“It’s not a clinical issue. It’s a leadership issue.”

That’s what a physician leader said after walking through why his once-promising department was now stuck.

The volume wasn’t where it could be.
Morale was down.
And even though the team had talent, it wasn’t translating into results.

“We have department leaders who’ve had zero leadership training and aren’t equipped for the responsibility—but were given the title anyway.”

They were well-intentioned, smart, even respected. But no one had taught them how to lead.
And when there’s no training, no expectations, and no support, the team pays the price.

“We’ve lost amazing people because no one taught our leaders how to lead.”

“Everyone’s reactive. We’re putting out fires instead of moving forward.”

“The team works hard and leaves exhausted most days. But we’re still not hitting our goals.”

Sound familiar?

Whether you’re a surgeon trying to grow your practice, or an executive trying to hold everything together, the same truth applies:

You can’t optimize a system that’s being held back by misaligned leadership.

The Hidden Cost of Underdeveloped Leadership

Poor leadership doesn’t always look like conflict.
Often, it looks like exhaustion and confusion.

Here’s how it shows up in the practices we support:

• Your team is grinding just to keep things going—but progress is barely visible. There's no margin to get ahead. Teams leave work exhausted, frustrated, and wondering how much longer they can work like this.
  
  
• Revenue isn’t where it needs to be. Referrals are inconsistent. Clinic and OR slots go unfilled. Inefficiencies negatively impact the bottom line. 

Because your physicians aren’t top of mind for referral sources, no one has clear ownership of growth drivers, and no one has the time to address the inefficiencies. 

• Team members are walking away. Not because they don’t care. But because no one’s investing in what they need to stay.
  
  
• Patient satisfaction drops. The tension behind the scenes shows up in miscommunications, missed follow-ups, and subtle breakdowns in care.
  
  Being in your practice should feel healing, but instead starts to feel frustrating—and as trust quietly begins to erode, your satisfaction scores decline.
  
  
• Conflict simmers quietly. Necessary conversations aren’t happening. Feedback loops are broken. Decision-making is delayed. Meanwhile, missed opportunities, poor alignment, and unresolved tension quietly erode performance from the inside out.
  

The Good News? This Is Fixable.

High-performing practices don’t happen by accident.
They are built—by leaders who intentionally develop the skills, habits, and systems that elevate performance.

And while most leadership training in healthcare is reactive (offered only after there's a problem), the most successful practices are now embedding performance habits before the breakdown happens.

That shift starts with one question:

Are your leaders actually leading? Or are they just managing problems as they come up?

The Shift That That Transform Healthcare Teams—And How to Apply Them

The shift: leaders and teams implement 6 key tools into their workflows, interactions, and leadership styles. 

These tools are known as High Performance Habits - six evidence-based behaviors identified through the world’s largest study on sustained success across industries. Rooted in research and used by elite professionals, these habits enable them to lead more effectively, collaborate with less friction, and deliver exceptional outcomes without burnout.

Regardless of how high- or low-performing your team is, the good news is by applying the following tools, any team can perform at an even higher level. 

Here’s how top-performing practices are implementing the research-backed  High Performance Habits in ways that actually move the needle:

1. Clarity

High-performing leaders don’t assume alignment—they create it in every area that drives performance. What does success actually look like? What does success actually look like? Most teams don’t agree.

That misalignment costs you revenue, time, and trust.

TRY THIS: At your next team meeting, ask every leader: “What are our top 3 goals this quarter, and how do those goals tie into our long-term organizational vision?” If the answers aren’t aligned, that’s where your performance bottleneck begins.

2. Energy

You can’t build high performance on burnout. Sustainable leaders protect their energy—and model that for their team. Burnout spreads when no one’s modeling boundaries or sustainability. This habit protects the human capacity that fuels everything else.

TRY THIS: Audit your calendar. Remove 1 meeting this week that doesn’t directly support patient outcomes or strategic priorities. Encourage your team to do the same. 

3. Necessity

The best leaders operate from purpose—not just pressure. Teams perform differently when the mission is personal. When purpose disappears, so does motivation.

TRY THIS: Have each physician or leader answer this: “Why does your work right now matter to the mission of our practice or department?” Keep their answers visible. Purpose is a performance multiplier.

4. Productivity

High performers don’t try to do more. They focus on the right things and accomplish them quickly and efficiently. High performers don’t just get more done—they get the right things done.

TRY THIS: Identify the 3 highest-impact activities that lead to patient growth, smoother operations, or staff development. Block time for them. Let the rest wait.

Add in a 5 to 10 minute recharge (or microbreak) each day. Neuroscience shows that microbreaks can increase productivity up to 30%. 

5. Influence

The #1 predictor of retention, engagement, and a healthy team culture. High-performing leaders don’t just give direction—they build trust, alignment, and momentum. Influence isn’t a title. It’s a skill.

TRY THIS: Think of one relationship that feels strained or misaligned—physician to admin, leader to team, hospital to clinic. This week, open a direct line of communication and use the Perception Ladder to shift how you're seen and heard.

Want the Perception Ladder tool? Reply or comment “Influence” and I’ll send you the exact framework top healthcare leaders are using to rebuild trust and increase buy-in.

6. Courage

Avoiding hard conversations is the fastest way to kill momentum. Great cultures allow real conversations. Without this, leaders avoid conflict, silence innovation, and kill momentum.

TRY THIS: Pick one decision your team has been avoiding—then make it. Leadership requires discomfort. The longer you wait, the more your team pays.

Leadership Isn’t a Soft Skill—It’s a Strategic Advantage

After interviewing dozens of physicians and leaders, one theme has become clear:

Good practices don’t lose good people because they’re the wrong fit.
They lose them because no one developed the leaders around them.

If your patient volume is lower than it should be…
If your team is constantly working but never gaining ground…
If your physicians or staff are frustrated and no one can quite name why…

The invitation is this:

Build the kind of leadership that drives growth, restores trust, and energizes your team from the inside out.

Not someday—now. 

Comment or reply with the word “Influence” and I’ll send you the exact tool top leaders use to repair relationships, improve communication, and create buy-in fast.

Want help fast-tracking your practice to high performance?

We're offering a limited number of no-cost strategy calls to help healthcare leaders:

• Spot the leadership breakdowns quietly capping their performance
  
  
• Map the most relevant High Performance Habits to their team
  
  
• Build a realistic path forward—custom to your department, practice, or system
  
  

👉 Click here to book your strategy call

Because your people can’t deliver their best…
Until your leaders learn how to bring it out of them.

LynAnn Weaver
Founder, HealthCARE Elevation Partners
Certified High Performance Coach™ | Strategic Growth Advisor to Physicians and Healthcare Executives