Healthcare Leadership Excellence

Karl Pister
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Healthcare Leadership Excellence podcast was created to share valuable insights around leadership, communication, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution. Karl Pister, with over 30 years of coaching experience, is a passionate advocate of excellent and influential leadership. In each episode, Karl discusses real-life leadership challenges through the lenses of outstanding healthcare professionals. He is committed to empowering every healthcare leader lead with integrity, excellence, and inspiration.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 219: Breaking Limiting Beliefs and Raising the Standard with Paul Martinelli

    In this episode, I welcome my longtime mentor and coach, Paul Martinelli, for a conversation about personal growth, self-limiting beliefs, discipline, and leadership. Paul's influence on my own development over the past decade has been significant, and I'm pleased to share some of his wisdom with our listeners. We begin by exploring the beliefs that hold us back, including the inner critic Paul calls “Norm.” He explains how our self-image, past experiences, and fear of failure can quietly influence our decisions and keep us from reaching our potential. We also discuss the seven levels of awareness and why recognizing the need for change is only the beginning. Paul shares how discipline, experience, and personal responsibility help us move beyond good intentions and turn growth into meaningful action. Our conversation then turns to leadership, particularly the importance of setting and maintaining high standards. Paul explains why leadership is influence, why people need to feel heard before they will listen, and how addressing small issues early can prevent much larger problems. Paul reminds us that growth requires more than knowledge or ambition. It takes a willingness to challenge our thinking, hold ourselves accountable, and consistently raise the standards we live and lead by. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

  2. 5d ago

    Episode 218: Building Superteams with Dr. Ron Friedman

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ron Friedman, social psychologist and author of Superteams, to explore what separates exceptional teams from average ones. His research, which surveyed more than 6,000 workers, found that the strongest teams get more done, make one another better, and continuously look for ways to improve. We discuss why experimentation and intelligent risk-taking are essential for growth, and how leaders can create an environment where mistakes become opportunities to learn rather than something people feel they need to hide. Dr. Friedman also shares practical ideas for improving meetings, giving feedback, handling disagreement, and building stronger relationships across a team. A particularly useful question for leaders is simple: “Where are we stuck?” Instead of spending meetings reporting progress, teams can use that time to solve the problems that actually need attention. We also talk about the importance of leaders rolling up their sleeves, supporting the growth of their people, creating space for focused thinking, and sharing credit with those whose contributions can easily go unnoticed. This conversation is filled with research-backed ideas leaders can put into practice immediately to build teams that perform at a higher level while helping the people around them become better. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

  3. Oct 1

    Episode 217: Beyond the Surface: Better Conversations with Kim Best (Part 2)

    In this episode, I welcome back Kim Best, founder of Best Conflict Solutions, for part two of our conversation on practical ways to navigate conflict. Kim brings decades of experience in healthcare, mediation, and conflict management, and we explore several ideas from her Conflict Conversation Cards. We discuss why disagreement does not have to mean opposition, why people often avoid difficult conversations in the name of keeping the peace, and the importance of separating the person from the problem. Kim also explains the “anger iceberg”—the idea that anger often sits on top of deeper feelings such as fear, rejection, overwhelm, or feeling unheard. We talk about slowing down long enough to understand what may actually be happening beneath someone’s reaction. The conversation also explores the stories we create when we do not have all the information, our tendency to label people as difficult, and why listening requires more than simply waiting for our turn to speak. We close with two especially important reminders: impact matters even when our intentions are good, and when we do not know someone’s motives, choosing a more generous assumption can protect both the relationship and the conversation. It’s another practical conversation about becoming more thoughtful, curious, and disciplined when conflict shows up. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

  4. Sep 28

    Episode 216: Evicting Doubt and Leading Through Conflict with Stan Lewis

    In this episode, I sit down with Stan Lewis, former federal investigator and mediator and author of Evict the Doubts That Have Been Squatting Rent Free in Your Mind, for a conversation about servant leadership, conflict, and the doubts that can keep leaders from moving forward. Stan draws from nearly 700 mediated cases to explain why people become stuck in conflict. We discuss the importance of listening beyond the words, asking better questions, understanding different behavioral styles, and helping people focus less on being right and more on finding a path forward. We also explore what servant leadership really looks like. It isn't about being soft or avoiding accountability. It is about showing people that you are for them, supporting them, and creating an environment where they can do their best work. Our conversation closes with an issue I see frequently in healthcare: talented people being promoted into leadership without being taught how to lead. Stan shares why leadership training, coaching conversations, and intentionally supporting your people matter when moving from colleague to leader. This is a practical conversation about addressing conflict, moving beyond self-doubt, and becoming the kind of leader people know is genuinely in their corner. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

  5. Sep 24

    Episode 215: Slow Down to Lead Better with Dr. Brandon Fielding

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Brandon Fielding to explore the connection between how leaders think, react, and interact with the people around them. Dr. Fielding brings experience in psychotherapy, executive coaching, and organizational leadership. We discuss how that clinical background helps him recognize the patterns that can influence a leader’s behavior, while keeping coaching focused on performance, relationships, and growth. We also explore what happens when leaders move outside their “window of tolerance.” Dr. Fielding explains how stress and perceived threats can push us toward reaction instead of thoughtful action and why learning to recognize those signals and slow down can make us more effective leaders. Our conversation turns to new leaders, particularly in healthcare, who are promoted because they are exceptional at their craft but suddenly find themselves needing an entirely different set of skills. Awareness, emotional regulation, trust, and the ability to navigate difficult conversations become just as important as technical expertise. Dr. Fielding leaves us with two practical reminders: slow down and set boundaries. Leadership is not about managing everyone else’s emotions. It starts with managing your own response so you can show up with greater clarity and intention. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

  6. Sep 21

    Episode 214: The Human Side of Leadership with Dr. Larry Kuhn

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Larry Kuhn to explore what happens when strong business thinking meets a deeper understanding of people. Larry shares his journey from growing up on an Indiana dairy farm to becoming a CFO, and eventually making a major career change to become a clinical psychologist. That combination of business, data, and psychology has shaped how he approaches leadership today. We talk about the importance of insight—understanding yourself, becoming curious about how others experience you, and recognizing the patterns that influence behavior and relationships. Larry also shares a memorable lesson from his father about plowing a straight row: instead of constantly looking backward, focus on a point ahead and let it guide you forward. It’s a simple but powerful lesson about leadership, vision, and helping people move toward something rather than pushing them there. We also discuss workplace culture, the relationship between supervisors and employees, and why great leadership requires more than competence. As Larry explains, it takes theory, technique, and heart. This conversation is a reminder that leadership is not only about results. It’s about understanding people and creating the relationships that help them grow. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

  7. Sep 17

    Episode 213: Building a Sustainable Career in Medicine with Dr. Rob Orman

    In this episode, I welcome Dr. Rob Orman back to the podcast to talk about his new book, Supranormal, and the realities of building a sustainable career in medicine. Rob shares his own experience as an emergency physician and the struggles he faced early in his career. We discuss why the same grit that helps physicians survive high-pressure situations can become a problem when it becomes the answer to everything. As Rob puts it, “In crisis, grit saves you. In burnout, it buries you.” We explore the difference between having a “renter” versus an “owner” mindset toward your career, and why creating a fulfilling professional life often requires subtraction rather than simply adding more. Rob also explains the idea of a “plus one”, something outside clinical work that brings energy, meaning, and greater career longevity. Our conversation then turns to conflict. Rob shares practical ways leaders can replace defensiveness with curiosity, including the simple question, “Tell me what you’re thinking.” We also discuss the 10% rule: looking for the part of another person’s idea that has value instead of immediately judging or dismissing it. This conversation is a reminder that resilience is not simply about pushing harder. Sometimes the better path is to slow down, become curious, create better boundaries, and intentionally build a career and a life that can last. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

  8. Sep 14

    Episode 212: Becoming Conflict Competent with Kim Best (Part 1)

    In this episode, I sit down with Kim Best, founder and president of Best Conflict Solutions, to talk about something many leaders would rather avoid: conflict. Kim shares her path from working as a critical care and emergency room nurse to becoming a mediator and conflict management expert. We discuss why conflict can feel so threatening, why our past experiences shape the stories we tell ourselves about other people, and how the “ladder of inference” can cause us to reach conclusions before we fully understand what is happening. We also talk about broken trust, difficult workplace relationships, and the importance of separating the person from the problem. Kim explains why moving forward does not mean ignoring what happened in the past, but it means understanding it, learning from it, and getting clear about what needs to change. Our conversation also explores the role of HR and why organizations need to build conflict competence instead of expecting HR to solve every disagreement. A key takeaway from our conversation is simple: conflict is normal. The goal is not to eliminate it. The goal is to develop the skills to handle it well. For leaders, especially those working in healthcare, technical expertise can only take you so far. The ability to navigate conflict, preserve relationships, and have productive conversations is a leadership skill that matters just as much. 👉  Download The Leader’s Ultimate Guide to Difficult Conversations, a practical framework for entering difficult conversations with clarity, discipline, and influence. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.

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About

The Healthcare Leadership Excellence podcast was created to share valuable insights around leadership, communication, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution. Karl Pister, with over 30 years of coaching experience, is a passionate advocate of excellent and influential leadership. In each episode, Karl discusses real-life leadership challenges through the lenses of outstanding healthcare professionals. He is committed to empowering every healthcare leader lead with integrity, excellence, and inspiration.

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