Most physicians imagine leadership as a linear climb. But for Dr. David Marcozzi, the real ascent began when he was stuck—unsure of his path, working as an orderly, and quietly absorbing everything around him.

• Dr. Marcozzi reflects on his earliest formative role as an orderly, learning that healing is a calling—and leadership can emerge from any level of an organization.
• A surgeon’s offhand comment about his insight sparked the belief that he could become a physician, igniting a life-changing pursuit.
• His work at Ground Zero after 9/11 profoundly shaped his sense of purpose, catalyzing a two-decade career in military medicine, federal leadership, and crisis response.
• Facing initial humiliation in the U.S. Senate (despite elite credentials), he learned that humility and trust-building matter more than titles.
• During the COVID-19 crisis, he drew on lessons from combat and trauma response to lead through uncertainty, anchoring his team in preparedness and calm.
• He shares how small pauses, private emotional honesty, and a relentless drive for positive impact keep him grounded amid pressure.

This conversation reveals why leadership in healthcare demands both relentless execution and deep personal alignment—and how discomfort can be the clearest sign you’re growing.

Most physicians avoid hard conversations to stay kind—until they realize kindness without courage can cause more harm than good. Dr. Cara Beatty shares two pivotal moments that changed her:

• Watching a mentor avoid a terminal diagnosis discussion and hearing Dr. Berwick speak about radical equity in care.
• She reveals how her view of leadership evolved—from giving orders to building trust, asking better questions, and empowering others.
• Coaching became central—not as a fix, but as a framework for listening deeply, challenging assumptions, and growing with intention.
• She opens up about battling her inner critic and how practicing courage daily (and naming that process out loud) transformed her team’s culture.
• Her biggest shift? Letting go of control and leaning into psychological safety, which paradoxically accelerated results in retention, productivity, and engagement.

This episode explores why true leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about creating the space where others can think, risk, and thrive. Dr. Cara Beatty is the PCN Chief Executive of the Providence Medical Group Central Division.

Many physicians believe performance means constant motion—until they realize that slowing down might be the most powerful leadership move of all.

• Dr. Amit Vashist reflects on how his early years as a patient with a seizure disorder shaped his humanistic approach to healthcare.
• Navigating a cross-cultural medical journey, he discovered that humility could be misunderstood—and that leadership meant learning to speak up and be seen.
• Initially resistant to coaching, Amit shares how he came to see it not as fixing what’s broken but as refining his leadership “serve”—like a tennis coach does for an athlete.
• Through journaling, presence, and visualizing his future self, he shifted from urgency to clarity and from performance to purpose.
• A pivotal insight: “Slowing down is not a threat to performance—it’s a gateway to better outcomes.”
• His decision to start posting vulnerably on LinkedIn became both a reflection tool and a leadership practice.
• He explores the profound difference between being driven by the inner critic and guided by the inner mentor.
• Amit’s ultimate goal: leadership that is sustainable, relational, and grounded in deep human presence.

This conversation explores why leadership clarity doesn’t come from doing more, but from aligning more deeply with who you are becoming. Dr. Amit Vashist is Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Ballad Health— and is dual board‑certified in internal medicine and psychiatry.