Leaders will understand that to retain top talent and reduce burnout, they must actively shape workplace culture—not just react to external pressures. Culture is now a primary driver of retention, not compensation alone.
The article reframes disruptive workplace behavior as a response to stress, not just misconduct, and emphasizes that punitive approaches don’t solve the root problem.
Healthcare executives often rise through clinical excellence, rather than leadership training. The blog highlights how executive coaching fills this gap, giving leaders the tools to align team performance with empathy, accountability, and strategic vision.
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Healthcare is a naturally stressful profession, with healthcare providers and the administrators who manage and support them acutely aware of the literal life-and-death impact of the decisions they make daily. This continual pressure is exacerbated by the continuing trend of workforce shortages, which leaves a healthcare organization’s staff often lifting a heavier burden than is optimal with no obvious relief in sight. In 2024, the Association of American Medical Colleges projected that by 2036, the U.S. would face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians. Similarly, in 2022 the Health Resources and Services Administration projected a shortage of 63,720 full-time equivalent registered nurses by 2030.
Excessive workloads is one of the factors cited in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on health worker burnout, making it clear that the current shortage sets up our healthcare institutions for a dangerous cycle: Workforce shortages result in persistently increased workloads for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. This increases the likelihood that they will burn out and either leave the organization or leave healthcare altogether. Their absence increases the pressure and workload for the staff that remains.
To add to this worrying scenario is the fact that individuals in stressful situations may respond with disruptive behavior that negatively affects the morale of coworkers and undermines the confidence their patients have in the care they deliver. Examples can include dismissing or belittling colleagues, micromanaging, failing to delegate tasks effectively, or behaving passive-aggressively, especially when being asked to take constructive feedback. Organizations cannot tolerate or ignore such conduct, as it amplifies the stress that drives professionals from the field, but at the same time, approaching the issue with punishment rather than understanding may only change who walks out the door without addressing underlying issues of organizational culture.
Unfortunately, one final factor can make it feel nearly impossible to address these challenges effectively: leadership turnover. According to a March 2025 survey of close to 600 healthcare executives, 46% planned to leave their organizations within the next year. However, this same report pairs this grim statistic with a more promising one for those seeking to boost retention: the top reason executives cited for staying at their current organization was organizational culture.
While healthcare executives may not be able to change certain realities of the industry that affect their organization, they can change how their teams work together to build a more positive, resilient workplace culture. High turnover and rampant burnout are waving red flags that an organization’s culture urgently needs improvement, but disappointing patient experience or workplace satisfaction ratings can also be signs that this area needs attention.
Building a culture in which everyone—from the newest tech to the most senior surgeon—feels supported, valued, and psychologically safe takes considered leadership to align organizational practices to stated values. Too often, however, physicians are promoted to executive roles without specific leadership training that gives them the emotional skills and the insight to effectively guide those under their supervision. This leaves them poorly equipped to teach and model the behavior that produces teams that can work together with mutual respect, honesty, and interdependence.
Executive coaching can be highly effective in addressing the intertwined problems of executive turnover, burnout, and disruptive behavior by both supporting a positive workplace culture and giving individuals the skills they need to become more effective and confident in their roles. At iRISE Executive Coaching, we provide coaching options for individuals, groups, and teams to help them:
Investing in leadership skills is an investment in the long-term success of your healthcare organization, at a time when external forces seem determined to rip it apart. With our strengths-based coaching method, iRISE can help you identify what is behind burnout and turnover and provide the training that will inspire talented professionals to stay with your organization and keep them thriving. To schedule your consultation, contact us here.
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