On this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Quint Studer welcomes special guest Leonard Friedman, Ph.D., a Professor of Health Policy and Management and the director of the Executive Master of Health Administration degree at the George Washington University. Their discussion focuses on the evolving landscape of healthcare leadership, emphasizing the need for emotional and social intelligence in navigating complex systems.

Leonard highlights key insights from his article, "Developing Leadership Competencies for an Uncertain Future," (published by the American College of Healthcare Executives) revealing that nearly half of healthcare leaders are relatively new to their roles. The conversation explores crucial leadership skills such as change management, self-awareness, and adaptability to complexity, underscoring the importance of fostering a culture of innovation and developing a workforce capable of navigating today’s and tomorrow’s changing environment.

Quint and Leonard highlight the need for healthcare leaders to embrace open-mindedness, introspection, and collaborative approaches to break down departmental silos and improve patient outcomes.

About Leonard H. Friedman, Ph.D., M.P.H., FACHE

Leonard Friedman is a Professor of Health Policy and Management and is director of the Executive Master of Health Administration degree at the George Washington University. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Southern California, School of Public Administration in 1991 where his dissertation examined technology acquisition in hospitals in Southern California. Dr. Friedman’s scholarly work has concentrated on the mechanisms of organizational change and strategic decision-making in health service organizations. Dr. Friedman has been the chair of the Health Care Management Division of the Academy of Management and Association of University Programs in Health Administration. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a past-president of the National Capital Healthcare Executives Chapter of ACHE. In 2015, Dr. Friedman was inducted into the Studer Group Fire Starter Hall of Fame. Dr. Friedman is the editor of the Journal of Health Administration Education.