Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Leadership, Resilience, and Bold Thinking with Stephanie Conners

Date: September 16, 2025
Guest: Stephanie Conners, President and CEO of BayCare Health System, Florida
Host: Chris Sosa

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Sosa interviews Stephanie Conners, a nurse and the President & CEO of BayCare Health System in Florida. The conversation focuses on Stephanie's personal leadership philosophy, the role of resilience, how bold thinking shapes her approach, and the influence of her family and background. Through candid anecdotes and practical insights, Stephanie shares actionable lessons for aspiring leaders both inside and outside of healthcare.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Leadership Lessons from Outside of Healthcare

• Giving Others the "Runway" to Succeed:
  • Stephanie emphasized the vital importance of empowering others, a lesson rooted in her experiences beyond healthcare:

    “What I learned is giving individuals the runway to be the best of who they are. You can really impact people in a way that they've never dreamed possible.”
    (00:32 - 01:17)

• Personal Mission:
  • Making a difference in individual lives, whether for one person or tens of thousands, guides her daily actions.

2. Mental and Physical Well-being as a Leader

• Modeling Healthy Habits:
  • Stephanie routinely runs 10 miles, 5-6 times per week, sometimes during meetings.

    "I am a interval runner. I basically try to do 10 miles at least five to six times a week... I will be on my run, taking a phone call or doing interval running so that I'm able to fit that in throughout my day."
    (01:58 - 02:24)

• Impact on Team Culture:
  • Stephanie encourages her direct reports to find their own healthy routines, setting an example for integrating wellness into leadership.

    "Activity of any sort is really welcome during that phone call."
    (04:47 - 05:15)

3. Resilience During Tough Days

• Family as an Anchor:
  • Through challenging times, Stephanie relies on her close-knit family for support and perspective:

    “Without hesitation, my family serves as my anchor. They always have... I picked up the phone and called my dad and he has been there for me my entire life.”
    (06:00 - 06:54)

• Intergenerational Lessons:
  • She seeks advice not only from her husband and parents, but also from her children, valuing generational perspectives.

4. Personal Growth through Healthcare

• From Shyness to Confidence:
  • Healthcare built her confidence, moving her from a shy childhood to high-level executive leadership.

    "Being in healthcare and making a difference enabled me to be that confident individual."
    (07:37 - 08:21)

• Encouragement for Aspiring Leaders:
  • She stresses that there’s no set blueprint for success; rather, hard work and readiness for opportunity are key:

    "Work the hardest in the job that you're in and be really happy with that effort, because that may be your journey and your path... when you give it all that you have, you surprise yourself and new doors open."
    (08:21 - 09:41)

• Legacy Focus:
  • Stephanie’s legacy is about the people she influences more than her titles.

    "My legacy isn't going to be the fact that I'm a CEO. My legacy is going to be the people that I've influenced..."
    (10:07 - 10:37)

5. Bold Thinking and Taking Risks

• Calculated Risks and Family Decisions:
  • One of her biggest professional risks was relocating her entire family from the Northeast to Florida for her CEO role at BayCare.

    "I turned my life upside down and brought my entire family with me... That this family decision was the greatest decision of our lives."
    (12:33 - 14:15)

• Measured, Not Reckless, Boldness:
  • Stephanie distinguishes between reckless risk and measured, values-based leaps.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Giving them that runway makes them the best human they can possibly be. And in return, you surround yourself with incredible talent to impact lives."
  – Stephanie Conners (00:32 – 01:17)

• "I believe that showing that and being the example helps my organization realize that a healthy mindset and healthy body makes you have better days."
  – Stephanie Conners (01:58 – 03:03)

• "We want to be bold. We don't want to be traditional, and we want to be the organization that advances medicine."
  – Stephanie Conners (10:37 – 11:38)

• "I feel as though I hit the pinnacle the day I graduated nursing school. I thought my dream, I made it. And then new opportunities just would come in my path and I would take measured risk and I would take those leaps and it's what brought me here."
  – Stephanie Conners (13:35 – 14:15)

Important Timestamps

• Intro and Guest Introduction: 00:00 – 00:24
• Leadership Lessons Outside Healthcare: 00:24 – 01:31
• Modeling Wellness as a Leader: 01:58 – 03:24
• Team Activity and Wellness Mindset: 04:40 – 05:45
• Resilience and Family Support: 06:00 – 07:24
• Personal Growth through Healthcare: 07:37 – 09:41
• Legacy and Influence on Others: 10:07 – 11:38
• Taking Risks and Moving to Florida: 12:33 – 14:42
• Wrap-Up: 15:03 – 15:17

Conclusion

Stephanie Conners’ journey from a shy, challenged childhood to the top leadership of BayCare Health System is guided by her resilience, commitment to empowering others, and a deep sense of family and purpose. Her bold, yet calculated, approach inspires not only her own team but serves as a model for leaders seeking impact well beyond their own roles.

Listeners walk away with practical and heartfelt advice on growth, wellness, risk-taking, and the true meaning of legacy in leadership.