Having worked together for decades, Thomas Lee, MD, and Jessica Dudley, MD, understand and complement each other as leaders – Dr. Lee is the more high-level and strategic leader, for example, while Dr. Dudley relies upon directness, data, and detail. What they share in common is an unwavering trust in each other. Trust, they agree, is an essential element between colleagues but also between organizations and those they serve, such as hospitals and their patients.

Dr. Lee is Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Dudley Chief Clinical Officer at performance improvement firm Press Ganey. In this Accelerating Physician Leader Impact podcast – part of our Impactful Leaders series – they speak with Michael Anderson, MD, about leadership and leadership development. They both cite past failures as essential to their growth. "We've had our hearts broken many times," Dr. Lee notes, adding "the experiences that shaped me the most are the things which did not work." Dr. Dudley encourages others to "lean in" to failures and not take them personally in order to move forward.

The conversation then shifts to the concept of social capital, which Dr. Lee explores in his book, Social Capital in Healthcare: How Trust and Teamwork Drive Organizational Excellence. He argues that social capital—how people work together—is "more precious than financial capital." Dr. Dudley adds that leadership requires vulnerability and curiosity, "not being afraid to ask questions."

The thread that connects the entire conversation relates to being team players and alignment across an organization: “The name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back,” Dr. Dudley emphasizes, citing the movie Miracle about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.

They conclude with personal leadership advice. Dr. Dudley recalls Dr. Lee telling her to be more comfortable with "your B" rather than always expecting perfection. Dr. Lee quotes on of his mentors: “You’re not leading if you’re not in front . . . and you’re not leading if you’re too far in front.”

Accelerating Physician Leader Impact: Jessica Dudley, MD, and Thomas Lee, MD

WittKieffer Impactful Leaders Podcast