Transformational Thinking For Health Leaders - from Fiona Day Consulting

Dr. Fiona Day
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A podcast that will help you meet your most complex leadership challenges. This podcast - from Registered & Chartered Coaching Psychologist and Master Practitioner Coach & Mentor Dr Fiona Day - will transform your perspectives. It will help you become a more effective and creative leader, with a deeper understanding of yourself and your own world of work. Fiona interviews other medical and public health leaders, generating thought-provoking, and dialectical dialogues. You'll hear inspirational stories and real-world insights which will help you do your own best work now and into the future.Expect open and honest discussions with both emerging and established health leaders and to hear their career stories, the journeys that led to their current positions – including the twists and turns and how they made decisions along the way. You’ll also hear how medical and public health leaders balance multiple roles inside and outside of work, their reflections on health leadership, and their own insights and learning over the years. Sound engineering from Making Digital Real.

  1. Oct 21

    26 - Beyond Traditional Healthcare Leadership: AI, Innovation and the Power of Hope with Dr Arokia Antonysamy

    What happens when a senior medical leader steps away from a successful career to challenge how we think about mental healthcare, innovation and the future of leadership? In this episode of Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders, Dr Fiona Day welcomes Dr Arokia Antonysamy, an award-winning psychiatrist, former senior medical director, author and health technology entrepreneur. Drawing on her experience of leadership in both the NHS and independent healthcare sector, Arokia explores why effective leadership is not simply about authority, strategy or organisational performance. It is about creating the conditions for people to succeed, listening to those closest to patients and having the courage to question established ways of working. The conversation explores Arokia's transition from senior medical leadership into entrepreneurship, including the development of AROQUEST, an innovative platform combining gamification, behavioural science and artificial intelligence to encourage positive mental wellbeing habits among young adults. Arokia also discusses the opportunities and responsibilities associated with AI in mental healthcare, why technology should enhance rather than replace human relationships, and the importance of moving towards prevention rather than waiting until people reach crisis. In a particularly moving part of the conversation, Arokia shares the personal experiences behind her book, The Gift of Hope. Reflecting on her mother's illness, the lessons she has learned from patients and her own changing priorities, she explores what hope really means when life takes an unexpected direction. Together, Fiona and Arokia consider what it means to build a meaningful career beyond traditional boundaries, lead with compassion and curiosity, and measure success not simply through professional achievement, but through the difference we make to others. In this episode, you'll explore: Leadership lessons from working across the NHS and independent healthcare sector.Why compassion, entrepreneurship and innovation all have a place in healthcare leadership.The potential of AI, gamification and behavioural science to support preventative mental wellbeing.The importance of keeping humanity, clinical responsibility and ethical considerations at the centre of healthcare technology.How personal experiences, uncertainty and hope can reshape our understanding of leadership, purpose and success.Three questions for your own leadership reflection: How often are the people closest to patient care genuinely involved in shaping your organisation's strategy and decisions?Where could innovation or technology help your organisation intervene earlier, without compromising the human relationships and clinical accountability that matter?If you measured your career by contribution rather than position or recognition, what might you choose to do differently?Connect with Dr Arokia Antonysamy The Gift of Hope (book): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H6TT4TCP Website: https://www.thegiftofhopes.com AROQUEST: https://www.aroquest.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arokia-antonysamy-b6701127 About the podcast Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders is hosted by Dr Fiona Day, Chartered Coaching Psychologist and former senior medical and public health leader. Explore Fiona's coaching, research and resources for senior health leaders at https://www.fionadayconsulting.co.uk If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

  2. Oct 7

    25 - The Future of Health Leadership: People, AI and the Power of Listening with Jim Campbell

    What does the future of health leadership look like in a world of workforce pressures, geopolitical uncertainty and rapidly developing artificial intelligence? In this episode of Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders, I'm joined by Professor Jim Campbell, Professor of Practice in Health Workforce at King's College London and a globally recognised leader in health workforce and health policy. Jim spent 12 years at the World Health Organisation, including as Director of Health Workforce and Executive Director of the Global Health Workforce Alliance. His earlier public health career took him into conflict, post-conflict and humanitarian settings across Africa, Asia and Europe. Together, we explore what these experiences have taught him about leadership and why he believes global health needs fewer "saviours" and more stewards who listen, engage, build partnerships and empower others. We also discuss the emerging field of workforce science, the changing relationship between humans and technology, and how AI could augment rather than simply replace human capability in healthcare. What does this mean for health leaders? How do we retain accountability, recognise bias and maintain the critical reasoning needed to question AI-generated answers? Jim also shares his own leadership lessons from a remarkable international career: keep listening and learning, remain open to challenge, employ good people, delegate and create the conditions for others to contribute. Three reflective questions for health leaders arising from this conversation: 1. Jim describes the shift from wanting a "saviour" leader to needing a "steward" who listens, convenes and builds partnerships. Where in your own leadership are you still being asked (or asking yourself) to be the saviour, and what would it look like to lead instead as a steward? 2. Jim talks about how seniority can create distance from others, and the deliberate effort needed to keep engaging with people once relationships and decisions become more contentious. Where might distance be building in your own leadership, and how are you actively working to close it? 3. Jim argues that using AI responsibly means becoming more grounded in your own discipline, not less, so that you can question rather than simply accept its answers. How confident are you that you, and your teams, have the critical reasoning and discipline-specific expertise needed to challenge AI-generated outputs rather than defer to them? A fascinating conversation about global health, leadership, workforce, AI and the distinctly human capabilities we'll need for the future. If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

  3. Sep 21

    24 - From Pandemic to Purpose: Prof Yvonne Doyle on Public Health Leadership

    My guest on this episode of 'Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders' is Professor Yvonne Doyle CB FMedSci, one of the UK’s most experienced public health leaders, whose career has spanned the NHS, government, academia, the independent sector and international health. Yvonne provided leadership for health protection in England during the COVID-19 pandemic, served as Medical Director for Public Health at NHS England and was Statutory Adviser to consecutive Mayors of London. She now works as a Senior Adviser to WHO Europe on healthy ageing and chairs the Health Services Committee at the UK Faculty of Public Health. In our conversation, Yvonne reflects candidly on what it was like to lead through the extraordinary uncertainty of the pandemic, including making decisions when there were no easy answers and supporting people through immense pressure. We explore why knowing yourself matters as a health leader, why leadership happens “with and through people”, and what more than four decades in medicine and public health have taught Yvonne about leading complex systems. We also discuss her recent work examining the place of professional public health expertise within the NHS, why this expertise matters for the future of population health, and the importance of strengthening public health leadership within our health systems. Finally, we talk about Yvonne’s “supposed retirement” and her thoughts on purpose, curiosity, relationships and remaining engaged throughout every stage of life. A fascinating and deeply reflective conversation for medical, public health and global health leaders about leadership, resilience, public service and what it means to continue making a difference. Reflective Questions for Health Leaders Yvonne describes unusual early career experiences which shaped her future, did you follow a traditional or unusual route? How has this shaped the course of your own career?How does Yvonne's experience of leading through Covid-19 resonate with your own? Are there similarities or differences? What does this mean for the next time you have to lead through a crisis?What does Yvonne's recent report into healthcare public health in England mean for your area of practice, wherever you are in the world and whatever area of health you are leading in? How are you assured that the services you are commissioning or delivering meet the needs of the population you are serving? What more do you need to do to assure yourself of the robustness of your modelling and how population demographics are changing?Read Yvonne's Report on Healthcare Public Health  Here is the link to The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) joint report, Healthcare Public Health in England, which makes the case for input from accredited public health specialists to be urgently and significantly bolstered across the NHS in England. Listen to Yvonne's music here Yvonne kindly recorded these two pieces for us on a very hot July day. You can listen to them here, and they are also used in the intro and outro of her Podcast. The harp piece is by the 18th century Irish composer and collector Cornelius Lyons. It is called Miss Hamilton.  The piano piece is by the Irish 18th composer Turloch Carolan. He wrote pieces for commission so they are called after the person who it was written for. In this case Mrs Maxwell. Contact Yvonne yvonnedoyle29@gmail.com yvonne@ygdhealth.com www.ygdhealth.com If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

  4. Sep 2

    23 - Welcome to Season 3 - A Decade of Transforming Health Leadership

    Welcome to Series 3 of Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders. This year marks a very special milestone: the 10th anniversary of Fiona Day Consulting. In this opening episode, I look back at how my coaching psychology practice began in 2016, when I was working as an NHS Associate Medical Director and board-level public health leader, and how it has evolved over the past decade. Nearly 4,000 hours of one-to-one coaching later, I have now supported more than 500 senior medical and public health leaders across five continents. I share the psychological science that underpins my approach, including my peer-reviewed research published in BMJ Leader, which demonstrated a statistically significant 17.4% increase in validated wellbeing scores following my coaching programmes. I also explore the six key areas that have emerged through my work with health leaders: strategic impact and system leadership, career transitions, burnout and moral injury, work-life and family balance, portfolio and later-life careers, and neuro-affirmative coaching. Most importantly, I explain why my work has always been about more than career progression. It is about helping medical and public health leaders find greater clarity, confidence and wellbeing while continuing to make an impact in increasingly complex health systems. Over the coming episodes, I'll be joined by emerging and established health leaders for open and honest conversations about their careers, leadership challenges, the twists and turns along the way, and how they sustain themselves while doing demanding and important work. Here's to another 10 years of transforming health leadership together. If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

  5. Jan 28

    22 - Alwyn Abraham

    Today, I’m joined by Mr Alwyn Abraham, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester, medical educationalist, healthcare leader, and Chair-Elect of World Orthopaedic Concern. Alwyn reflects on nearly four decades in medicine, from his early training at Edinburgh Medical School to leading large multidisciplinary teams under extreme pressure. He shares candid insights into what he wishes he had learned earlier about managing himself, relationships, and the human side of leadership. Our conversation explores what it truly means to lead under sustained stress, including Alwyn’s experience of leading over 90 clinicians through the COVID-19 pandemic. He speaks powerfully about leading by example, moral courage, availability, and why you cannot force people to change — but you can influence how they think. We also discuss collaborative working across disciplines, the importance of psychological safety and feedback in training environments, and how Alwyn’s global health work in Ethiopia reshaped his perspective on leadership, service, and values-based practice. Finally, Alwyn reflects on adult development, self-authorship, and the shift from external validation to internal conviction - moving from being a “spark” to becoming a “flame” in one’s professional life. This is a rich and reflective conversation about compassionate leadership, humility, and sustaining purpose in complex healthcare systems. 🎧 Listen if you’re interested in: • Leading teams under pressure • Clinical leadership beyond technical expertise • Psychological safety and feedback cultures • Global health perspectives on leadership • Developing conviction and values as a senior clinician Reflective Practice Questions How do you currently lead when your team is under sustained pressure?Where might increased self-awareness strengthen your leadership relationships?How do you use your position or authority to empower others?What values guide your decisions when resources are limited?What would “leading from conviction” look like in your next career chapter?If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

  6. 12/17/2025

    21 - Dr. Ahsana Nazish

    In this episode, I speak with Dr Ahsana Nazish, a public health leader whose work bridges hospital management, health systems, and policy. She leads a network of primary care filter clinics across Punjab, delivering screening and treatment for liver and kidney diseases while pursuing her Doctorate in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Ahsana shares her remarkable journey from being the first woman in her family to study medicine to leading large-scale healthcare programmes in Pakistan. She reflects on the challenges of digital transformation in rural healthcare, building trust through partnerships, and navigating leadership as a woman in complex cultural and professional settings. We explore how vision, resilience, and mentorship can transform systems and how data, innovation, and collaboration can strengthen global health for the future. If you are a health leader passionate about equity, impact, and system change, this episode will leave you inspired by what is possible when courage meets compassion. Contact Ahsana ahsananazish80@gmail.com  Reflective Practice Questions How does your personal leadership journey influence the systems you choose to change? What barriers — cultural, organisational, or internal — have shaped your leadership, and how have you navigated them? Where could deeper partnership working strengthen the impact of your current projects? How might evidence and data support your next leadership decision? What does courage look like in your context at this moment in your career?If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

  7. 12/03/2025

    20 - Dr Imran Ahmad

    Today, I’m joined by Dr Imran Ahmad, a GP board partner for a large primary care organisation in London, GP training programme director, and clinical lead in transformation projects. We talk about his journey from traditional general practice into strategic and system-level leadership, and how he has learned to balance clinical care with board responsibilities, mentoring, and integrated care work. Imran shares powerful reflections on leadership growth, from letting go of comfort zones and developing emotional intelligence, to fostering psychologically safe teams and cultivating future leaders. Together, we explore how values, reflection, and self-awareness shape authentic leadership in complex healthcare systems, and why it is never too late to reinvent your career with purpose and curiosity. If you are a health leader navigating change, this conversation offers grounded wisdom, humanity, and inspiration for your own leadership journey. Reflective Practice Questions 1.        When was the last time you paused to re-evaluate your professional direction, and what insights emerged? 2.        How comfortable are you with delegating responsibility — and what beliefs might make it challenging to let go? 3.        What does adaptive leadership mean to you in your current context? 4.        How do you model emotional intelligence and psychological safety within your teams? 5.        Which of your personal values guide you most strongly in times of uncertainty or change? Contact details i.ahmad@doctors.org.uk If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

  8. 11/19/2025

    19 - Prof Eva-Maria Graf

    Today, I talk with Associate Professor Eva-Maria Graf, a leading expert in coaching linguistics and founder of the international QUESCO research project on questioning practices in coaching. We explore what really happens in coaching conversations, how questions shape insight and change, and what makes coaching distinct from therapy or friendly support. Eva shares the story behind QUESCO, a three-country research project that revealed how 83% of a coaching conversation is made up of questioning sequences, and we discuss what this means for coaches, supervisors, and educators. We also talk about the new 5P Model, which helps practitioners understand and refine the micro-skills behind powerful coaching dialogue. Eva reflects on the challenges and rewards of leading a large interdisciplinary project and what she has learned about herself as a leader along the way. This is a fascinating and practical conversation for anyone interested in how language, coaching, and evidence come together to support transformational change. Reflective Practice Questions 1.        How consciously do you use questioning techniques in your coaching or leadership conversations? 2.        What patterns do you notice in how you respond after someone answers your question — do you probe, affirm, or move on too quickly? 3.        In what ways could greater linguistic awareness improve the quality of dialogue in your team or organisation? 4.        How might you use evidence-based research, like the QUESCO findings, to strengthen your own coaching or leadership practice? 5.        When you reflect on a recent conversation that felt transformative, what was it about the sequence of questions that made the difference? More information/ contact  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Graf  eva-maria.graf@aau.at https://questions-in-coaching.aau.at/en/ https://fionadayconsulting.co.uk/quesco-project/  If you’re ready to navigate complex system challenges with clarity and confidence, visit fionadayconsulting.co.uk to explore a wealth of resources tailored exclusively to medical and public health professionals. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter here to claim your 3 hours of free CPD and access specialised tools to support your career journey. As the world’s only Registered, Chartered Coaching Psychologist with a senior Medical and Public Health leadership background, I provide a peer-led Partnership that completely eliminates the need for 'translation'. My practice is grounded in rigorous psychological science and is empirically proven to deliver a 17.4% average increase in validated wellbeing scores -with results peer-review published in BMJ Leader. You don't have to lead in isolation. Book a free, confidential Consultation with me here to co-create a time-effective partnership that protects your wellbeing while driving system-level impact.

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About

A podcast that will help you meet your most complex leadership challenges. This podcast - from Registered & Chartered Coaching Psychologist and Master Practitioner Coach & Mentor Dr Fiona Day - will transform your perspectives. It will help you become a more effective and creative leader, with a deeper understanding of yourself and your own world of work. Fiona interviews other medical and public health leaders, generating thought-provoking, and dialectical dialogues. You'll hear inspirational stories and real-world insights which will help you do your own best work now and into the future.Expect open and honest discussions with both emerging and established health leaders and to hear their career stories, the journeys that led to their current positions – including the twists and turns and how they made decisions along the way. You’ll also hear how medical and public health leaders balance multiple roles inside and outside of work, their reflections on health leadership, and their own insights and learning over the years. Sound engineering from Making Digital Real.

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