Strong Women in Medicine – Physician Leadership with Natasha W. Beauvais, MD, MPH

Tune into this episode of Strong Women in Medicine to hear Dr. Beauvais chat with Dr. Bellamy about physician leadership practices that can revolutionize workplace culture. Being a physician leader is not only about your own growth but the growth of your team. By nurturing staff members’ hunger for growth and creating structured support to facilitate learning, physicians can create a positive workplace culture that leads to better patient care.

Event Highlights:

The Workplace as a Vehicle for Change

Dr. Beauvais kicks off this thought-provoking conversation by exploring the role of a healthy workplace in providing excellent patient care. When staff members are able to take care of themselves—both mentally and physically—and cultivate a healthy work-life balance, they can be more attentive to the needs of their patients. But the real magic lies deeper. The workplace can actually be a vehicle for exciting change in any individual, Dr. Beauvais explains. By drawing on people’s passions and creating a structure that facilitates growth, we can transform not only the level of patient care but also the lives of staff.

Nurturing the Hunger for Growth

Five years ago, Dr. Beauvais’ practice surveyed every staff member on what they were interested in. Every single person reported a desire to grow and learn… but only a handful were actually pursuing self-development opportunities. A lightbulb went off: Dr. Beauvais realized that her staff needed structural support to nurture their existing hunger for growth. But how do we do this? “I think we have to cultivate those little curiosities that we have,” she explains. When even 10% of your work is novel and enticing, it totally shifts your relationship to the work and yourself. Doing this across an entire workplace can revolutionize staff capacity and engagement.

A Culture that Supports Everyone

“The critical part is that it needs to be for everybody,” Dr. Beauvais explains. We can’t just provide extra resources to those at the top of the pyramid, as traditional leadership structures often do. Instead, the deliberately developmental framework calls us to intentionally involve everyone. By consistently nurturing each staff member’s passion and learning to coach each other, we also facilitate trust. And when we are able to show up as our whole selves to the workplace, we can go deeper in the work.