Daniel O'Donnell, PA-C, is a Northwestern Medicine physician assistant with nearly 20 years of orthopaedic experience. He's one of the first advanced practice providers (APPs) at Northwestern Medicine to manage a team of APPs. In this episode, he talks about his model of everyday leadership and how he grew from a hesitant new leader to managing dozens of APPs across multiple specialties.

R. Kannan Mutharasan, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Palos Hospital, shares his leadership journey in integrating cardiovascular care across Chicago's south suburbs.

He emphasizes that leadership is a mindset rooted in relationships, curiosity and service — not titles. Drawing from a range of experiences in medicine, engineering and history, he introduces frameworks like VOICE (Vision, Opportunity, Innovation, Communication, Execution) and advocates for "systems with soul" that prioritize people. His stories highlight the power of noticing, listening and acting to improve patient care. Dr. Mutharasan's approach blends humility, continuous learning and a deep commitment to building compassionate, collaborative healthcare environments.

On this episode of Anatomy of an Everyday Leader, the spotlight is on Alexandra "Ali" Stewart, MSN, MBA, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CBC. Ali manages a complex and dynamic float pool nursing team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her approach to leadership is grounded in curiosity and driven by connection.

Ali shares how she gained the respect of a team working across dozens of units and how she creates a culture where everyone feels empowered to grow.