In this episode of the Lead Change Podcast, Dr. Harriet Hopf shares lessons from a remarkable career in academic medicine, faculty development, coaching, and organizational leadership. She describes how her passion for improving systems led her to rethink faculty promotion criteria at the University of Utah—replacing traditional, research-focused measures with a broader framework that recognizes excellence in education, clinical practice, administration, and other forms of meaningful academic contribution. Her experience demonstrates that sustainable change requires listening, stakeholder engagement, patience, and a willingness to refine an idea before implementation. Her 18-month process ultimately resulted in 94% faculty approval. Harriet also discusses the creation of the Utah Coaching and Advancement Network, a grassroots initiative designed to make coaching accessible to faculty throughout their careers. She reframes coaching as a tool for professional development and growth rather than punishment, emphasizing its ability to help people gain clarity, confidence, and direction. Throughout the conversation, Harriet challenges the traditional "checkbox" approach to academic medicine. Rather than telling faculty what they need to do to get promoted, she encourages them to identify what work matters to them, what problems they want to solve, and what motivates them. When people pursue meaningful work, she argues, achievement and advancement are more likely to follow naturally. She also shares practical advice about authenticity, autonomy, executive presence, and learning from every leader we encounter. Finally, Harriet offers a powerful definition of leading change: bring people into the process, listen, discuss, adapt, and resist the temptation to move too quickly. Her guiding principle, festina lente—"make haste slowly"—captures the central lesson of the episode: meaningful change is ultimately about people, not simply the change itself. Key Take-Home Points Lead change with people, not just a plan. The most effective change processes engage the people affected by the change. Consultation, discussion, feedback, and adaptation may take longer, but they build better solutions and greater buy-in. Make haste slowly.Urgency should not eliminate thoughtful planning. Harriet's 18-month approach to revising promotion criteria ultimately produced overwhelming faculty support. Build systems that help people succeed.Leadership isn't only about developing individuals; it is also about creating policies and processes that allow people to be successful. Redefine success around the work people actually do. Academic institutions should recognize meaningful contributions across education, clinical care, administration, research, and other forms of scholarship—not rely on a single traditional definition of achievement. Help people take credit for their work. Faculty need to understand how to articulate the impact of their work, particularly when their accomplishments don't fit traditional measures of scholarship. Coaching should be developmental, not punitive. Harriet's model makes coaching an opportunity for growth, reflection, and career development rather than something imposed when someone is "in trouble." Help people find the work that matters to them. Instead of encouraging people to simply check the boxes for promotion, ask: What work matters to you? What bothers you? What are you trying to fix?
