<![CDATA[Healthcare Leadership Conversations]]>866c961c-52b7-5a52-ba9b-1dc38ffa4b23Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:55:28 +0000Captivate.fmMo Akindoliehttps://artwork.captivate.fm/abb8ce9b-0650-4d84-8903-6728325d8bd3/artwork-2.jpgHealthcare Leadership ConversationsMo AkindolieMo AkindolieI’m Dr Mo Akindolie, a consultant paediatrician and healthcare leader. In each episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I spotlight remarkable healthcare leaders, exploring the stories, insights, and journeys of the people leading change in one of the most vital sectors of our society. You’re invited to listen in, learn, be inspired, and perhaps even see healthcare leadership and life a little differently.https://healthcareleadershipconversations.comfalseepisodicnopodcastEP25 - Leadership Insights: Book Club - Authentic GravitasEP25 - Leadership Insights: Book Club - Authentic GravitasI want to start this episode with a question that really made me pause. Have you ever been in a room where someone just has that presence? They don’t dominate, they don’t raise their voice, but somehow they carry weight and people lean in.

In this episode of Leadership Insights Book Club, I unpack the idea of gravitas through Dr Rebecca Newton’s book Authentic Gravitas, and honestly, it completely changed how I think about leadership presence. This is about letting go of what we think leadership should look like and understanding what actually makes people stand out in a meaningful, lasting way.

What You’ll Discover

- The Myths Holding You Back: Gravitas isn’t something you’re born with, it doesn’t require confidence, and it’s not about charisma.

- What Real Presence Actually Is: Authentic gravitas comes from focusing on others, not performing importance or trying to stand out.

- How to Build It Practically: From inviting honest feedback to choosing courage over waiting for confidence, small shifts create real impact.

What really stayed with me is how freeing this is. So many people, especially in healthcare, assume leadership presence belongs to the loudest or most confident person in the room. But this completely flips that idea. It’s not about performing confidence or having all the answers. It’s about clarity, curiosity, integrity, and the courage to step forward even when you don’t feel ready.

There’s also something deeper here about self-leadership. If we never create space to think, to reflect, to be intentional about how we show up, we end up reacting instead of leading. And that distinction matters more than we often realise. Even small moments of reflection can shift how we show up in conversations, decisions, and ultimately, the impact we have.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you have “that presence” or felt like your impact doesn’t quite match your intention, this episode will challenge that in the best way. Share it with someone who’s stepping into leadership or finding their voice.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Authentic Gravitas: Who Stands out and Why by Dr Rebecca Newton.

Gravitas Is a Quality You Can Develop, Harvard Business Review by Rebecca Newton.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I want to start this episode with a question that really made me pause. Have you ever been in a room where someone just has that presence? They don’t dominate, they don’t raise their voice, but somehow they carry weight and people lean in.

In this episode of Leadership Insights Book Club, I unpack the idea of gravitas through Dr Rebecca Newton’s book Authentic Gravitas, and honestly, it completely changed how I think about leadership presence. This is about letting go of what we think leadership should look like and understanding what actually makes people stand out in a meaningful, lasting way.

What You’ll Discover

- The Myths Holding You Back: Gravitas isn’t something you’re born with, it doesn’t require confidence, and it’s not about charisma.

- What Real Presence Actually Is: Authentic gravitas comes from focusing on others, not performing importance or trying to stand out.

- How to Build It Practically: From inviting honest feedback to choosing courage over waiting for confidence, small shifts create real impact.

What really stayed with me is how freeing this is. So many people, especially in healthcare, assume leadership presence belongs to the loudest or most confident person in the room. But this completely flips that idea. It’s not about performing confidence or having all the answers. It’s about clarity, curiosity, integrity, and the courage to step forward even when you don’t feel ready.

There’s also something deeper here about self-leadership. If we never create space to think, to reflect, to be intentional about how we show up, we end up reacting instead of leading. And that distinction matters more than we often realise. Even small moments of reflection can shift how we show up in conversations, decisions, and ultimately, the impact we have.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you have “that presence” or felt like your impact doesn’t quite match your intention, this episode will challenge that in the best way. Share it with someone who’s stepping into leadership or finding their voice.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Authentic Gravitas: Who Stands out and Why by Dr Rebecca Newton.

Gravitas Is a Quality You Can Develop, Harvard Business Review by Rebecca Newton.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>3c86d87e-7b93-4941-ae38-510ba9dc3b78Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +010020:13falsefull125251Episode Shownotes Authentic Gravitas: Who Stands out and Why by Dr Rebecca Newton - https://rebeccanewton.co.uk/#book Gravitas Is a Quality You Can Develop, Harvard Business Review by Rebecca Newton - https://hbr.org/2020/09/gravitas-is-a-quality-you-can-develop Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthcare-leadership-conversations/ Website - https://healthcareleadershipconversations.com/EP24 - Actionable Solutions: Reframing Responsibility in Pet-to-Threat ™EP24 - Actionable Solutions: Reframing Responsibility in Pet-to-Threat ™I’ve been thinking a lot about the response to last week’s episode, because the number of messages that came in really said something. So many of you said the same thing. “I didn’t know it had a name… but this is exactly what I’ve experienced.”

In this episode, I wanted to go deeper. Not just naming the pet-to-threat phenomenon, but actually exploring what you can do when you find yourself in it. This is a more practical, honest conversation about navigating systems that shift from supporting you to undermining you, and how to protect your identity, your wellbeing, and your career. 

What You’ll Discover

- It’s Not Imposter Syndrome: Pet-to-threat is a systemic pattern done to you, not an internal lack of confidence, and that distinction changes everything. 

- Protect Your Identity and Power: Building a reputation beyond your organisation creates resilience and gives you real options. 

- Know When It’s Time to Leave: Sometimes the system won’t change, and recognising that early can protect your health, your performance, and your sense of self. 

What really stayed with me while putting this together is how many people are quietly navigating this without language for it. And once you name it, something shifts. You stop internalising it. You start seeing the system more clearly. And from there, you can make more intentional decisions about how you show up and where you choose to stay.

This episode isn’t just for those experiencing it, it’s also for leaders. Because if we’re honest, these patterns don’t sustain themselves by accident. They’re shaped, reinforced, and sometimes ignored at the top. And that means they can also be changed.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Women of Color at Midcareer: Going from Pet to Threat ™. Psychological Health of Women of Color: Intersections, Challenges, and Opportunities, p 275.” "Thomas, K. M., Johnson-Bailey, J., Phelps, R. E., Tran, N. M., & Johnson, L. N. (2013).

The Persistence Of Pet To Threat ™ By Kecia M. Thomas.

The Infuriating Journey From Pet To Threat™: How Bias Undermines Black Women At Work.

Uche Blackstock - Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.

Advancing Health Equity.

Why Black doctors like me are leaving faculty positions in academic medical centers.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I’ve been thinking a lot about the response to last week’s episode, because the number of messages that came in really said something. So many of you said the same thing. “I didn’t know it had a name… but this is exactly what I’ve experienced.”

In this episode, I wanted to go deeper. Not just naming the pet-to-threat phenomenon, but actually exploring what you can do when you find yourself in it. This is a more practical, honest conversation about navigating systems that shift from supporting you to undermining you, and how to protect your identity, your wellbeing, and your career. 

What You’ll Discover

- It’s Not Imposter Syndrome: Pet-to-threat is a systemic pattern done to you, not an internal lack of confidence, and that distinction changes everything. 

- Protect Your Identity and Power: Building a reputation beyond your organisation creates resilience and gives you real options. 

- Know When It’s Time to Leave: Sometimes the system won’t change, and recognising that early can protect your health, your performance, and your sense of self. 

What really stayed with me while putting this together is how many people are quietly navigating this without language for it. And once you name it, something shifts. You stop internalising it. You start seeing the system more clearly. And from there, you can make more intentional decisions about how you show up and where you choose to stay.

This episode isn’t just for those experiencing it, it’s also for leaders. Because if we’re honest, these patterns don’t sustain themselves by accident. They’re shaped, reinforced, and sometimes ignored at the top. And that means they can also be changed.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Women of Color at Midcareer: Going from Pet to Threat ™. Psychological Health of Women of Color: Intersections, Challenges, and Opportunities, p 275.” "Thomas, K. M., Johnson-Bailey, J., Phelps, R. E., Tran, N. M., & Johnson, L. N. (2013).

The Persistence Of Pet To Threat ™ By Kecia M. Thomas.

The Infuriating Journey From Pet To Threat™: How Bias Undermines Black Women At Work.

Uche Blackstock - Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.

Advancing Health Equity.

Why Black doctors like me are leaving faculty positions in academic medical centers.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>8c0b671b-61f9-4e01-ab6b-d5b12cf38929Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +010014:24falsefull124241EP23 - Unveiling the Pet-to-Threat ™ Phenomenon in HealthcareEP23 - Unveiling the Pet-to-Threat ™ Phenomenon in HealthcareI had one of those moments reading recently where something just clicks and you can’t unsee it.

In this episode, I unpack the Pet-to-Threat™ phenomenon, a concept I came across through Dr Uché Blackstock’s work, and honestly, it stopped me in my tracks. We explore how high-performing clinicians, particularly women of colour, can go from being celebrated to being sidelined the moment they begin to challenge the status quo. This is a difficult but necessary conversation about culture, power, and what’s really happening inside healthcare systems. 

What You’ll Discover

- From Valued to Vulnerable: How individuals are initially embraced as symbols of diversity, but later perceived as threats when they gain influence and speak up. 

- Why Systems Resist Change: The hidden hierarchies and cultural norms in healthcare that make it difficult to challenge inequity without consequence. 

- What We Can Actually Do: Practical ways for individuals and leaders to recognise, address, and disrupt this pattern in real-world settings. 

What really stayed with me is how insidious this phenomenon is. It doesn’t always show up loudly or obviously. It’s subtle, often invisible, and that’s what makes it so powerful. But the impact is real. We are losing incredibly talented clinicians, not because they aren’t capable, but because the system struggles to accommodate their voice once it becomes too strong to ignore.

This episode is an invitation to reflect honestly. Whether you see yourself in the experiences described or recognise patterns in your organisation, there’s something here for all of us. Because this isn’t just about individuals, it’s about the culture we create and sustain.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Women of Color at Midcareer: Going from Pet to Threat ™ . Psychological Health of Women of Color: Intersections, Challenges, and Opportunities, p 275.” "Thomas, K. M., Johnson-Bailey, J., Phelps, R. E., Tran, N. M., & Johnson, L. N. (2013).

The Persistence Of Pet To Threat ™ By Kecia M. Thomas

Uche Blackstock - Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine

Advancing Health Equity

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I had one of those moments reading recently where something just clicks and you can’t unsee it.

In this episode, I unpack the Pet-to-Threat™ phenomenon, a concept I came across through Dr Uché Blackstock’s work, and honestly, it stopped me in my tracks. We explore how high-performing clinicians, particularly women of colour, can go from being celebrated to being sidelined the moment they begin to challenge the status quo. This is a difficult but necessary conversation about culture, power, and what’s really happening inside healthcare systems. 

What You’ll Discover

- From Valued to Vulnerable: How individuals are initially embraced as symbols of diversity, but later perceived as threats when they gain influence and speak up. 

- Why Systems Resist Change: The hidden hierarchies and cultural norms in healthcare that make it difficult to challenge inequity without consequence. 

- What We Can Actually Do: Practical ways for individuals and leaders to recognise, address, and disrupt this pattern in real-world settings. 

What really stayed with me is how insidious this phenomenon is. It doesn’t always show up loudly or obviously. It’s subtle, often invisible, and that’s what makes it so powerful. But the impact is real. We are losing incredibly talented clinicians, not because they aren’t capable, but because the system struggles to accommodate their voice once it becomes too strong to ignore.

This episode is an invitation to reflect honestly. Whether you see yourself in the experiences described or recognise patterns in your organisation, there’s something here for all of us. Because this isn’t just about individuals, it’s about the culture we create and sustain.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Women of Color at Midcareer: Going from Pet to Threat ™ . Psychological Health of Women of Color: Intersections, Challenges, and Opportunities, p 275.” "Thomas, K. M., Johnson-Bailey, J., Phelps, R. E., Tran, N. M., & Johnson, L. N. (2013).

The Persistence Of Pet To Threat ™ By Kecia M. Thomas

Uche Blackstock - Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine

Advancing Health Equity

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>df3d424b-a9f5-49e1-a407-3ce268180d51Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +010018:16falsefull123231EP22 - Shaping Organisational Culture: What Healthcare Can Learn from a Business SchoolEP22 - Shaping Organisational Culture: What Healthcare Can Learn from a Business SchoolI’ve been thinking a lot about organisational culture lately, especially in healthcare, where the stakes are so high and the pressures never seem to let up.

In this episode, I explore what healthcare can learn from business schools when it comes to shaping culture intentionally, not just letting it evolve by default. This is a conversation about leadership, systems, and the everyday behaviours that quietly define how teams function, whether we realise it or not.

What You’ll Discover

- Culture Is What You Tolerate: Why organisational culture is shaped less by values on a wall and more by the behaviours leaders allow and reinforce every day.

- Learning from Business Schools: How structured thinking around leadership, feedback, and performance can transform how healthcare teams operate.

- From Intent to Action: Why culture change only happens when systems, incentives, and behaviours are aligned, not just when intentions are good.

What really stayed with me while reflecting on this topic is how easy it is to underestimate culture because it feels intangible. But in reality, it shows up everywhere, in how people speak up, how decisions are made, and how safe teams feel to learn and improve. And in healthcare, that directly impacts patient care.

If you’re leading a team or shaping an organisation in any way, this episode is an invitation to look a little closer at the culture you’re creating, intentionally or not.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

The Berkeley-Haas School of Business: Codifying, Embedding, and Sustaining Culture (A)

The Berkeley-Haas School of Business: Codifying, Embedding, and Sustaining Culture (B)

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts

]]>I’ve been thinking a lot about organisational culture lately, especially in healthcare, where the stakes are so high and the pressures never seem to let up.

In this episode, I explore what healthcare can learn from business schools when it comes to shaping culture intentionally, not just letting it evolve by default. This is a conversation about leadership, systems, and the everyday behaviours that quietly define how teams function, whether we realise it or not.

What You’ll Discover

- Culture Is What You Tolerate: Why organisational culture is shaped less by values on a wall and more by the behaviours leaders allow and reinforce every day.

- Learning from Business Schools: How structured thinking around leadership, feedback, and performance can transform how healthcare teams operate.

- From Intent to Action: Why culture change only happens when systems, incentives, and behaviours are aligned, not just when intentions are good.

What really stayed with me while reflecting on this topic is how easy it is to underestimate culture because it feels intangible. But in reality, it shows up everywhere, in how people speak up, how decisions are made, and how safe teams feel to learn and improve. And in healthcare, that directly impacts patient care.

If you’re leading a team or shaping an organisation in any way, this episode is an invitation to look a little closer at the culture you’re creating, intentionally or not.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

The Berkeley-Haas School of Business: Codifying, Embedding, and Sustaining Culture (A)

The Berkeley-Haas School of Business: Codifying, Embedding, and Sustaining Culture (B)

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts

]]>dc896955-d6e2-4162-b1c2-68ebe761d8e7Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +010016:55falsefull122221EP21 - Teaming in Healthcare: How Dynamic Collaboration Saves LivesEP21 - Teaming in Healthcare: How Dynamic Collaboration Saves LivesI’ve been thinking a lot about healthcare teams recently, especially the ones I’m privileged to work with that function incredibly well under pressure.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I explore what really makes teams thrive in modern healthcare. We dive into why teamwork is no longer just a nice extra but a core clinical skill, and how Amy Edmondson’s concept of “teaming” helps us navigate a world where teams constantly form, evolve, and solve problems in real time.

What You’ll Discover

- Teamwork Saves Lives: Poor communication and teamwork contribute to a large proportion of adverse healthcare events, making strong team culture essential for patient safety and staff wellbeing.

- Teamwork vs Teaming: Amy Edmondson’s framework explains why modern healthcare depends on flexible “teaming” where professionals collaborate rapidly across roles, departments, and disciplines.

- The Four Pillars of High Performing Teams: Speaking up, collaboration, experimentation, and reflection form the foundation of adaptive teams that learn continuously and improve care.

At the heart of this episode is a powerful reminder that every healthcare professional has agency. Whether you are a medical student, nurse, consultant, or pharmacist, your voice and actions shape the culture of the teams around you. Small moments like speaking up, reflecting together after difficult cases, or collaborating across disciplines can lead to meaningful improvements in care and even system level change.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Naomi Nkinsi Podcast Episode- The Dose The Commonwealth Fund

Cote, C. (2025). What Is Dynamic Teaming & Why Is It Important? Harvard Business School Online Business Insights

Teaming How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy C Edmondson

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts

]]>I’ve been thinking a lot about healthcare teams recently, especially the ones I’m privileged to work with that function incredibly well under pressure.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I explore what really makes teams thrive in modern healthcare. We dive into why teamwork is no longer just a nice extra but a core clinical skill, and how Amy Edmondson’s concept of “teaming” helps us navigate a world where teams constantly form, evolve, and solve problems in real time.

What You’ll Discover

- Teamwork Saves Lives: Poor communication and teamwork contribute to a large proportion of adverse healthcare events, making strong team culture essential for patient safety and staff wellbeing.

- Teamwork vs Teaming: Amy Edmondson’s framework explains why modern healthcare depends on flexible “teaming” where professionals collaborate rapidly across roles, departments, and disciplines.

- The Four Pillars of High Performing Teams: Speaking up, collaboration, experimentation, and reflection form the foundation of adaptive teams that learn continuously and improve care.

At the heart of this episode is a powerful reminder that every healthcare professional has agency. Whether you are a medical student, nurse, consultant, or pharmacist, your voice and actions shape the culture of the teams around you. Small moments like speaking up, reflecting together after difficult cases, or collaborating across disciplines can lead to meaningful improvements in care and even system level change.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

Naomi Nkinsi Podcast Episode- The Dose The Commonwealth Fund

Cote, C. (2025). What Is Dynamic Teaming & Why Is It Important? Harvard Business School Online Business Insights

Teaming How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy C Edmondson

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts

]]>5400b0a5-ff99-480d-a1b4-0db3f4004962Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +010018:21falsefull121211Target publish date- Friday 20th March 2026 Additional points I wanted to request: - I'm planning to keep this as an evergreen podcast rather thean seasonal. Please could the already published episodes be labelled numerically Episode 1-21 to facilitate me referencing past episodes - The individualised episode artwork with the guest portraits has disappeared from the podcast as listed on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Would it be possible for his to be restored please? Thanks so much. Best wishes MoEP20 - Leadership Insights: From Burnout in Healthcare to Esprit de CorpsEP20 - Leadership Insights: From Burnout in Healthcare to Esprit de CorpsI've seen too many brilliant healthcare professionals hit that wall of emotional exhaustion, and today I want to talk about why it happens and how we can turn it around with something powerful called esprit de corps.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations Insights, I share the stark reality of burnout: the passion that fades to nothing, the cynicism that creeps in, and the depersonalisation that makes it hard to connect.

What You'll Discover

- Burnout's Real Face: The emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and depersonalisation hitting healthcare workers hard and why it's a system problem, not a personal failing.

- Three Keys to Recovery: How giving people agency, coherence, and camaraderie can rebuild passion and purpose in even the toughest environments.

- Esprit de Corps in Action: The "common spirit" that inspires devotion and loyalty and why it's the antidote to burnout we all need right now.

This episode is a lifeline for anyone quietly battling burnout or leading a team on the brink - esprit de corps isn't some distant ideal, it's something we can build together, and it has the power to transform how we show up for each other in healthcare.

Episode Resources

Commonwealth Fund 2025 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians (10 countries)

NHS Staff Survey National Results Briefing 2024

Mayo Clinic Swensen, S. & Shanafelt, T. (2020). Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace. Mayo Clinic Scientific Press

Pando

Baverstock, A. & Molyneux, P. (2025). 'Kindness in Leadership: Moving the Dialogue from Productivity to Engagement.' BMJ Leader Journal

Lorna Breen Foundation ALL IN: Caring for Caregivers programme. Dr Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I've seen too many brilliant healthcare professionals hit that wall of emotional exhaustion, and today I want to talk about why it happens and how we can turn it around with something powerful called esprit de corps.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations Insights, I share the stark reality of burnout: the passion that fades to nothing, the cynicism that creeps in, and the depersonalisation that makes it hard to connect.

What You'll Discover

- Burnout's Real Face: The emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and depersonalisation hitting healthcare workers hard and why it's a system problem, not a personal failing.

- Three Keys to Recovery: How giving people agency, coherence, and camaraderie can rebuild passion and purpose in even the toughest environments.

- Esprit de Corps in Action: The "common spirit" that inspires devotion and loyalty and why it's the antidote to burnout we all need right now.

This episode is a lifeline for anyone quietly battling burnout or leading a team on the brink - esprit de corps isn't some distant ideal, it's something we can build together, and it has the power to transform how we show up for each other in healthcare.

Episode Resources

Commonwealth Fund 2025 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians (10 countries)

NHS Staff Survey National Results Briefing 2024

Mayo Clinic Swensen, S. & Shanafelt, T. (2020). Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace. Mayo Clinic Scientific Press

Pando

Baverstock, A. & Molyneux, P. (2025). 'Kindness in Leadership: Moving the Dialogue from Productivity to Engagement.' BMJ Leader Journal

Lorna Breen Foundation ALL IN: Caring for Caregivers programme. Dr Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>c85ba08f-b635-459e-b230-7d3f720a16ddFri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +010018:25falsefull120201EP19 - Leadership Insights: The Power of Personal Boardrooms in HealthcareEP19 - Leadership Insights: The Power of Personal Boardrooms in HealthcareLeadership can feel incredibly lonely at times, especially in healthcare where the stakes are so high - I've felt it myself, and I know many of you have too.

In this episode, I share why that isolation doesn't have to be the norm, and how building your own "personal boardroom" - a handpicked group of mentors, challengers, advocates, and connectors - can change everything. We explore how this approach has transformed my career, and why it's the secret weapon for any leader looking to amplify their impact without burning out.

What You'll Discover

- Myth of Lonely Leadership: Why the idea that top leaders must go it alone is outdated and how a personal boardroom flips that script for real support and growth.

- Building Your Board: Practical steps to curate people who mentor, challenge, advocate, and connect - turning isolation into a network that fuels your best work. 

- Amplifying Your Impact: How this intentional circle doesn't just advance your career; it helps you create better patient care, stronger teams, and lasting change in healthcare.

This episode is my nudge to every healthcare leader feeling the weight: you don't have to carry it solo. Build your boardroom, nurture those relationships, and watch how far you can go together. If it sparks an idea for your own circle, start with one conversation this week – I'd love to hear how it goes.

Episode Resources

Personal Boardroom

Who’s in your Personal Boardroom

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>Leadership can feel incredibly lonely at times, especially in healthcare where the stakes are so high - I've felt it myself, and I know many of you have too.

In this episode, I share why that isolation doesn't have to be the norm, and how building your own "personal boardroom" - a handpicked group of mentors, challengers, advocates, and connectors - can change everything. We explore how this approach has transformed my career, and why it's the secret weapon for any leader looking to amplify their impact without burning out.

What You'll Discover

- Myth of Lonely Leadership: Why the idea that top leaders must go it alone is outdated and how a personal boardroom flips that script for real support and growth.

- Building Your Board: Practical steps to curate people who mentor, challenge, advocate, and connect - turning isolation into a network that fuels your best work. 

- Amplifying Your Impact: How this intentional circle doesn't just advance your career; it helps you create better patient care, stronger teams, and lasting change in healthcare.

This episode is my nudge to every healthcare leader feeling the weight: you don't have to carry it solo. Build your boardroom, nurture those relationships, and watch how far you can go together. If it sparks an idea for your own circle, start with one conversation this week – I'd love to hear how it goes.

Episode Resources

Personal Boardroom

Who’s in your Personal Boardroom

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>201a34ff-7b6b-402c-9ddb-82306a1014c4Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +010012:30falsefull119191EP18 - Leadership Insights: Cultivating Psychological Safety in Healthcare LeadershipEP18 - Leadership Insights: Cultivating Psychological Safety in Healthcare LeadershipI've been reflecting on psychological safety a lot lately, and today I want to invite you into that conversation with a question: when was the last time you saw something off at work but stayed silent?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I explore why psychological safety – that sense of being able to speak up without fear – is the bedrock of great healthcare teams. Drawing from real research and my own experiences, we look at how silence costs lives, what it takes to build fearless organisations, and why it's on us as leaders to make it happen.

What You'll Discover

- The Cost of Silence: How everyday fears keep us quiet on concerns, ideas, or mistakes and why that's deadly in healthcare where lives are on the line.

- Building Fearless Teams: Practical ways to create environments where honesty, learning, and growth thrive, from modelling vulnerability to embedding it in your culture.

- Leadership as Safety-Net: Why prioritising psychological safety isn't soft - it's the smart move that boosts patient care, team morale, and your own fulfilment.

This episode is a call to action for every healthcare leader: study it, measure it, live it. Our patients deserve teams that feel safe to be brilliant. If this hits home, try one small act of openness this week and see what happens - I'd love to hear how it goes.

Episode Resources

Amy C. Edmondson’s The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth

Amy C. Edmondson’s Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy

The Fearless Organization

What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety - Six misconceptions that have led organizations astray. by Amy C. Edmondson and Michaela J. Kerrissey

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I've been reflecting on psychological safety a lot lately, and today I want to invite you into that conversation with a question: when was the last time you saw something off at work but stayed silent?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I explore why psychological safety – that sense of being able to speak up without fear – is the bedrock of great healthcare teams. Drawing from real research and my own experiences, we look at how silence costs lives, what it takes to build fearless organisations, and why it's on us as leaders to make it happen.

What You'll Discover

- The Cost of Silence: How everyday fears keep us quiet on concerns, ideas, or mistakes and why that's deadly in healthcare where lives are on the line.

- Building Fearless Teams: Practical ways to create environments where honesty, learning, and growth thrive, from modelling vulnerability to embedding it in your culture.

- Leadership as Safety-Net: Why prioritising psychological safety isn't soft - it's the smart move that boosts patient care, team morale, and your own fulfilment.

This episode is a call to action for every healthcare leader: study it, measure it, live it. Our patients deserve teams that feel safe to be brilliant. If this hits home, try one small act of openness this week and see what happens - I'd love to hear how it goes.

Episode Resources

Amy C. Edmondson’s The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth

Amy C. Edmondson’s Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy

The Fearless Organization

What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety - Six misconceptions that have led organizations astray. by Amy C. Edmondson and Michaela J. Kerrissey

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>95ac6165-d9ba-4b32-86ac-896c85eba99dFri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +010017:34falsefull118181EP17 - Leadership Insights: Transformative Coaching: Elevating Healthcare LeadershipEP17 - Leadership Insights: Transformative Coaching: Elevating Healthcare LeadershipI've seen firsthand how coaching can change everything in healthcare leadership, and today I want to share why it's been such a game-changer for me.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Insights, I open up about my own coaching journey - how it helped me navigate tough times, spot unhelpful patterns, and align my decisions with my true values. We explore what coaching really is (and how it's different from mentoring), why it's backed by solid evidence for building resilience and better teams, and why every healthcare leader should make space for it.

What You'll Discover

- Coaching vs Mentoring: Why coaching focuses on unlocking your own answers, while mentoring shares expertise and how both matter in healthcare.

- My Personal Transformation: The ways coaching gave me clarity during my consultant career, turning external pressures into value-driven choices.

- Evidence for Real Impact: How coaching builds relational skills, boosts well-being, and creates high-performing teams - just like in elite sports.

If you're a healthcare leader feeling the weight, coaching isn't a luxury - it's the tool that helps us serve sustainably. I'd love to hear if you've tried it; drop me a note.

Episode Resources

NHS Elect Coaching Services

Dr Stephen Swensen speaking at The King's Fund

Journal of Management Development: Leadership by Design: Intentional Organization Development of Physician Leaders

BMJ Leader: What is the evidence base for leadership coaching for postgraduate medical doctors?

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I've seen firsthand how coaching can change everything in healthcare leadership, and today I want to share why it's been such a game-changer for me.

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Insights, I open up about my own coaching journey - how it helped me navigate tough times, spot unhelpful patterns, and align my decisions with my true values. We explore what coaching really is (and how it's different from mentoring), why it's backed by solid evidence for building resilience and better teams, and why every healthcare leader should make space for it.

What You'll Discover

- Coaching vs Mentoring: Why coaching focuses on unlocking your own answers, while mentoring shares expertise and how both matter in healthcare.

- My Personal Transformation: The ways coaching gave me clarity during my consultant career, turning external pressures into value-driven choices.

- Evidence for Real Impact: How coaching builds relational skills, boosts well-being, and creates high-performing teams - just like in elite sports.

If you're a healthcare leader feeling the weight, coaching isn't a luxury - it's the tool that helps us serve sustainably. I'd love to hear if you've tried it; drop me a note.

Episode Resources

NHS Elect Coaching Services

Dr Stephen Swensen speaking at The King's Fund

Journal of Management Development: Leadership by Design: Intentional Organization Development of Physician Leaders

BMJ Leader: What is the evidence base for leadership coaching for postgraduate medical doctors?

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>32ae6952-60dc-4327-af92-bcf8377802fdFri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +010015:57falsefull117171EP16 - Leadership Insights: The Gift of Reciprocal MentorshipEP16 - Leadership Insights: The Gift of Reciprocal MentorshipI’m starting 2026 with something close to my heart: mentorship in healthcare.

In this Leadership Insights episode, I reflect on over 20 years of mentoring and how it’s taught me that true mentorship is reciprocal. It’s not just me giving my time and experience - it’s a two-way exchange where I’ve learned just as much (often more) from my mentees, especially those from global majority backgrounds navigating systems I didn’t face.

Key Insights

- Mentorship Is Reciprocal: I’ve learned to navigate medical school as a student from a global majority heritage in ways my own experience couldn’t quite capture - the gift flows both ways.  

- Seek a Mentoring Relationship: If you’re not in one, make it happen – it’s essential for personal growth and building equitable, innovative teams.

- Organisations Must Support It: Protected time, clear structures, training, and a culture that values these relationships are non-negotiable for mentorship to thrive.

Mentorship isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s how we transform healthcare culture itself. I challenge you to think about one mentoring conversation you could start this week. The gift of reciprocal mentorship is available to all of us – let’s use it.

Episode Resources

Akindolie Medical Scholarship

Mentorship Unlocked by Janice Omadeke

NHS Leadership Academy – Inclusive Reciprocal Mentoring Programme

RCPCH Reciprocal Mentoring Programme

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I’m starting 2026 with something close to my heart: mentorship in healthcare.

In this Leadership Insights episode, I reflect on over 20 years of mentoring and how it’s taught me that true mentorship is reciprocal. It’s not just me giving my time and experience - it’s a two-way exchange where I’ve learned just as much (often more) from my mentees, especially those from global majority backgrounds navigating systems I didn’t face.

Key Insights

- Mentorship Is Reciprocal: I’ve learned to navigate medical school as a student from a global majority heritage in ways my own experience couldn’t quite capture - the gift flows both ways.  

- Seek a Mentoring Relationship: If you’re not in one, make it happen – it’s essential for personal growth and building equitable, innovative teams.

- Organisations Must Support It: Protected time, clear structures, training, and a culture that values these relationships are non-negotiable for mentorship to thrive.

Mentorship isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s how we transform healthcare culture itself. I challenge you to think about one mentoring conversation you could start this week. The gift of reciprocal mentorship is available to all of us – let’s use it.

Episode Resources

Akindolie Medical Scholarship

Mentorship Unlocked by Janice Omadeke

NHS Leadership Academy – Inclusive Reciprocal Mentoring Programme

RCPCH Reciprocal Mentoring Programme

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>7a25fb70-5738-4478-9e5a-a37d550dc5aeFri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +010010:55falsefull116161EP15 - Leadership Insights: Book Club - Unreasonable HospitalityEP15 - Leadership Insights: Book Club - Unreasonable HospitalityI’ve always believed the best leadership lessons can come from unexpected places, and Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality – about turning a restaurant into the world’s best – proves it for healthcare too.

In this special Book Club episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I share my takeaways from the book that’s reshaped how I think about service in the NHS. Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, shows how “unreasonable” acts of hospitality – going above and beyond in ways that surprise and delight – can transform any team or organisation.

I break down why hospital and hospitality share roots, and how small, deliberate gestures can rebuild trust, boost morale, and make healthcare feel truly human again.

What You’ll Discover

- Hospitality’s Healthcare Roots: Why “hospital” and “hospitality” come from the same word and how reclaiming that could fix our broken patient experiences. 

- Unreasonable Acts That Work: Real examples like a New York hot dog cart for fine diners and how I’ve used similar surprises to lift NHS teams.  

- Leading with Humanity: The simple challenge: one act of “unreasonable hospitality” this week could change your ward, clinic, or entire service.

Will’s story reminds me the NHS isn’t saved by tech or policy alone – it’s leaders choosing humanity that make the difference. 

Giveaway Details:

Win a copy of Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

To celebrate the latest episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, we’re giving away 5 copies of Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.

How to enter: 

- Follow us on Instagram

- Like, share and comment on the Podcast Episode Instagram post 

- Follow us on Apple Podcasts

- Join our Linkedin Group - Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Closing date:

- Entries close at Midnight GMT on Friday 23rd January 2026 

Winner selection: 

- Five winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries and contacted via Instagram within 7 days of the closing date. 

Eligibility: 

- Open to UK residents aged 18 or over 

- No purchase necessary 

- One entry per person 

Prize: 

- One copy of Unreasonable Hospitality per winner 

- No cash alternative 

- The prize is non-transferable

Other important information: 

This giveaway is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher, author, Instagram or LinkedIn 

By entering, you agree to your name being announced if you win 

Personal data will be used solely for the purpose of administering this giveaway and will not be shared or retained afterward Grab one, read it, and let’s chat about what you think.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I’ve always believed the best leadership lessons can come from unexpected places, and Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality – about turning a restaurant into the world’s best – proves it for healthcare too.

In this special Book Club episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I share my takeaways from the book that’s reshaped how I think about service in the NHS. Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, shows how “unreasonable” acts of hospitality – going above and beyond in ways that surprise and delight – can transform any team or organisation.

I break down why hospital and hospitality share roots, and how small, deliberate gestures can rebuild trust, boost morale, and make healthcare feel truly human again.

What You’ll Discover

- Hospitality’s Healthcare Roots: Why “hospital” and “hospitality” come from the same word and how reclaiming that could fix our broken patient experiences. 

- Unreasonable Acts That Work: Real examples like a New York hot dog cart for fine diners and how I’ve used similar surprises to lift NHS teams.  

- Leading with Humanity: The simple challenge: one act of “unreasonable hospitality” this week could change your ward, clinic, or entire service.

Will’s story reminds me the NHS isn’t saved by tech or policy alone – it’s leaders choosing humanity that make the difference. 

Giveaway Details:

Win a copy of Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

To celebrate the latest episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, we’re giving away 5 copies of Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.

How to enter: 

- Follow us on Instagram

- Like, share and comment on the Podcast Episode Instagram post 

- Follow us on Apple Podcasts

- Join our Linkedin Group - Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Closing date:

- Entries close at Midnight GMT on Friday 23rd January 2026 

Winner selection: 

- Five winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries and contacted via Instagram within 7 days of the closing date. 

Eligibility: 

- Open to UK residents aged 18 or over 

- No purchase necessary 

- One entry per person 

Prize: 

- One copy of Unreasonable Hospitality per winner 

- No cash alternative 

- The prize is non-transferable

Other important information: 

This giveaway is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher, author, Instagram or LinkedIn 

By entering, you agree to your name being announced if you win 

Personal data will be used solely for the purpose of administering this giveaway and will not be shared or retained afterward Grab one, read it, and let’s chat about what you think.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>f975f887-6ada-4b19-bcd3-d0b219c5899cFri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +010016:00falsefull115151EP14 - Leadership Insights: Dr Khadija Owusu - A Live Case Study of the NHS Management and Leadership FrameworkEP14 - Leadership Insights: Dr Khadija Owusu - A Live Case Study of the NHS Management and Leadership FrameworkWhat does good leadership actually look like in practice - beyond policy documents and frameworks?

This week’s conversation with Dr Kadija Owusu stayed with me long after we stopped talking. There was so much richness in her leadership journey that I struggled to choose a single theme to explore further. At the same time, I’d been reading the newly published NHS Management and Leadership Framework, and as I worked through it, I kept noticing moments of striking alignment with Kadija’s story. That’s where this episode was born.

Rather than treating the framework as something abstract or theoretical, I use Kadija’s leadership journey as a living case study - an applied illustration of what the framework’s values look like when they are embodied, tested, and sustained in the real world.

At the heart of the framework sits a code of practice built around six domains: accountability, integrity, compassion, curiosity, inclusion, and collaboration. In this episode, I walk through each one in turn, grounding it in concrete examples from Kadija’s work as a medical doctor, global health advocate, and founder of the Akaya Foundation.

What I Explore in This Episode

Why This Framework Exists: I explain the context behind the NHS Management and Leadership Framework, including the findings of the CQC and Messenger Reviews, and why leadership capability, confidence and consistency matter so much in today’s healthcare environment.

Accountability in Action: Using Kadija’s early work in Ghana and the evolution of the Akaya Foundation, I reflect on accountability as a pattern of behaviour - identifying gaps, committing to action, and iterating beyond the initial idea.

Integrity as Stewardship: I explore integrity through Kadija’s decision-making, including knowing when to step back, set boundaries, and prioritise sustainability over status.

Compassion at the Centre: We look at compassion not as a soft add-on, but as a leadership discipline - one that creates dignity, psychological safety and growth, particularly in work centred on girls’ wellbeing and health equity.

Curiosity and Iterative Leadership: From pilots to scale, I reflect on how curiosity shows up through learning, feedback, experimentation and continuous improvement.

Inclusion Beyond Tokenism: I unpack Kadija’s critique of symbolic participation and her advocacy for co-creation, resourcing youth-led organisations, and intergenerational collaboration.

Collaboration Across Boundaries: From community partnerships to global policy spaces like the United Nations, I explore collaboration as trust-building, bridge-building leadership.

As I reflect on Kadija’s journey, what becomes clear is that the NHS Management and Leadership Framework isn’t asking leaders to become something new. It’s asking us to be more intentional about the behaviours that already define good leadership and to make them observable, teachable and embedded across our systems.

The question this leaves me with and perhaps leaves you with too is not whether the framework is sound, but how we choose to live it: in appraisal, recruitment, governance, and everyday leadership practice.

Episode Resources

NHS Management & Leadership Framework

The Kark Review

The Messenger Review

Khadija speaking at the United Nations General Assembly

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What does good leadership actually look like in practice - beyond policy documents and frameworks?

This week’s conversation with Dr Kadija Owusu stayed with me long after we stopped talking. There was so much richness in her leadership journey that I struggled to choose a single theme to explore further. At the same time, I’d been reading the newly published NHS Management and Leadership Framework, and as I worked through it, I kept noticing moments of striking alignment with Kadija’s story. That’s where this episode was born.

Rather than treating the framework as something abstract or theoretical, I use Kadija’s leadership journey as a living case study - an applied illustration of what the framework’s values look like when they are embodied, tested, and sustained in the real world.

At the heart of the framework sits a code of practice built around six domains: accountability, integrity, compassion, curiosity, inclusion, and collaboration. In this episode, I walk through each one in turn, grounding it in concrete examples from Kadija’s work as a medical doctor, global health advocate, and founder of the Akaya Foundation.

What I Explore in This Episode

Why This Framework Exists: I explain the context behind the NHS Management and Leadership Framework, including the findings of the CQC and Messenger Reviews, and why leadership capability, confidence and consistency matter so much in today’s healthcare environment.

Accountability in Action: Using Kadija’s early work in Ghana and the evolution of the Akaya Foundation, I reflect on accountability as a pattern of behaviour - identifying gaps, committing to action, and iterating beyond the initial idea.

Integrity as Stewardship: I explore integrity through Kadija’s decision-making, including knowing when to step back, set boundaries, and prioritise sustainability over status.

Compassion at the Centre: We look at compassion not as a soft add-on, but as a leadership discipline - one that creates dignity, psychological safety and growth, particularly in work centred on girls’ wellbeing and health equity.

Curiosity and Iterative Leadership: From pilots to scale, I reflect on how curiosity shows up through learning, feedback, experimentation and continuous improvement.

Inclusion Beyond Tokenism: I unpack Kadija’s critique of symbolic participation and her advocacy for co-creation, resourcing youth-led organisations, and intergenerational collaboration.

Collaboration Across Boundaries: From community partnerships to global policy spaces like the United Nations, I explore collaboration as trust-building, bridge-building leadership.

As I reflect on Kadija’s journey, what becomes clear is that the NHS Management and Leadership Framework isn’t asking leaders to become something new. It’s asking us to be more intentional about the behaviours that already define good leadership and to make them observable, teachable and embedded across our systems.

The question this leaves me with and perhaps leaves you with too is not whether the framework is sound, but how we choose to live it: in appraisal, recruitment, governance, and everyday leadership practice.

Episode Resources

NHS Management & Leadership Framework

The Kark Review

The Messenger Review

Khadija speaking at the United Nations General Assembly

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>ff1dc66b-c659-48a7-93e2-ba59ef00acc9Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +010013:39falsefull114141EP13 - Dr Khadija Owusu: Michelle Obama, Melanin Medics and Ghana ForeverEP13 - Dr Khadija Owusu: Michelle Obama, Melanin Medics and Ghana ForeverPicture the eldest daughter who carried the family from primary school, shook Michelle Obama’s hand twice as a teenager, and then quietly decided to fix two broken systems at once.

In this inspiring episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr Khadija Owusu - co-founder of Melanin Medics and founder of the Akaya Foundation. From Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School to building a national charity that’s transformed Black representation in medicine, to delivering menstrual health education and reusable pads to thousands of girls across Ghana, Khadija proves real change begins with lived experience and relentless action.

What You’ll Learn

- Energy as Superpower: How growing up shouldering family responsibility became the foundation for leading national and continental movements. 

- Melanin Medics Revolution: Building a community that’s gone from medical-school support group to powerhouse charity lifting the next generation of Black doctors. 

- Akaya’s Quiet Miracle: In just three years, turning menstrual shame into school attendance and dignity for thousands of Ghanaian girls - one reusable pad at a time.

Dr Khadija Owusu is living proof that leadership isn’t about titles - it’s about seeing a gap, refusing to accept it, and building the bridge yourself. A luminous, uplifting reminder that the future of healthcare belongs to those bold enough to centre the people it’s meant to serve.

Connect with Khadija Owusu

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

TikTok

Akaya Foundation

Melanin Medics

Episode Resources

Khadija’s United Nations General Assembly Speech

Khadija’s TED Talk

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>Picture the eldest daughter who carried the family from primary school, shook Michelle Obama’s hand twice as a teenager, and then quietly decided to fix two broken systems at once.

In this inspiring episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr Khadija Owusu - co-founder of Melanin Medics and founder of the Akaya Foundation. From Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School to building a national charity that’s transformed Black representation in medicine, to delivering menstrual health education and reusable pads to thousands of girls across Ghana, Khadija proves real change begins with lived experience and relentless action.

What You’ll Learn

- Energy as Superpower: How growing up shouldering family responsibility became the foundation for leading national and continental movements. 

- Melanin Medics Revolution: Building a community that’s gone from medical-school support group to powerhouse charity lifting the next generation of Black doctors. 

- Akaya’s Quiet Miracle: In just three years, turning menstrual shame into school attendance and dignity for thousands of Ghanaian girls - one reusable pad at a time.

Dr Khadija Owusu is living proof that leadership isn’t about titles - it’s about seeing a gap, refusing to accept it, and building the bridge yourself. A luminous, uplifting reminder that the future of healthcare belongs to those bold enough to centre the people it’s meant to serve.

Connect with Khadija Owusu

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

TikTok

Akaya Foundation

Melanin Medics

Episode Resources

Khadija’s United Nations General Assembly Speech

Khadija’s TED Talk

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>6fd37603-9cf7-497e-ac25-64c12f15c68eWed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +010053:39falsefull113131EP12 - Leadership Insights: Dr Mo Akindolie - The Courage to Pause, Learn and GrowEP12 - Leadership Insights: Dr Mo Akindolie - The Courage to Pause, Learn and GrowIs it irresponsible to talk about sabbaticals during a workforce crisis or is it exactly the leadership conversation we need to be having?

In this Leadership Insights episode, I return to one theme that stood out in my recent Me, Myself and I reflection: sabbaticals. As a self-confessed sabbatical evangelist, I take 10 minutes to make the case for why stepping away from work - thoughtfully and intentionally - is not indulgent, but strategic. Drawing on my own sabbatical year as a Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Boston, conversations with colleagues across healthcare, and a robust evidence base, I explore what sabbaticals really offer leaders, clinicians, and organisations.

I share what led me to take a sabbatical after 25 years of continuous NHS service, what I learned from stepping outside my system, and why distance can reveal what proximity conceals. I also address the very real barriers that stop many people even considering a sabbatical and why none of them are as insurmountable as they may feel.

What I Explore

- The Evidence for Sabbaticals: I walk through what research consistently shows: reduced burnout, improved psychological wellbeing, greater creativity, higher retention, and stronger leadership pipelines when sabbaticals are supported.

- Naming the Barriers Honestly: I openly about money, family disruption, career momentum, guilt, and uncertainty and how each of these concerns can be reframed and navigated with planning and clarity.

- Identity Beyond the Job Title: I reflect on how deeply our roles can shape who we think we are, and how a sabbatical can reconnect us with the truth that the job is what we do - not who we are.

- What Distance Makes Visible: From learning new research methodologies at Harvard to understanding health inequities on a global scale, I share how stepping outside my system fundamentally reshaped how I think as a leader.

- The Organisational Case: I make the argument that sabbaticals are not workforce gaps, but investments - strengthening succession planning, innovation, resilience, and organisational culture.

- Different Models of Sabbatical

From policy and leadership fellowships to research, clinical, and restorative sabbaticals, I outline the many ways time away can be structured and why alignment with your values matters most.

As I reflect on my own experience, one truth stands out clearly: rest is not abandonment - it is preparation. For leaders working in high-stakes, emotionally intense environments, sabbaticals protect compassion, restore perspective, and create the space needed for long-term thinking.

Stepping away, when done with intention, can be the most powerful way to step forward.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>Is it irresponsible to talk about sabbaticals during a workforce crisis or is it exactly the leadership conversation we need to be having?

In this Leadership Insights episode, I return to one theme that stood out in my recent Me, Myself and I reflection: sabbaticals. As a self-confessed sabbatical evangelist, I take 10 minutes to make the case for why stepping away from work - thoughtfully and intentionally - is not indulgent, but strategic. Drawing on my own sabbatical year as a Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Boston, conversations with colleagues across healthcare, and a robust evidence base, I explore what sabbaticals really offer leaders, clinicians, and organisations.

I share what led me to take a sabbatical after 25 years of continuous NHS service, what I learned from stepping outside my system, and why distance can reveal what proximity conceals. I also address the very real barriers that stop many people even considering a sabbatical and why none of them are as insurmountable as they may feel.

What I Explore

- The Evidence for Sabbaticals: I walk through what research consistently shows: reduced burnout, improved psychological wellbeing, greater creativity, higher retention, and stronger leadership pipelines when sabbaticals are supported.

- Naming the Barriers Honestly: I openly about money, family disruption, career momentum, guilt, and uncertainty and how each of these concerns can be reframed and navigated with planning and clarity.

- Identity Beyond the Job Title: I reflect on how deeply our roles can shape who we think we are, and how a sabbatical can reconnect us with the truth that the job is what we do - not who we are.

- What Distance Makes Visible: From learning new research methodologies at Harvard to understanding health inequities on a global scale, I share how stepping outside my system fundamentally reshaped how I think as a leader.

- The Organisational Case: I make the argument that sabbaticals are not workforce gaps, but investments - strengthening succession planning, innovation, resilience, and organisational culture.

- Different Models of Sabbatical

From policy and leadership fellowships to research, clinical, and restorative sabbaticals, I outline the many ways time away can be structured and why alignment with your values matters most.

As I reflect on my own experience, one truth stands out clearly: rest is not abandonment - it is preparation. For leaders working in high-stakes, emotionally intense environments, sabbaticals protect compassion, restore perspective, and create the space needed for long-term thinking.

Stepping away, when done with intention, can be the most powerful way to step forward.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>356e898e-6d58-46fc-81f1-25ef658cc388Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +010018:13falsefull112121EP11 - My Journey from Lagos to the NHSEP11 - My Journey from Lagos to the NHSIn this rare and deeply personal solo episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I invite you into the moments, values, and turning points that shaped my life: growing up in Lagos as the daughter of two doctors, the weight (and gift) of Nigerian expectations, choosing medicine in the UK, and the long, winding road from junior doctor to national leadership roles.

What You’ll Learn

- The Four Acceptable Careers: How growing up in a Nigerian doctor family made medicine feel both inevitable and like a genuine calling. 

- Privilege as Responsibility: Why I see the advantages I was given not as luck, but as something to be used deliberately in service of others. 

- Service as a Verb: Leadership isn’t a title in the NHS; it’s the daily choice to put patients, teams, and equity first.

This isn’t a lecture. It’s my honest reflection on identity, courage, uncertainty, and why, for me, leadership will always mean one thing: being in service to others.

Episode Resources

Akindolie Medical Scholarship

Mayo Clinic Book: Strategies to Reduce Burnout

Harkness Fellowship

My Substack Blog

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>In this rare and deeply personal solo episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I invite you into the moments, values, and turning points that shaped my life: growing up in Lagos as the daughter of two doctors, the weight (and gift) of Nigerian expectations, choosing medicine in the UK, and the long, winding road from junior doctor to national leadership roles.

What You’ll Learn

- The Four Acceptable Careers: How growing up in a Nigerian doctor family made medicine feel both inevitable and like a genuine calling. 

- Privilege as Responsibility: Why I see the advantages I was given not as luck, but as something to be used deliberately in service of others. 

- Service as a Verb: Leadership isn’t a title in the NHS; it’s the daily choice to put patients, teams, and equity first.

This isn’t a lecture. It’s my honest reflection on identity, courage, uncertainty, and why, for me, leadership will always mean one thing: being in service to others.

Episode Resources

Akindolie Medical Scholarship

Mayo Clinic Book: Strategies to Reduce Burnout

Harkness Fellowship

My Substack Blog

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>2b465344-5743-403b-8a75-6449aa877b44Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +010051:52falsefull111111EP10 - Leadership Insights: Dr Femi Sunmonu - Rethinking Where We Learn From Innovations from the Global MajorityEP10 - Leadership Insights: Dr Femi Sunmonu - Rethinking Where We Learn From Innovations from the Global MajorityWhat if the future of healthcare isn’t being invented in London, Boston or Berlin… but in rural Nigeria, Bangladesh and southern India?

In this Leadership Insights episode, I reflect on Dr Femi Sunmonu’s extraordinary journey and the game-changing healthcare models Femi discovered while building PurpleSource. From a legendary Nigerian surgeon who built operating tables from corn husks and car parts to the world’s largest eye-care system and a mental-health revolution run by grandmothers, these aren’t “low-resource workarounds” - they’re world-class innovations born from absolute necessity.

What You’ll Learn

- Necessity Is the Mother of Invention: Why constraint breeds far more creativity than endless budgets ever could. 

- Global Majority Genius: The Awajabi Clinic, Aravind Eye Care, and Friendship Bench: three revolutionary models delivering elite outcomes at a fraction of Western costs. 

- Stop Looking Only West: The dangerous bias that assumes innovation only flows from high-income nations and how to break it.

My challenge is simple but seismic: next time you hunt for a healthcare solution, ask yourself whose knowledge you’re centring. The most humane, equitable, and imaginative ideas aren’t coming from where the money is - they’re coming from where the need is greatest.

Episode Resources

The Friendship Bench

Aravind Eye Health Care System

Commonwealth Fund - International Insights Newsletter

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What if the future of healthcare isn’t being invented in London, Boston or Berlin… but in rural Nigeria, Bangladesh and southern India?

In this Leadership Insights episode, I reflect on Dr Femi Sunmonu’s extraordinary journey and the game-changing healthcare models Femi discovered while building PurpleSource. From a legendary Nigerian surgeon who built operating tables from corn husks and car parts to the world’s largest eye-care system and a mental-health revolution run by grandmothers, these aren’t “low-resource workarounds” - they’re world-class innovations born from absolute necessity.

What You’ll Learn

- Necessity Is the Mother of Invention: Why constraint breeds far more creativity than endless budgets ever could. 

- Global Majority Genius: The Awajabi Clinic, Aravind Eye Care, and Friendship Bench: three revolutionary models delivering elite outcomes at a fraction of Western costs. 

- Stop Looking Only West: The dangerous bias that assumes innovation only flows from high-income nations and how to break it.

My challenge is simple but seismic: next time you hunt for a healthcare solution, ask yourself whose knowledge you’re centring. The most humane, equitable, and imaginative ideas aren’t coming from where the money is - they’re coming from where the need is greatest.

Episode Resources

The Friendship Bench

Aravind Eye Health Care System

Commonwealth Fund - International Insights Newsletter

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)

Website

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>a2467e56-a248-4f31-9de5-12c7ba3c05dbFri, 05 Dec 2025 07:00:00 +010009:51falsefull110101EP9 - Dr Femi Sunmonu: Art, Clinics and Reimagining HealthcareEP9 - Dr Femi Sunmonu: Art, Clinics and Reimagining HealthcareWhat happens when a doctor hides an art degree from his Nigerian parents, trains in the US, then returns home to rebuild primary care from the ground up?

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr Femi Sunmonu - physician, artist, entrepreneur, and systems thinker. From a curiosity-filled Lagos childhood to secretly earning an art degree while “in med school,” Femi’s journey took him across continents, through an MBA, and back to Nigeria where he co-founded PurpleSource Healthcare, transforming outdated clinics into modern, patient-centred beacons of care.

We explore the creative spark that never left him, the realities of bootstrapping change in a resource-strained system, and his bold vision for truly holistic healthcare that tackles social determinants head-on.

What You’ll Learn

- Art Meets Medicine: How a secret fine-arts degree sharpened the empathy and creative vision now driving innovative clinical practice and system redesign.

- Listening as Revolution: Why travelling Nigeria to truly hear patients became the foundation for safer, dignity-first primary-care clinics at PurpleSource.

- Healthcare Without Limits: A future where housing, education, and good food are guaranteed basics, freeing medicine to tackle true healing instead of preventable crises.

Dr Femi Sunmonu’s story is a vivid reminder that the most powerful leaders often arrive wearing many hats - an artist’s eye, a healer’s heart, and the courage to rebuild what’s broken.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What happens when a doctor hides an art degree from his Nigerian parents, trains in the US, then returns home to rebuild primary care from the ground up?

In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr Femi Sunmonu - physician, artist, entrepreneur, and systems thinker. From a curiosity-filled Lagos childhood to secretly earning an art degree while “in med school,” Femi’s journey took him across continents, through an MBA, and back to Nigeria where he co-founded PurpleSource Healthcare, transforming outdated clinics into modern, patient-centred beacons of care.

We explore the creative spark that never left him, the realities of bootstrapping change in a resource-strained system, and his bold vision for truly holistic healthcare that tackles social determinants head-on.

What You’ll Learn

- Art Meets Medicine: How a secret fine-arts degree sharpened the empathy and creative vision now driving innovative clinical practice and system redesign.

- Listening as Revolution: Why travelling Nigeria to truly hear patients became the foundation for safer, dignity-first primary-care clinics at PurpleSource.

- Healthcare Without Limits: A future where housing, education, and good food are guaranteed basics, freeing medicine to tackle true healing instead of preventable crises.

Dr Femi Sunmonu’s story is a vivid reminder that the most powerful leaders often arrive wearing many hats - an artist’s eye, a healer’s heart, and the courage to rebuild what’s broken.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>f94e4c3e-12f7-4095-bc03-d5db741f7e03Mon, 01 Dec 2025 07:00:00 +010056:02falsefull1991EP8 - Leadership Insights: Khianna Lucas Young - The Rules of EngagementEP8 - Leadership Insights: Khianna Lucas Young - The Rules of EngagementWhat happens when a teenager who has beaten leukaemia twice sits down with paediatric leaders and quietly rewrites the rules of healthcare?

In this Leadership Insights episode, I reflect on the overwhelming response to Khianna Lucas Young’s story and distil the powerful lessons it offers every healthcare leader. Drawing from Khianna’s lived expertise and four years co-chairing the RCPCH & Young People’s Engagement Committee, she lays out a crystal-clear manifesto for authentic youth partnership that’s grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

What You’ll Learn

- The UNCRC Isn’t Optional: Why every child’s right to be heard isn’t polite add-on language; it’s a legal and moral imperative that makes care safer and more humane.

- Small Choices, Big Impact: How giving young patients even tiny moments of control (from being spoken to directly to choosing a plaster) rebuilds agency and trust.

- From Tokenism to Transformation: Real-world ways to embed youth voice: co-produced pathways, youth advisory panels with actual power, young people’s budgets, and rights-based training for clinicians.

Khianna’s voice, alongside the groundbreaking RCPCH standards, proves that the future of compassionate, equitable healthcare isn’t designed for young people; it’s designed with them.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

linkedin.com/in/emma-sparrow-engagement-specialist/

rcpch.ac.uk/resources/engagement-standards

ayph.org.uk/

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What happens when a teenager who has beaten leukaemia twice sits down with paediatric leaders and quietly rewrites the rules of healthcare?

In this Leadership Insights episode, I reflect on the overwhelming response to Khianna Lucas Young’s story and distil the powerful lessons it offers every healthcare leader. Drawing from Khianna’s lived expertise and four years co-chairing the RCPCH & Young People’s Engagement Committee, she lays out a crystal-clear manifesto for authentic youth partnership that’s grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

What You’ll Learn

- The UNCRC Isn’t Optional: Why every child’s right to be heard isn’t polite add-on language; it’s a legal and moral imperative that makes care safer and more humane.

- Small Choices, Big Impact: How giving young patients even tiny moments of control (from being spoken to directly to choosing a plaster) rebuilds agency and trust.

- From Tokenism to Transformation: Real-world ways to embed youth voice: co-produced pathways, youth advisory panels with actual power, young people’s budgets, and rights-based training for clinicians.

Khianna’s voice, alongside the groundbreaking RCPCH standards, proves that the future of compassionate, equitable healthcare isn’t designed for young people; it’s designed with them.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

linkedin.com/in/emma-sparrow-engagement-specialist/

rcpch.ac.uk/resources/engagement-standards

ayph.org.uk/

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>b6af3ec8-1424-4cf0-81bf-01326e1f1728Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +010011:33falsefull1881EP7 - Khianna Lucas-Young: Beating Cancer Twice & Championing ChangeEP7 - Khianna Lucas-Young: Beating Cancer Twice & Championing ChangeAt just six years old, a leukaemia diagnosis could have dimmed anyone’s light but for Khianna Lucas-Young, it became the spark that lit a lifetime of advocacy, horses, and hope.

In this episode of Leadership Conversations, I welcome the unstoppable Khianna Lucas-Young. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at just six, enduring two and a half years of chemotherapy, a heartbreaking relapse at twelve, and emerging as a national equestrian champion, fundraiser, and youth advisor to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Khianna’s story is one of courage, humour, and unfiltered wisdom.

We explore turning personal battles into advocacy, the power of being heard as a young patient, and why mental health support must run alongside physical care.

What You’ll Learn

- Patient-Led Change: How Khianna’s lived experience is reshaping paediatric policies - simpler access, open communication, and parity between physical and mental health.

- Resilience Redefined: From relapse to riding triumphs, why knowing what to expect and feeling in control can transform the hardest journeys.

- Hope in Action: The three big lessons Khianna wants every healthcare professional to hearfrom catching the “mental volcano” early to removing hoops for families in crisis.

Khianna’s voice is a radiant reminder that leadership isn’t about age or title - it’s about turning adversity into advocacy and proving that even the youngest patients can light the way forward.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

linkedin.com/in/emma-sparrow-engagement-specialist/

rcpch.ac.uk/resources/engagement-standards

ayph.org.uk/

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>At just six years old, a leukaemia diagnosis could have dimmed anyone’s light but for Khianna Lucas-Young, it became the spark that lit a lifetime of advocacy, horses, and hope.

In this episode of Leadership Conversations, I welcome the unstoppable Khianna Lucas-Young. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at just six, enduring two and a half years of chemotherapy, a heartbreaking relapse at twelve, and emerging as a national equestrian champion, fundraiser, and youth advisor to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Khianna’s story is one of courage, humour, and unfiltered wisdom.

We explore turning personal battles into advocacy, the power of being heard as a young patient, and why mental health support must run alongside physical care.

What You’ll Learn

- Patient-Led Change: How Khianna’s lived experience is reshaping paediatric policies - simpler access, open communication, and parity between physical and mental health.

- Resilience Redefined: From relapse to riding triumphs, why knowing what to expect and feeling in control can transform the hardest journeys.

- Hope in Action: The three big lessons Khianna wants every healthcare professional to hearfrom catching the “mental volcano” early to removing hoops for families in crisis.

Khianna’s voice is a radiant reminder that leadership isn’t about age or title - it’s about turning adversity into advocacy and proving that even the youngest patients can light the way forward.

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Episode Resources

unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

linkedin.com/in/emma-sparrow-engagement-specialist/

rcpch.ac.uk/resources/engagement-standards

ayph.org.uk/

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>1d1b67d3-628a-44ef-88e3-02d2a6abced1Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +010034:34falsefull1771EP6 - Leadership Insights: Joyce Omatseye - Leveraging Social Media for Good in HealthcareEP6 - Leadership Insights: Joyce Omatseye - Leveraging Social Media for Good in HealthcareWhat happens when healthcare steps out of the hospital and into the timeline?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I reflect on my conversation with Joyce Omatseye, NHS clinician and digital advocate, to explore the transformative role social media can play in healthcare.

From breaking down stigma to mobilising communities, this conversation dives into the power of digital platforms to connect, educate, and inspire action within and beyond the NHS.

What You’ll Learn

- Digital Influence: How healthcare professionals can use social media to drive positive impact - not just engagement.

- Building Trust Online: The importance of authenticity and clear communication in a noisy digital world.

- Shifting the Narrative: How platforms like X, Instagram and TikTok can be used to challenge stereotypes and change the conversation around health.

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership doesn’t only happen in boardrooms or clinics - it can also happen in your feed.

Follow Dr. Joyce Omatseye

Instagram: instagram.com/signed.drj

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joyce-omatseye

Aranini Health

Website: araninihealth.com

Instagram: instagram.com/aranini.health

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What happens when healthcare steps out of the hospital and into the timeline?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I reflect on my conversation with Joyce Omatseye, NHS clinician and digital advocate, to explore the transformative role social media can play in healthcare.

From breaking down stigma to mobilising communities, this conversation dives into the power of digital platforms to connect, educate, and inspire action within and beyond the NHS.

What You’ll Learn

- Digital Influence: How healthcare professionals can use social media to drive positive impact - not just engagement.

- Building Trust Online: The importance of authenticity and clear communication in a noisy digital world.

- Shifting the Narrative: How platforms like X, Instagram and TikTok can be used to challenge stereotypes and change the conversation around health.

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership doesn’t only happen in boardrooms or clinics - it can also happen in your feed.

Follow Dr. Joyce Omatseye

Instagram: instagram.com/signed.drj

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joyce-omatseye

Aranini Health

Website: araninihealth.com

Instagram: instagram.com/aranini.health

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>04ed3ab6-28cb-4da7-8c3b-0a72e1bc2919Fri, 21 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +010009:03falsefull1661EP5 - Joyce Omatseye: Pandemic Journal to Global ImpactEP5 - Joyce Omatseye: Pandemic Journal to Global ImpactWhat if a one-off family chat could spark a global movement for women's health?

In this episode, I am joined by Dr Joyce Omatseye, the trailblazing GP, digital health advocate, and founder of Aranini. From her vibrant Lagos childhood in a tight-knit apartment block to frontline NHS shifts during the pandemic, Joyce opens up about her path to medicine, intercalating in business, and turning a personal Instagram journal into a 57,000-strong community.

What You’ll Learn

Self-Care Routines: How Joyce rebuilds her energy with gym sessions, spa days, and solo thinking time after months of community celebrations.

Starting Small: Why her "one-off" Boxing Day event in Lagos exploded into events across London, Accra, Nairobi and how to begin your own ideas without overplanning.

Combating Misinformation: Practical steps like verifying credentials, using NHS-vetted sites, and creating safe spaces for evidence-based health chats.

Joyce’s journey from journal entries to world-spanning events reminds us that bold visions start with a single, courageous step and equip us all to demand better health conversations.

Follow Dr. Joyce Omatseye

Instagram: instagram.com/signed.drj

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joyce-omatseye

Aranini Health

Website: araninihealth.com

Instagram: instagram.com/aranini.health

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What if a one-off family chat could spark a global movement for women's health?

In this episode, I am joined by Dr Joyce Omatseye, the trailblazing GP, digital health advocate, and founder of Aranini. From her vibrant Lagos childhood in a tight-knit apartment block to frontline NHS shifts during the pandemic, Joyce opens up about her path to medicine, intercalating in business, and turning a personal Instagram journal into a 57,000-strong community.

What You’ll Learn

Self-Care Routines: How Joyce rebuilds her energy with gym sessions, spa days, and solo thinking time after months of community celebrations.

Starting Small: Why her "one-off" Boxing Day event in Lagos exploded into events across London, Accra, Nairobi and how to begin your own ideas without overplanning.

Combating Misinformation: Practical steps like verifying credentials, using NHS-vetted sites, and creating safe spaces for evidence-based health chats.

Joyce’s journey from journal entries to world-spanning events reminds us that bold visions start with a single, courageous step and equip us all to demand better health conversations.

Follow Dr. Joyce Omatseye

Instagram: instagram.com/signed.drj

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joyce-omatseye

Aranini Health

Website: araninihealth.com

Instagram: instagram.com/aranini.health

Connect with Healthcare Leadership Conversations

Instagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversations

LinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolie

Website: healthcareleadershipconversations.com

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>1e1ced91-a584-4f02-8221-6d5de34fe37bMon, 17 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +010050:30falsefull1551EP4 - Leadership Insights: Mark Ratnarajah - The Business of HealthcareEP4 - Leadership Insights: Mark Ratnarajah - The Business of HealthcareWhat happens when clinicians step into the boardroom with the same urgency they bring to the bedside?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I reflect on my conversation with Dr Mark Ratnarajah, Managing Director at C2-Ai and experienced clinician-entrepreneur, about the evolving intersection between healthcare and business.

From grappling with data complexity to building trust with clinicians and executives alike, I explore why understanding the business of healthcare is no longer optional - it’s essential for meaningful change.

What You’ll Learn

Business Meets Care: How commercial strategy and clinical expertise can work hand-in-hand to improve health outcomes.

Trust and Translation: Why language and communication are critical in bridging the gap between clinical teams and industry.

Driving Innovation: How to navigate systems change in environments designed to resist it.

This is a powerful reminder that transforming healthcare isn’t just about better medicine - it’s about smarter systems, brave leadership, and bridging worlds that too often speak past each other.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What happens when clinicians step into the boardroom with the same urgency they bring to the bedside?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I reflect on my conversation with Dr Mark Ratnarajah, Managing Director at C2-Ai and experienced clinician-entrepreneur, about the evolving intersection between healthcare and business.

From grappling with data complexity to building trust with clinicians and executives alike, I explore why understanding the business of healthcare is no longer optional - it’s essential for meaningful change.

What You’ll Learn

Business Meets Care: How commercial strategy and clinical expertise can work hand-in-hand to improve health outcomes.

Trust and Translation: Why language and communication are critical in bridging the gap between clinical teams and industry.

Driving Innovation: How to navigate systems change in environments designed to resist it.

This is a powerful reminder that transforming healthcare isn’t just about better medicine - it’s about smarter systems, brave leadership, and bridging worlds that too often speak past each other.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>e980fcbe-14f6-452d-9a86-321e08257df9Fri, 14 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +010009:41falsefull1441EP3 - Mark Ratnarajah: The Human Side of Healthcare InnovationEP3 - Mark Ratnarajah: The Human Side of Healthcare InnovationCan cutting-edge technology transform healthcare without losing its heart?

In this episode of Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr Mark Ratnarajah – a paediatrician turned healthcare innovator whose career spans the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. From early days in paediatric A&E to working with flying doctors in the Australian outback, Mark has always been fascinated by the interface between medicine and technology. His journey took him through Oxford, into private equity, entrepreneurship, and now into the fast-moving world of AI and health informatics – all while maintaining his clinical practice.

Together we explore how medicine, innovation, and leadership intertwine, and why the future of healthcare depends on both bold ideas and compassionate practice.

What You’ll Learn

- The Power of Early Lessons: How family resilience and childhood values shaped Mark’s purpose-driven approach to healthcare and leadership.

- Medicine Meets Business: Why stepping outside clinical practice gave him the tools to blend medical expertise with entrepreneurship and innovation.

- AI and Equity in Healthcare: The opportunities and challenges of using artificial intelligence responsibly, and why data diversity and accountability matter for fair outcomes.

Mark’s story shows us what’s possible when clinical expertise, leadership, and vision collide. It’s a reminder that healthcare’s future lies not just in technology, but in keeping kindness and humanity at its heart.

]]>Can cutting-edge technology transform healthcare without losing its heart?

In this episode of Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr Mark Ratnarajah – a paediatrician turned healthcare innovator whose career spans the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. From early days in paediatric A&E to working with flying doctors in the Australian outback, Mark has always been fascinated by the interface between medicine and technology. His journey took him through Oxford, into private equity, entrepreneurship, and now into the fast-moving world of AI and health informatics – all while maintaining his clinical practice.

Together we explore how medicine, innovation, and leadership intertwine, and why the future of healthcare depends on both bold ideas and compassionate practice.

What You’ll Learn

- The Power of Early Lessons: How family resilience and childhood values shaped Mark’s purpose-driven approach to healthcare and leadership.

- Medicine Meets Business: Why stepping outside clinical practice gave him the tools to blend medical expertise with entrepreneurship and innovation.

- AI and Equity in Healthcare: The opportunities and challenges of using artificial intelligence responsibly, and why data diversity and accountability matter for fair outcomes.

Mark’s story shows us what’s possible when clinical expertise, leadership, and vision collide. It’s a reminder that healthcare’s future lies not just in technology, but in keeping kindness and humanity at its heart.

]]>135ae8a0-eb5a-427d-95a5-9bcb2466e91eMon, 10 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +010053:31falsefull1331EP2 - Leadership Insights: Camilla Kingdon - Compassionate LeadershipEP2 - Leadership Insights: Camilla Kingdon - Compassionate LeadershipCan leading with compassion make us better at making tough decisions?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I reflect on my conversation with Dr Camilla Kingdon, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, to explore what it means to lead with both strength and empathy in today’s healthcare landscape. 

From navigating burnout to creating psychological safety in high-pressure environments, she offers a rare and honest perspective on what true compassionate leadership looks like - not as a buzzword, but as a daily practice.

What You’ll Learn

Compassion in Action: How leading with empathy builds trust and drives more effective teams.

Courageous Leadership: Why compassion doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations—and how to balance care with clarity.

Culture That Cares: Practical ways to embed compassion in systems, not just slogans.

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers - it’s about showing up, listening deeply, and leading with both head and heart.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>Can leading with compassion make us better at making tough decisions?

In this episode of Leadership Insights, I reflect on my conversation with Dr Camilla Kingdon, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, to explore what it means to lead with both strength and empathy in today’s healthcare landscape. 

From navigating burnout to creating psychological safety in high-pressure environments, she offers a rare and honest perspective on what true compassionate leadership looks like - not as a buzzword, but as a daily practice.

What You’ll Learn

Compassion in Action: How leading with empathy builds trust and drives more effective teams.

Courageous Leadership: Why compassion doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations—and how to balance care with clarity.

Culture That Cares: Practical ways to embed compassion in systems, not just slogans.

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers - it’s about showing up, listening deeply, and leading with both head and heart.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>5c45e7c0-eb6c-48dd-843a-3c884db90980Fri, 07 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +010008:55falsefull1221EP1 - Camilla Kingdon: Leading with Kindness in HealthcareEP1 - Camilla Kingdon: Leading with Kindness in HealthcareWhat if kindness could transform leadership in medicine?

In the debut episode of Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr. Camilla Kingdon, a consultant neonatologist and former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Camilla shares her remarkable journey from her childhood in apartheid-era Cape Town to steering UK paediatrics through the COVID-19 storm. Her story is a masterclass in courage, inclusivity, and the transformative power of empathy in healthcare.

What You’ll Learn

- Kindness as a Leadership Superpower: Discover how empathy builds trust and strengthens teams, especially in challenging times.

- Courage to Lead: Learn to seize opportunities for leadership in crises to drive meaningful change.

- Building Inclusive Communities: Break free from labels like race or age to unlock potential and create harmony.

We explore Camilla’s reflections on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, her leadership during the pandemic, and her three wishes for a better world: prioritising children, combating climate change, and celebrating diversity.

Camilla’s journey shows that leading with heart and vision can spark lasting change in healthcare and beyond.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>What if kindness could transform leadership in medicine?

In the debut episode of Leadership Conversations, I sit down with Dr. Camilla Kingdon, a consultant neonatologist and former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Camilla shares her remarkable journey from her childhood in apartheid-era Cape Town to steering UK paediatrics through the COVID-19 storm. Her story is a masterclass in courage, inclusivity, and the transformative power of empathy in healthcare.

What You’ll Learn

- Kindness as a Leadership Superpower: Discover how empathy builds trust and strengthens teams, especially in challenging times.

- Courage to Lead: Learn to seize opportunities for leadership in crises to drive meaningful change.

- Building Inclusive Communities: Break free from labels like race or age to unlock potential and create harmony.

We explore Camilla’s reflections on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, her leadership during the pandemic, and her three wishes for a better world: prioritising children, combating climate change, and celebrating diversity.

Camilla’s journey shows that leading with heart and vision can spark lasting change in healthcare and beyond.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>9f8279c1-333b-45a1-badb-e1e2b8b99440Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +010056:41falsefull1111Introducing Healthcare Leadership ConversationsIntroducing Healthcare Leadership ConversationsI’m Dr Mo Akindolie, a consultant paediatrician and healthcare leader.

In each episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I spotlight remarkable healthcare leaders, exploring the stories, insights, and journeys of the people leading change in one of the most vital sectors of our society. 

You’re invited to listen in, learn, be inspired, and perhaps even see healthcare leadership and life a little differently.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>I’m Dr Mo Akindolie, a consultant paediatrician and healthcare leader.

In each episode of Healthcare Leadership Conversations, I spotlight remarkable healthcare leaders, exploring the stories, insights, and journeys of the people leading change in one of the most vital sectors of our society. 

You’re invited to listen in, learn, be inspired, and perhaps even see healthcare leadership and life a little differently.

Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.

]]>769a9274-8f51-4b13-9de7-000d0890337bMon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +010000:47falsefull