Coaching Physicians: A Prescription for Leadership

Nova Scotia Health

Coaching Physicians: A Prescription for Leadership explores the intersection of leadership and healthcare. Join us as we share strategies, stories, and practical tools to empower physicians to thrive as impactful leaders. Whether you're navigating challenges, seeking professional growth, or aiming to enhance your leadership journey, this podcast offers the guidance you need to succeed. For more, visit: www.nshealth.ca/podcasts

  1. MAR 26

    Feedback That Actually Helps: How to Give It, Receive It and Use It Well.

    In fast-paced clinical environments, feedback isn’t just a courtesy: it’s essential.  Understanding how to communicate feedback effectively – and how to receive it – makes a powerful difference in building trust, strengthening teams and improving patient care. In this episode, we explore three types of feedback, whyreceiving feedback can feel so threatening, and how three common feedback triggers derail even well-intended conversations. You’ll learn how to receive feedback without getting defensive, how to deliver feedback that lands and how to ask for input, even in cultures where feedback is rare.

    24 min

  2. FEB 25

    Civility in the Workplace

    Michael Leiter, PhD is an internationally renowned expert on the psychology of work. He sits down with hosts Lorie Campbell and Verna MacDonald to discuss the importance of civility in the workplace and shares some basic, straight-forward approaches physician leaders can employ to foster engagement, reduce burnout and promote respect among their teams. Learn more about Dr. Leiter's work 'Strengthening Civility in Healthcare Teams' by registering for his April 22, 2026, webinar, as part of NS Health's Inspired Leadership for Physicians webinar series: VIRTUAL: Strengthening Civility in Healthcare Teams: Respect, Engagement and Burnout Prevention | Information and Wellness Portal

    26 min

  3. JAN 26

    Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare

    NS Health neurosurgeon and Dalhousie University professor Dr. Sean Christie, MD, FRCSC, says the Canadian healthcare industry creates more greenhouse gas emissions than the airline industry: he, and a group of like-minded colleagues, are stepping up to lead efforts to change this. Dr. Christie joins hosts Lorie Campbell and Verna MacDonald to discuss environmental health and the contributions physician leaders can make within their teams, as well as the role we all can play, to create a more sustainable system for generations to come. Note: the webinar referenced in this podcast, “Why Healthcare Leaders Need to Care About Planetary Health,” with Dr. Nabha Shetty, can be found at: https://physicians.nshealth.ca/news/recording-now-available-why-healthcare-leaders-need-care-about-planetary-health-dr-nabha.

    24 min

  4. 2025-11-25

    Listening: A Strategic Leadership Move

    In this month’s podcast, executive coaches Lorie Campbell and Verna MacDonald explore the art, practice and power of listening. Listening: A Strategic Leadership Move, demonstrates how this simple but active tool can help leaders build trust, gain buy-in and empower their teams. You will learn to distinguish three levels of listening and how to actively listen better so you can lead more effectively with less effort.

    20 min

  5. 2025-10-29

    When in conflict it’s all about people, not problems

    In this episode, executive leadership coaches Lorie Campbell and Verna MacDonald sit down with Scott Furlotte, conflictsupport consultant at Nova Scotia Health, and faculty member at both Nova Scotia Community College and Acadia University to explore the complex nature of conflict. Together, they dive into how self-awareness, interpersonal dynamics,and cultural influences shape our experiences of conflict. The conversation will touch on the impact of the many losses of human-to-human connection since COVID-19 which negatively contribute to conflict scenarios. And Scott will recommend the value of two helpful tools to practice for conflict resolution and how these elements canspark deep, transformational conversations.

    28 min

  6. 2025-09-10

    Inherited Leadership and Building Your High-Performance Team

    In this episode hosts executive leadership coaches Lorie Campbell and Verna MacDonald discuss: Taking on a new leadership role.How to gauge if you’ve inherited a high performing team—or not.What are some valuable questions to ask in exploring and building a high performing team The Medical Affairs leadership development team works to provide physician leaders with resources and supports to improve their leadership effectiveness to respond to system challenges and improve the quality of patient care.Learn more about leadership coaching and supports here.   2026 Provincial Physician Leadership Development Program A customized program featuring the Leadership Circle Profile™ (LCP), open by Expression of Interest to physicians in leadership roles (3-5 years formal experience, not previously enrolled in leadership developmenteducation). Submit your Expression of Interest. Promotional flyer is available here.

    21 min

  7. 2025-06-19

    ‘Starting Over Again’: A Physician’s Leadership Journey from Sudan to Nova Scotia

    Our newest podcast episode of Coaching Physicians: A Prescription for Leadership features Dr. Ishraga Awad, Western Zone Associate Regional Medical Officer of Health. Born and raised in Sudan, Dr. Awad earned her medical degree from the University of Khartoum and completed her residency at Soba University Hospital in South Khartoum. She later pursued postgraduate training in public health and primary care in the United Kingdom. With over 25 years of experience in public and primary healthcare across Sudan and the UK, Dr. Awad now calls Liverpool, Nova Scotia, home. Dr Awad offers her lived experience as a rich opportunity to explore themes of resilience, adaptation, and professional reinvention. In this episode, Dr. Awad shares: (1) Her journey to Nova Scotia and her transition into medical practice and leadership; (2) How she overcame self-doubt while adapting to a new professional and personal environment: (3) Her advice for Canadian trained physicians on supporting internationally trained medical professionals Tune in for this great conversation on navigating change, building leadership, and embracing new opportunities.

    23 min

  8. 2025-06-04

    What Does Effective Co-Leadership Look Like?

    In this episode, we’re joined by Lynn Edwards and Dr. Tanya Munroe, Co-Leads of the Access and Flow Network—along with holding various other leadership roles at Nova ScotiaHealth. We discuss (1) Building an effective co-leadership relationship, (2) Navigating challenges and leading a team collaboratively, (3) Leveraging different personalities, insights, and expertise to strengthen leadership

    21 min
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About

Coaching Physicians: A Prescription for Leadership explores the intersection of leadership and healthcare. Join us as we share strategies, stories, and practical tools to empower physicians to thrive as impactful leaders. Whether you're navigating challenges, seeking professional growth, or aiming to enhance your leadership journey, this podcast offers the guidance you need to succeed. For more, visit: www.nshealth.ca/podcasts

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