You're Already Leading (Even If You Don't Have the Title)
Hello Reader,
I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes someone a leader in healthcare.
For the longest time, I didn't see myself as one. I was just doing my job—seeing patients, collaborating with colleagues, showing up for my shifts. Leadership felt like something reserved for people with titles, corner offices, or seats at decision-making tables.
But here's what I've learned: leadership isn't about your position. It's about your voice, your actions, and your willingness to show up.
In this week's episode, Klaus and I talked about what it means to lead from wherever you are in healthcare—especially in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of emergency medicine. Whether you're a nurse, PA, physician, tech, or student, you're already influencing the system around you more than you realize.
What Emergency Medicine Teaches Us About Leadership
Emergency departments are some of the most collaborative environments in healthcare. We work with everyone: consultants, specialists, EMS, social workers, police, fire departments. We see patients from every walk of life, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
Here's the thing—this teaches us something critical: leadership is about connection, not hierarchy.
Klaus shared something that really stuck with me: "The nurse managing my patient is a leader. They're answering questions, collaborating with the team, and knowing when to ask for help. That's what leadership looks like."
You don't need permission to advocate for better patient care.
You don't need a fancy title to suggest a process improvement.
You just need to show up, speak professionally, and keep going—even when your ideas don't get implemented right away.
Because here's the reality: healthcare moves slowly. Your idea might not take off today, but it could be the exact solution your organization needs six months from now.
The Shift That Changed Everything
Both Klaus and I went through a similar transformation. We started as clinicians who felt stuck in a negative system. We blamed the organization, the leaders, the policies—everything except ourselves.
But coaching taught us something powerful: the only thing we can truly control is ourselves.
Once we started focusing on what we could change—our mindset, our approach, our communication—everything shifted. We stopped waiting for the system to fix itself and started showing up as the leaders our teams needed.
This doesn't mean ignoring systemic problems. It means recognizing that you have more power than you think to influence your environment, one conversation, one shift, one professional interaction at a time.
What You Can Do Right Now
Here are three small but mighty ways to step into leadership today:
1. Remember why you started. When was the last time you reflected on what drew you to healthcare? Reconnecting with that "why" can reignite your sense of purpose, even on the hardest days.
2. Speak up—professionally. You have insights your leaders need. Frame your ideas as collaborative solutions, not complaints. Instead of "This system is broken," try "I've noticed X challenge. Could we explore Y solution?"
3. Support your team. Leadership isn't just about big initiatives. Sometimes it's answering a patient's question, helping a colleague with a task, or simply acknowledging someone's effort. These small acts matter.
Looking Ahead: The Next Generation Gets It
One thing that gives me hope? The new generation of healthcare professionals is already demanding better.
They're asking for wellness curriculum in their training. They're negotiating for sustainable schedules. They're challenging the "that's how it's always been done" mentality that has harmed so many of us.
And that's exactly what we need. Because burnout isn't inevitable. Moral injury isn't a badge of honor. We can practice medicine in a way that keeps us whole.
A Final Thought
If you're feeling stuck, defeated, or like your voice doesn't matter—I want you to hear this:
You are already a leader. Your work matters. And your voice deserves to be heard.
You don't need to wait for permission. You don't need a title. You just need to show up as yourself, advocate for what matters, and keep going.
We're here to support you in that journey.
TL;DR (Key Takeaways)
✅ You don't need a title to be a leader—your voice and actions already influence your workplace
✅ Emergency medicine teaches collaboration—we bridge connections across the entire healthcare system
✅ Healthcare moves slowly—your ideas matter, even if they take time to implement
✅ Focus on what you can control—starting with your mindset and professional communication
✅ The next generation is demanding better—and that gives us all hope for sustainable careers
🎧 Listen to the podcast sneak peek episode below and listen to the full episode on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Podbean, or Amazon Music.
What's inspiring us this week:
We are so lucky to have a wonderful team. Reading Radical Candor for our next medTHRIVE Book Rounds (You can join us! Sign up FREE here) and realizing that we have the best team of coaches here supporting the medTHRIVE community and supporting healthcare professionals, believing in the mission to make the world a better place, and supporting their own learning journey. We are all about growth, so if you want to come along, we'd love to have you.
The Practice: Celebrating Wins
We get more of what we focus on. The practice of gratitude and celebrating the goodness of life is the first step in changing our brains, mindsets, and circumstances for the better.
Last week I was finally able to lead, teach, and bring to fruition a communication skills course for delivering serious news and goals of care for emergency medicine clinicians, although anyone was welcome. After over a year of planning, we did it! So grateful for the support VitalTalk in believing in their Distinguished Faculty. If you are looking for the gold standard in communication skills courses for delivering serious news with empathy, please check out VitalTalk.
Stay mindful and keep leading,
Lillian
Founder & CEO
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