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Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
The Visionary Edge: Rethinking Leadership in Healthcare with Sumit Sharma
00:11:47
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- [00:00]
A
This is Scott Becker with the Becker's Healthcare podcast. We're thrilled today to be joined by Sumit Sharma, Sumit's brilliant leader and the recent author of the Visionary Edge leadership book on healthcare's future. Sumit, I'm going to walk you through several questions about the book, about your thoughts. You've got some inspiring and fascinating thoughts. First, can I ask you to take a moment to introduce yourself to the audience and and tell them about the book that you authored.
- [00:30]
B
Well, thank you Scott for that. Appreciate your warm welcome. So I've spent around two decades in leadership roles across healthcare and Fortune 500 companies, mainly at the crossroads of strategy, operation, finance and innovation. Honestly, what I've seen multiple times is the great ideas often fail. Well, it's not because they are wrong, but but because the system isn't aligned to carry them. Now that's really what led me to write the book about the Visionary edge. And it's a call to leaders to think ahead and act across those silos and build that system that are actually ready for the future. So not just reacting to the present, but actually thinking from a system perspective. The book is really my way of sharing with the world what I've learned from both industry research and the real world experience. Especially around what truly scales in this complex environment.
- [01:29]
A
Thank you. You open the book with a fairly bold claim that the future doesn't reward the loudest voice. And often we think that it does, but that the future is going to reward the clearest vision. What does that mean about vision versus just audacity and volume? What does that mean? This was the clearest vision for today's healthcare leader.
- [01:52]
B
Yeah. So we have all sat in the meetings where the loudest voice takes up most of the space. But loud doesn't always mean right. So in healthcare, the leaders who will win in the long run are the ones who bring clarity, not just charisma. So when you say here's where we are going and here's how each of you fit into that, something shifts. People breathe easier when they hear that. I shared a story in a book about a small critical care hospital that use an AI for triage in a virtual follow up and as a result of that they reduced their readmissions by 30%. Not just because they had the loudest leader, but because someone had the clearest path forward envision that connects that real operational change and that's gets the traction. So especially in this healthcare industry where everyone is under pressure, I think the clarity by itself is the oxygen. So yes, I really Believe that the future favors the leaders who clearly act purposefully and takes that whole system with them, along with them.
- [03:06]
A
Take a moment. You talk about innovation and everybody talks about innovation today. And you say something provocative, innovation doesn't scale, but alignment does. Talk about that a little bit. What do you mean by that? About alignment scales, but innovation doesn't talk about that, if you don't mind.
- [03:23]
B
Sure. I've seen this play out a lot and some pilots are a great innovation. It works like in one unit or a department, but it never spreads. And the question is why? And it's not because the idea failed, it's because the system wasn't aligned to carry it forward. The real transformation happens when people across those departments, from the frontline staff to central staff to IT to finance strategy operations, all of them are growing in the same direction. It's never just about the idea, it's about that governance, that incentive, the infrastructure, the whole system being ready for it. So what I'm saying is even one small pilot by itself, if aligned across board can become a multimillion dollar saving initiative. But if it is misaligned, even the best idea gets quietly buried. So for me the core message is if you want innovation to scale, stop chasing the pilots and start building that alignment muscle.
- [04:29]
A
Thank you. We see so much different things converging. The discussion of artificial intelligence, rising cost burnout. What should health care boards and executive leadership teams be prioritizing currently? What are the priorities in that situation?
- [04:47]
B
Right. So yeah, well that overlap is very real. And here's how what I think the board and executive should start approaching it first is the clarity or the urgency. We are seeing quick moves like AI pilots, the cost cuts, the wellness program, but the speed without clarity eventually leads to a fragmentation. Second is to build trust before technology. If your team doesn't trust leadership data or direction, it doesn't matter what tools you implement. So I believe that burnout isn't just about workload, it's about the lack of meaning and safety. Third, rethink the governance by itself. Don't just add dashboard and ask questions. But what the main question I think we should focus on is who's at the table, who's being heard and are you designing this for a long term system capacity and lastly build the muscles. Now I would say don't wait for the next crisis. You have to start participating in some of these things like cross functional thinking, scenario planning, strategic adaptations. And we are not facing five different issues. We are facing one big test of system resilience.
- [06:05]
A
And take a Second, to be future ready. You talk about building future ready systems. What's a blind spot that systems have or that many leaders still have in terms of looking what the future is going to look like? Are they to be prepared for it?
- [06:23]
B
Yeah, I would say one big blind spot is mistaking the short term wins for a long term transformation. Leaders often reward for things like early discharges, rapid tech rollouts, cost saving projects, and don't get me wrong, those are all very important things. But if you're not tied that to a bigger strategy, they don't stick. Second, we underestimate the culture. I've seen organizations launch some bold initiative only to have existing culture quietly. So if I were to do this, if the work, I would bring the workforce together. So workforce has to come on board, then the system is aligned to make those changes. So no matter what the slide deck has to say, the system has to be aligned. The workforce has to be aligned with that culture. The third is the siloed alignment. It looks good on presentation, but when you ask how decisions are made across the department, there's often a misalignment hiding underneath the future. Readiness is not just a memo. It's a shared behavior that gets practiced, tested, earned. But the good news is it's a muscle that we can build.
- [07:42]
A
Thank you. Take a moment. You talk about this concept of a call to courage. When you look at healthcare today. You talk about clarity and alignment, beating innovation. What kind of leadership does healthcare need today? What do they need next? What do they need today?
- [08:00]
B
See, that's a great question. I've actually worked in healthcare and Fortune 500 settings for two decades, and I've seen a real courage showing up in some of the very quiet moments, in quiet ways. The kind that doesn't make headlines, but really matters. It's not about putting on a brave face, it's about showing up with clarity, especially when thinking feels uncertain or messy. So it's about being able to say I don't have all the answers and still leave with it. Especially when with all the AI and policy changes, the financial constraints that we are facing, it takes a lot of strength to lead with humility and conviction. And finally, it's about building, not just reacting. It takes real courage to work behind the scene, to align the system, to fix what's broken, without quick praises. So for me, this book is about those leaders, the ones quietly building what tomorrow needs. And that's the kind of leadership that will move the healthcare forward.
- [09:04]
A
You're an ardent observer, an acute observer of the world and of the healthcare world. What are some of the trends, the top trends you're watching today?
- [09:13]
B
Yeah, when it comes to trends, as you know Scott, the trends are rapidly changing. But here's what I see from a healthcare systems lens. First of all, all the hospitals are under real financial strength. It's pushing the innovation to the next level. We are seeing some shift towards the integrated care models, virtual deliveries and service line redesigns. Second is payers are changing the game especially around the risk based arrangement and value based care. So healthcare systems are under pressure to prove that outcome not just delivery services. Third, the policy shifts are picking up especially the post CMS rate cuts is reshaping how the health system thinks about sustainability and access. The fourth is I would say is more of an AI is accelerating. But what we have seen across the industry is adaptations are uneven. Some are integrating these AIs into some decision making support of triage while others are still stuck on some of this pilot phases. So I believe when it comes to AI governance the trust will make it or break it. And the last trend I would want to mention is the workforce burnout is still front and center. Not just the staffing shortage but the emotional fatigue. So the system that invest in meaning, flexibility and belonging to will definitely win the front for a long game in these purposes these trends are not separate, they all are intersecting and that's what I try to reflect in Visionary Edge.
- [10:52]
A
Sumit, it's fantastic to visit with you. Can you tell our audience where they can follow you and also where they could find the book and the full title of the book?
- [11:03]
B
Sure. Thank you Scott. I've learned so much from the industry and the Visionary Edge is really my way of giving back to help the leaders and see further lead better and build a system that lasts. So this book is available on Amazon. If anyone wants to contact or explore the ideas further they can visit on charmaxleadership.com that's s h a r mxleadership.com everything they need to need to reach me is right there. I'm really grateful for to being a part of this dialogue. Thank you Scott Sumit, it's just a.
- [11:37]
A
Pleasure to visit with you. Thank you so much for joining us today on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast.
- [11:43]
B
Thank you.