategic leader, for example, while Dr. Dudley relies upon directness, data, and detail. What they share in common is an unwavering trust in each other. Trust, they agree, is an essential element between colleagues but also between organizations and those they serve, such as hospitals and their patients.   Dr. Lee is Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Dudley Chief Clinical Officer at performance improvement firm Press Ganey. In this Accelerating Physician Leader Impact podcast – part of our Impactful Leaders series – they speak with Michael Anderson, MD, about leadership and leadership development. They both cite past failures as essential to their growth. "We've had our hearts broken many times," Dr. Lee notes, adding "the experiences that shaped me the most are the things which did not work." Dr. Dudley encourages others to "lean in" to failures and not take them personally in order to move forward.    The conversation then shifts to the concept of social capital, which Dr. Lee explores in his book, Social Capital in Healthcare: How Trust and Teamwork Drive Organizational Excellence. He argues that social capital—how people work together—is "more precious than financial capital." Dr. Dudley adds that leadership requires vulnerability and curiosity, "not being afraid to ask questions."   The thread that connects the entire conversation relates to being team players and alignment across an organization: “The name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back,” Dr. Dudley emphasizes, citing the movie Miracle about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.   They conclude with personal leadership advice. Dr. Dudley recalls Dr. Lee telling her to be more comfortable with "your B" rather than always expecting perfection. Dr. Lee quotes on of his mentors: “You’re not leading if you’re not in front . . . and you’re not leading if you’re too far in front.”  

Dr. Richard Freeman’s journey into medicine began in childhood, inspired by the medical boom in Houston during the late 1960s and the prominence of cardiac surgeons like Michael DeBakey, MD. This ultimately led to a distinguished career in thoracic surgery and then healthcare leadership, to his current role as EVP and Chief Physician Executive of Wellstar Health System. He was encouraged by colleagues to take on administrative roles, which led him to pursue an MBA and embrace broader responsibilities. “I spent a career taking care of one patient at a time… [but] we can help many people all at once" as leaders, he explains. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and adaptability, and servant leadership, which he calls an "old-fashioned mindset." "We are here to serve the organization," Dr. Freeman says. Leadership in the operating room, where there's "a captain of the ship," is much different than outside the OR where there are more gray areas than black and white. "I had to learn to be more collaborative," he says. "I had to slow down a little bit sometimes. Not every decision needs to be made under pressure in five minutes." Once a decision is made, "that's only the beginning. You've got to go out and sell that." This Impactful Leaders Podcast with WittKieffer's Holly Nandan, who formerly worked under Dr. Freeman at Loyola University Medicine. They discuss the importance of maintaining a clinical practice even while serving as an administrator. And Dr. Freeman reflects upon his experience being trained as a Navy physician and how it taught resourcefulness: "You'd be surprised with what you can do with what you have." Ultimately, Dr. Freeman's leadership philosophy is rooted in servant leadership and respect: “People may forget exactly what you did," he says, "but they always remember how you treat them.”

For someone at the top of his organization, William Wertheim, MD – EVP for Health Sciences at Stony Brook University – resists hierarchy and strives to consider others' views in decision-making. His leadership prioritizes humility, collaboration, and empathy. “I have never made a mistake by listening first,” he says.   In this conversation with Aaron Mitra, MHA, FACHE, Principal and Leader of WittKieffer's Physician Leadership Practice, Dr. Wertheim reflects on his journey from a childhood fascination with medicine to leading a major academic health system. He shares how early clinical experiences—like working as a hospital unit clerk and caring for a man with Parkinson’s—solidified his passion for medicine. His transition into leadership was shaped by a desire to serve patients on a larger scale and improve the organizations that serve them.  Looking ahead, he remains optimistic about the next generation of physicians and the evolving healthcare landscape. A key will be ensuring healthcare never becomes too hierarchical, nor bureaucratic. He quotes Dr. Francis Peabody: "The secret to caring for the patient is to care for the patient." Similarly, leaders of academic health systems must ensure they never stop caring for those around them – clinicians, staff, medical students, and patients alike. 

Julie Ann Sosa, MD, took a circuitous route to becoming a physician. Starting out with an interest in labor economics, her own research (and her father, an internist) convinced her that medicine was a better career path. She was soon hooked. Dr. Sosa experienced impostor syndrome as she moved into leadership roles but overcame that through the encouragement of others as well as intentional leadership development – through ELAM (Drexel University's program for women leaders in academic medicine) as well as through AAMC and Harvard University leadership programs.   Dr. Sosa, Chair of Surgery at University of California San Francisco, has come to realize that lifelong learning is essential, and that leading involves as much gray area as black and white. "When you don't know what to do," she says, "do the next right thing."  In this Accelerating Physician Leader Impact podcast, part of our Impactful Leaders series, Mike Anderson, MD, Co-Executive Director of WittKieffer's Physician Leadership Institute, speaks with Dr. Sosa about the road ahead in academic medicine in a period of great uncertainty. "How do we prepare people for being leaders given the dynamic if not the chaos in the world around us?" she asks.   Adaptability is key to the future of academic medicine and physician leadership, she concludes. "Life is strange," she adds. "It comes at you fast and furiously; you have to be very agile, flexible, calm, and optimistic." 

Sanjeeb Khatua, MD, took an unconventional route to medicine, leaving California after high school to pursue a medical education in Poland. This willingness to embrace uncertainty and get out of his comfort zone continues to serve him as Chief Physician Executive for Illinois-based Endeavor Health. His path to leadership evolved through roles in value-based care and population health, eventually leading to executive leadership. “I kept saying yes, yes, yes, and I kept learning,” he says.  In this Impactful Leaders Podcast with WittKieffer Consultant Vinny Gossain, Dr. Khatua discusses the evolving role of physician leaders in today’s healthcare landscape, noting that physicians are increasingly expecting, and expected to, engage in strategic and operational decisions. He highlights the importance of "stakeholder management" and communication, especially during times of organizational change. “You don’t run away from conflict, you kind of run towards it . . . and if you run towards it with an open mind, usually logic takes over,” he explains. He also touches on the challenges of physician burnout, the shifting dynamics of team-based care, and the need for physicians to have a real voice in governance and enterprise decisions. 

Julian Kim, MD, advanced steadily in his career and thought he was "on top of the world" before a major health scare forced him to "look into the abyss," rethink his priorities, and pursue a new role as inaugural president of South Carolina's Prisma Health Cancer Institute. Two years later, Dr. Kim is able to reflect upon his many career experiences and voice appreciation for influential people who have aided his leadership journey and nudged him to grow as a leader.  The Institute now has 11 sites that treat more than 17,000 patients annually. "Leadership is hard," he tells Michael Anderson, MD, for our latest Accelerating Physician Leader Impact podcast series. Throughout his career Dr. Kim has leaned on mentors who pushed him to try new roles, and he's had a career coach for more than a decade to stay true to his philosophy of "continuous leadership development."  Despite his vast knowledge and proven success, Dr. Kim believes that leadership is about delegating and taking care not to micromanage – to "let my leaders lead."   Enjoy their conversation. 

"If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together." This mantra is one that informs Alda Mizaku's work as Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer at Children's National – and has guided her career, where she has sought out the support of mentors and built meaningful relationships and partnerships along her journey. In this Impactful Leaders Podcast with WittKieffer Senior Partner Nick Giannas, Mizaku speaks on the critical importance of collaboration, especially in an era when AI is introducing a true "paradigm shift." An example of productive collaboration can be seen in the recent rapid prototype sessions Alda and colleagues at Children's National had with Microsoft; four AI-based prototypes of were generated in just two days, with production versions now being created. The sessions and Microsoft partnership are also an example of how, in the current era, collaborative advancements can happen quickly. "How do I empower my team to explore new ideas, explore new approaches, and how do we push the boundaries of what's possible?" Mizaku often asks. She is keenly aware of the risks and responsibilities associated with AI adoption and works with her team to ensure initiatives serve the interests of the organization (in reducing administrative burden, for example) as well as patients (who benefit from real-time, data-informed decision-making). Success in today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, she says, will mean the benefits of AI are shared and realized across organizations so they can go farther, together.

Every academic health system has a different organizational structure, and thus no two relationships between the system CEO and medical school dean are the same. What truly matters more than structure is the collaboration between the two dyadic leaders, say Cory Shaw, President and CEO of UC Health, and Greg Postel, MD, EVP for Health Affairs and Dean of the UC College of Medicine. In their short tenures leading UC Health and its school of medicine, they've made a concerted effort to work as a team, seamlessly and transparently, so that "one plus one equals three." The organization "is going to thrive when we are not worried about whose name is on something or who's sitting in the chair making the decision," Shaw says. "If you're really going to be successful as a servant-oriented leader, you have to have a partner who at times is going to take the lead while you have a supporting side-car role, and vice versa." They seek to foster this collaborative environment across their domains, and with the larger University of Cincinnati community as well. "I've worked at places where that kind of synergy didn't exist, where it was a constant tug of war between the university and health system," says Dr. Postel. "I could never figure out who benefited from that lack of cohesiveness; I think the answer is no one." In Part II of their conversation with WittKieffer Senior Consultant Christy Pearson, the two leaders talk about their ideas of effective leadership in the context of inspiring others and moving the organization forward. This involves delegation and allowing people to "take big swings" and fail, even in an environment where resources are finite

Early in both their leadership careers, Cory Shaw and Greg Postel, MD, came to the realization that their decisions and actions had impacts far beyond their immediate intention. As Shaw puts it, "How I say something, where I say something, when I say it, are going to have unintended consequences." Both understood that this came with great risk but also great opportunity, that small, intentional decisions can have far-reaching positive outcomes – a butterfly effect. They now apply this thinking to UC Health to imagine the impact they can have on the more than 13,000 faculty and staff, and the influence the organization can have on the greater Cincinnati community and beyond. Shaw, President and CEO of UC Health, and Dr. Postel, EVP for Health Affairs and Dean of the UC College of Medicine, are helping to create an ambitious vision for the system that includes making the metro area one of the healthiest in the U.S. They aim to achieve this through growth as well as partnerships with other local health systems and providers. In Part I of their conversation with WittKieffer Senior Consultant Christy Pearson, the two executives reflect upon their respective leadership journeys and the opportunities ahead – in a competitive market and intensely challenging environment. Dr. Postel explores the difficulty of incorporating artificial intelligence into the medical school curriculum in an era when students are more technologically savvy than their instructors. "The pace of change of technology in medicine has never been more brisk," he says, meaning the way medicine is practiced will be dramatically different in just a few short years. The current financial and regulatory climate is more complex than ever, Shaw explains. Nonetheless, they both realize how the decisions they make now can have widespread and lasting impacts. In Part II of their conversation with Pearson, they dive into what makes their CEO-dean relationship work. 

Brian Rosenberg, PhD, has become a leading voice for change in higher education, challenging the status quo and (as noted in Part I of this two-part podcast) striving to ensure that bureaucracy does not overwhelm the humanity essential to higher learning.   In Part II of his conversation with WittKieffer Senior Advisor Elsa Núñez, EdD, Dr. Rosenberg expands upon why higher education must "break through the bubble of normalcy" and find new and better ways of serving students and sustaining its institutions.   Today's college presidents, provosts, and other leaders must be transparent and brutally honest with faculty and other constituents about the challenges they face, he believes. To win people over, "relentlessly present them with evidence and do it often enough that they believe you," Dr. Rosenberg says, especially around budgeting and finances which are too often shrouded in mystery.    He also advises today's leaders to resist their natural desire to be the "smartest in the room" and to step back and listen to others. "Your job is to empower other people, to make them feel like they're the smartest in the room," he says. "It's not about you."