Coaching for Leaders, Episode Summary

Episode Title: Embracing Both Technology and People, with Elham Bidar
Host: Dave Stachowiak
Guest: Elham Bidar, Cardiothoracic Surgeon & Leadership Academy Graduate
Date: September 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a conversation with Elham Bidar, a cardiothoracic surgeon recently appointed as Head of Department in Maastricht, Netherlands, and a graduate of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. Host Dave Stachowiak explores Elham’s leadership journey, focusing on how he integrates both technological expertise and people-centered leadership, notably using the principle of “unreasonable hospitality” drawn from Will Guidara’s work. The discussion centers on the transition from technical mastery to a more holistic leadership approach emphasizing human connection and continuous personal growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifting Focus from Technical Mastery to People Leadership

(02:59–04:59)

• Elham's Background: Started as a surgeon heavily focused on procedures and scientific research.
• Leadership Journey: Noticed a major shift in his perspective as he moved into managerial and leadership roles, realizing that the technical side is just one part of effective leadership.
  • Quote: “You think that the technical aspect is the most important part of the job and everything else comes second. But slowly I realized… there are also other aspects which are equally important as the technical aspect.” (03:12, Elham Bidar)
• Self-Discovery in the Academy: The Academy process of self-reflection and intentional vision-building helped Elham identify leadership areas to focus on beyond technical skills.
  • Integration with others from diverse backgrounds highlighted the universality of people challenges across professions.

2. The Importance of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

(04:07–04:59)

• Shared Challenges: By interacting with leaders from various fields, Elham realized that people-related challenges are common, not unique to medicine.
  • Quote: “Working with people has some challenges, which is really kind of prevalent in all fields… not just doctors or specialists, but also in other fields.” (04:11, Elham Bidar)
• Leadership Beyond Specialization: Recognized the opportunity and responsibility to influence and support others, not just to excel technically.

3. Adopting the Principle of Unreasonable Hospitality

(05:42–07:29)

• Inspiration from Will Guidara: Elham resonated with the concept of “unreasonable hospitality,” originally popularized in the hospitality industry, and saw its power in medicine.
  • Quote: “Service is transactional, but hospitality… is something that you do because you want to do something for someone to make them feel better… going a little bit further than just regular good service.” (06:07, Elham Bidar)
• Application in Healthcare:
  • Jaxtaposed the words “hospital” and “hospitality,” emphasizing care, empathy, and making patients feel truly welcome and safe.
  • Actively encouraged his team to go beyond standard care towards actions that make patients and colleagues feel valued and cared for.
  • Impact: Inspired new behaviors such as being a better listener, being more involved as a leader, and fostering a ripple effect within the team.

4. Vision-Driven Leadership in Action

(07:29–08:53)

• Moving from Theory to Practice: Took clear vision (such as unreasonable hospitality) and translated it into committed daily actions in the workplace.
  • Quote: “I learned to take on a role which suits me and makes me, in my opinion, a more involved leader… leaders are readers, but leaders are also learners.” (08:08, Elham Bidar)
• Continuous Growth: Emphasized the need for ongoing evolution and adaptation in leadership style as new ideas and opportunities for connection emerge.

5. The Critical Role of Communication in Healthcare

(09:18–10:11)

• Most Complaints Are About Communication: Elham discovered that nearly all patient complaints in hospitals stem from communication breakdowns rather than technical or procedural failures.
  • Quote: “Most complaints concern communication problems. …like Will Guidara says, it’s about how you make people feel…they will always remember the way you make them feel.” (09:27, Elham Bidar)
• Lesson Learned: Reframed his priorities to put higher emphasis on interpersonal aspects—how patients and colleagues feel—rather than solely on technical outcomes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “As you say, leaders are readers, but leaders are also learners. …We can learn every day a little bit more, especially when you have this broad understanding of what you want to be.” (08:13, Elham Bidar)
• “Hospitality is one of the main focus areas of each person working in a hospital, I guess.” (05:48, Elham Bidar)
• “The most complaints …come from patients. And they don’t complain about technical aspects…Most complaints concern communication problems.” (09:19, Elham Bidar)
• “Probably they will not always remember the meal you have served them or the speed at which you serve them, but they will always remember the way you make them feel.” (09:42, quoting Will Guidara)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 02:59 | Realization that technical skills aren’t enough | | 04:07 | Universality of leadership challenges across fields | | 05:42 | Embracing unreasonable hospitality in healthcare | | 07:29 | Building vision and putting it into practice | | 09:18 | Communication as the root of most patient complaints |

Episode Tone

The conversation is earnest, warm, and practical. Both host and guest speak directly, blending reflective storytelling with actionable takeaways. Elham’s humility and openness to learning are clear, and Dave’s questions encourage actionable, people-centered leadership insights.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a rich exploration of how leaders, especially in highly technical fields like medicine, can and must blend technical mastery with intentional people leadership. “Unreasonable hospitality” emerges as a powerful metaphor and practical tool for creating meaningful change, not only improving patient experience but also shaping team culture. Elham’s journey embodies the core idea that leadership is an ongoing process of learning, reflection, and making others feel genuinely valued—a lesson relevant for leaders in any discipline.