Healthcare Leadership Conversations.

Эпизоды

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  EP26 - How to Lead Meetings That Matter in Healthcare using the IMPACT Model from Authentic Gravitas 24.04.2026 31мин

  I wanted to bring this episode to you because meetings are such a big part of how we lead, especially in healthcare, and yet so many of them feel rushed, reactive, or disconnected.In this episode of Healthcare Leadership Insights, I explore what it actually takes to lead meetings that matter, drawing on the principles of authentic gravitas. This isn’t about dominating the room or having all the answers. It’s about how you show up, how you create space for others, and how intentional small shifts can completely change the quality of your conversations.What You’ll Discover- Why Presence Isn’t About Performance: Gravitas isn’t about confidence or charisma, it’s about clarity, curiosity, and how you show up for others.- The Power of Better Conversations: Creating space before the agenda and asking thoughtful questions can transform collaboration and influence.- From Reactive to Intentional Leadership: Without time to think and reflect, we don’t lead, we simply respond to pressure.What really stands out in this episode is how much impact sits in the moments we often overlook. The space before a meeting starts, the decision to ask one better question, the willingness to listen instead of jumping straight to solutions. These aren’t big, dramatic leadership moves, but they change how people feel, how they contribute, and ultimately, the outcomes you create together.There’s also a deeper message here about self-leadership. If we don’t create time to think, to reflect, and to be intentional about who we are as leaders, we default to reacting. And in environments as complex and pressured as healthcare, that shift from reactive to intentional can make all the difference.If you’ve ever left a meeting feeling like it didn’t quite land, or wondered how to have more impact without being louder or more forceful, this episode will give you a different way to think about it. Try one small shift in your next conversation and see what changes.Connect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversationsLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolieWebsite: healthcareleadershipconversations.comEpisode ResourcesAuthentic Gravitas: Who Stands out and Why by Dr Rebecca Newton.Gravitas Is a Quality You Can Develop, Harvard Business Review by Rebecca Newton.The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven G Rogelberg.Why Your Meetings Stink—and What to Do About It, Harvard Business Review by Steven G. Rogelberg HBR.Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP25 - Leadership Insights: Book Club - Authentic Gravitas 17.04.2026 20мин

  Episode 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/
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  EP24 - Actionable Solutions: Reframing Responsibility in Pet-to-Threat ™ 10.04.2026 14мин

  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 ConversationsInstagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversationsLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolieWebsite: healthcareleadershipconversations.comEpisode ResourcesWomen 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.
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  EP23 - Unveiling the Pet-to-Threat ™ Phenomenon in Healthcare 03.04.2026 18мин

  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 ConversationsInstagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversationsLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolieWebsite: healthcareleadershipconversations.comEpisode ResourcesWomen 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. ThomasUche Blackstock - Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in MedicineAdvancing Health EquityHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP22 - Shaping Organisational Culture: What Healthcare Can Learn from a Business School 26.03.2026 16мин

  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 ConversationsInstagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversationsLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolieWebsite: healthcareleadershipconversations.comEpisode ResourcesThe 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
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  EP21 - Teaming in Healthcare: How Dynamic Collaboration Saves Lives 19.03.2026 18мин

  Target 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 Mo
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  EP20 - Leadership Insights: From Burnout in Healthcare to Esprit de Corps 12.02.2026 18мин

  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 ResourcesCommonwealth Fund 2025 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians (10 countries)NHS Staff Survey National Results Briefing 2024Mayo Clinic Swensen, S. & Shanafelt, T. (2020). Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace. Mayo Clinic Scientific PressPandoBaverstock, A. & Molyneux, P. (2025). 'Kindness in Leadership: Moving the Dialogue from Productivity to Engagement.' BMJ Leader JournalLorna Breen Foundation ALL IN: Caring for Caregivers programme. Dr Lorna Breen Heroes' FoundationConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP19 - Leadership Insights: The Power of Personal Boardrooms in Healthcare 05.02.2026 12мин

  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 ResourcesPersonal BoardroomWho’s in your Personal BoardroomConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP18 - Leadership Insights: Cultivating Psychological Safety in Healthcare Leadership 29.01.2026 17мин

  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 ResourcesAmy C. Edmondson’s The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and GrowthAmy C. Edmondson’s Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge EconomyThe Fearless OrganizationWhat People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety - Six misconceptions that have led organizations astray. by Amy C. Edmondson and Michaela J. KerrisseyConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP17 - Leadership Insights: Transformative Coaching: Elevating Healthcare Leadership 22.01.2026 15мин

  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 ResourcesNHS Elect Coaching ServicesDr Stephen Swensen speaking at The King's FundJournal of Management Development: Leadership by Design: Intentional Organization Development of Physician LeadersBMJ Leader: What is the evidence base for leadership coaching for postgraduate medical doctors?Connect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP16 - Leadership Insights: The Gift of Reciprocal Mentorship 15.01.2026 10мин

  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 ResourcesAkindolie Medical ScholarshipMentorship Unlocked by Janice OmadekeNHS Leadership Academy – Inclusive Reciprocal Mentoring ProgrammeRCPCH Reciprocal Mentoring ProgrammeConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP15 - Leadership Insights: Book Club - Unreasonable Hospitality 08.01.2026 16мин

  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 GuidaraTo 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 ConversationsClosing 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-transferableOther 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.
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  EP14 - Leadership Insights: Dr Khadija Owusu - A Live Case Study of the NHS Management and Leadership Framework 18.12.2025 13мин

  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 EpisodeWhy 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 ResourcesNHS Management & Leadership FrameworkThe Kark ReviewThe Messenger ReviewKhadija speaking at the United Nations General AssemblyConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP13 - Dr Khadija Owusu: Michelle Obama, Melanin Medics and Ghana Forever 16.12.2025 53мин

  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 OwusuWebsiteLinkedInInstagramTikTokAkaya FoundationMelanin MedicsEpisode ResourcesKhadija’s United Nations General Assembly SpeechKhadija’s TED TalkConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP12 - Leadership Insights: Dr Mo Akindolie - The Courage to Pause, Learn and Grow 14.12.2025 18мин

  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 SabbaticalFrom 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 ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP11 - My Journey from Lagos to the NHS 09.12.2025 51мин

  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 ResourcesAkindolie Medical ScholarshipMayo Clinic Book: Strategies to Reduce BurnoutHarkness FellowshipMy Substack BlogConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP10 - Leadership Insights: Dr Femi Sunmonu - Rethinking Where We Learn From Innovations from the Global Majority 05.12.2025 9мин

  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 ResourcesThe Friendship BenchAravind Eye Health Care SystemCommonwealth Fund - International Insights NewsletterConnect with Healthcare Leadership ConversationsInstagramLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie)WebsiteHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP9 - Dr Femi Sunmonu: Art, Clinics and Reimagining Healthcare 01.12.2025 56мин

  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 ConversationsInstagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversationsLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolieWebsite: healthcareleadershipconversations.comHealthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP8 - Leadership Insights: Khianna Lucas Young - The Rules of Engagement 27.11.2025 11мин

  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 ConversationsInstagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversationsLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolieWebsite: healthcareleadershipconversations.comEpisode Resourcesunicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/linkedin.com/in/emma-sparrow-engagement-specialist/rcpch.ac.uk/resources/engagement-standardsayph.org.uk/Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.
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  EP7 - Khianna Lucas-Young: Beating Cancer Twice & Championing Change 23.11.2025 34мин

  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 ConversationsInstagram: instagram.com/healthleadershipconversationsLinkedIn (Dr. Mo Akindolie): linkedin.com/in/dr-mo-akindolieWebsite: healthcareleadershipconversations.comEpisode Resourcesunicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/linkedin.com/in/emma-sparrow-engagement-specialist/rcpch.ac.uk/resources/engagement-standardsayph.org.uk/Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.