In the fast-paced, ever-changing world we live in, what truly sets a leader apart? Is it their strategic vision, their resilience, or perhaps something deeper, more human? These are the questions we explore in this episode of Recruiting Insider, featuring the inspiring Geoffrey Roche. With his journey from hospital administration to becoming a purpose-driven leader, Geoffrey offers a fresh perspective on leadership—one rooted in heart and humanity.
Leaders often face the challenge of balancing results with relationships. What makes someone a standout leader isn’t just their ability to deliver outcomes but their genuine connection with people. Geoffrey Roche exemplifies this balance. His approach to leadership is anchored in empathy, authenticity, and a deep commitment to creating a sense of belonging within his teams.
One of the key takeaways from Geoffrey’s journey is the concept of being a “heart leader.” In a world that often prioritizes speed and efficiency, leading with heart means taking the time to understand your team, valuing their contributions, and inspiring them to find meaning in their work. Geoffrey’s stories and insights illustrate how this approach can transform not just individual teams but entire organizations.
Geoffrey also delves into the importance of aligning leadership with purpose. Leaders who are clear about their “why” are better equipped to guide their teams through challenges. Purpose-driven leadership doesn’t just motivate—it creates a ripple effect that inspires everyone to bring their best selves to the table. In the episode, Geoffrey shares actionable tips on how leaders can identify and articulate their purpose.
Building strong teams is another cornerstone of Geoffrey’s leadership philosophy. He emphasizes the need for leaders to foster a culture of trust and collaboration. This means creating an environment where everyone feels heard, valued, and empowered to contribute. According to Geoffrey, the best leaders are those who see potential in others and help them realize it.
One of the most inspiring parts of the conversation is Geoffrey’s advice on navigating tough times with grit and grace. Leadership isn’t always smooth sailing, and challenges often test our resolve. Geoffrey’s own experiences highlight the importance of resilience and adaptability, as well as the role of vulnerability in building trust during difficult moments.
The episode also touches on the role of intentionality in leadership. Geoffrey argues that great leaders don’t leave things to chance; they are deliberate in their actions and decisions. Whether it’s setting clear goals, providing constructive feedback, or celebrating wins, intentionality ensures that leaders stay aligned with their vision and values.
Creating a culture of belonging is another topic Geoffrey passionately discusses. In today’s diverse workplaces, fostering inclusivity is not just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. Geoffrey shares practical strategies for cultivating an environment where everyone feels they matter, which in turn drives engagement and innovation.
Whether you’re an aspiring leader or an experienced one looking to refine your approach, this episode offers a wealth of insights. Geoffrey’s emphasis on leading with intention and humanity serves as a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about the head—it’s about the heart. His journey proves that when leaders prioritize connection and purpose, they make a real difference.
Tune in to this episode of Recruiting Insider to discover the secret to leadership that resonates. Geoffrey Roche’s story will leave you inspired to lead with heart, foster meaningful relationships, and create a lasting impact. After all, the best leaders don’t just lead—they inspire others to lead with purpose.
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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/79UC9yNKT9t6q31Q0YBven
YouTube: https://youtu.be/0c1G92GdcYs
Transcript:
Mary (00:00.908)
Jeffrey Roach, welcome to Recruiting Insider.
Geoffrey M. Roche (00:03.784)
So good to be here with you. Thank you, Mary.
Mary (00:06.807)
Okay, Jeffrey, I think you’ve figured out the secret to effective leadership. And I think that most great leaders are truly trying to make an impact on both the teams that they lead and the organization that they serve. And you lead with purpose and heart. And man, I wish that all leaders focused on this mission. And Jeffrey leads organizations toward
growth by embedding a culture of empathy, resilience, and purpose -driven transformation that transcends traditional boundaries. So before we dig into the topic today, Jeffrey, tell us just a little bit about your background and who are you?
Geoffrey M. Roche (00:56.99)
Yeah, so, you by background, started my career in hospital administration, and that was June of 08, and to be honest with you, you know, was significantly influenced by my mother. My mother is a nurse, and so did not think I would ever work in a hospital though, and what I knew is I would never be clinical. That was for sure. But, you know, certainly that influence led me in a myriad of ways to consider coming in as an administrator.
Mary (01:17.134)
Yeah
Geoffrey M. Roche (01:24.57)
And it was really honestly Mary in that experience where I had truly the ultimate blessing to have a CEO who was leading with purpose and heart. And I learned, I was mentored, I was coached, empowered and supported by her over a span of five some years during her tenure to really watch her walk that walk and talk that talk. And that was…
without question transformational for me from a personal end. And later, as that time continued, I realized how impactful it was professionally. Because it truly changed my whole mind from a leadership perspective. It also made me really question sometimes what we learn in leadership. Because what it taught me was at the core, it’s really about respecting one another and finding ways to…
find that purpose that each and every one of us have, we may have some uniqueness, one may be more creative, one may be more imaginative, but if we can connect and then harness that potential, the impact is just unstoppable. And so it really was that experience with her that changed me for frankly the best.
Mary (02:41.135)
That’s amazing. And how did you pinpoint that? I mean, it sounds like you knew right away that she led with empathy and heart. What was the tangible difference there?
Geoffrey M. Roche (02:51.848)
You know, it’s really interesting to your point on how did I pinpoint that. There was definitely a number of different experiences. I’ll tell you one. So, you I was young, entry level, coming into the workplace, brand new. And I remember early on in my tenure, had the opportunity to meet her. And, you know, I remember the first interaction I had with her, I was like, wow, she seems really different for an executive. Like very, very different, very approachable. I was observing her, you know, meeting other team members.
just incredibly kind, compassionate, and certainly the type of person that didn’t really act as if she was a CEO. She acted as if she was one of all of us. And I remember after I met her, I sent an email to her, just expressing my appreciation for our interaction. And I remember, because I was a new entry -level employee, I wrote it and said, dear Ms. and…
Mary (03:48.514)
Eh.
Geoffrey M. Roche (03:51.74)
And actually I may have even said president if I remember correctly. And she wrote back and she said, I’m Cathy and I want you to always know that you can come to me and see me as Cathy. And we then just continued to build a relationship and what was very interesting I’ll tell you is that over a period of two years I reported to multiple different people but I ended up reporting to a director
Mary (03:53.76)
Yeah
Geoffrey M. Roche (04:21.308)
in the last eight months before this transition happened. And what was beautiful about it is that he took it upon himself, because he knew he was gonna retire, to do succession planning with me. I didn’t really pick up on it, but the succession plan that he was establishing actually had me to report to her. And I realized, when I finally realized that this was something she had been planning behind the scenes.
because she later shared with me that she saw a lot of potential. And if there was one thing that she wanted to do in this latter part of her career was to build the next generation of leaders. And so that, when I look back and sort of reflect, I could see that, because again, I was an entry level, I was new, but she had this just element about her.
that you wanted to be a part of, and at the same time, she also wanted to be a part of your journey.
Mary (05:26.509)
I love that, I got chills, that’s amazing. And I think back to a lot of people in my life that make me feel that way, right? Somebody that’s just really warm and welcoming and kind, and they just kind of have that aura about them that just makes you feel comfortable and makes you feel seen. And if we have that in a leader and somebody that can take us.
under their wing and really groom us. It sounds like that was an amazing start to your career.
Geoffrey M. Roche (05:59.134)
Yeah, it was and I’ll tell you, there’s not a day where I don’t, even in my work today, after all these years now, know, roughly my tenure there ended in 2017, but I don’t forget, and I also regularly talk about how I haven’t necessarily experienced leaders in the same way that she was, as I’ve continued my journey and my career. And I do feel now as somebody who’s also studying leadership a lot as part of my doctoral program,
Mary (06:18.436)
Mm.
Geoffrey M. Roche (06:29.682)
that in some ways the way we teach leadership is also very systematic instead of being very creative and imaginative. And what I learned from Cathy was that the power of a leader was really about authentic connection. And then when you’ve had that, you could then move to purpose and you could move to impact.
Mary (06:40.718)
Mm.
Geoffrey M. Roche (06:53.82)
And that’s really what, you know, I was blessed to have had that experience with her, especially early in my career because it stays with me.
Mary (07:00.643)
Yeah. Your LinkedIn profile describes you as the heart leader. Can you tell us what this means?
Geoffrey M. Roche (07:09.138)
Yeah, you know, it’s really interesting, right? And so I have a dear friend, his name is Sean Nason, and when I first met Sean, Sean said to me, you know, Jeffrey, you are a very special person, but I’m gonna challenge you a little bit. And I was like, okay. He’s like, you talk a lot about leadership, but you’re not really threading the needle of what makes you unique.
And so I had shared a similar story with him about Kathy and her influence on me. And he’s a master marketer. And he said to me, Jeffrey, you’re a heart leader. Don’t describe yourself as a leader. You’re a heart leader. And I looked at him and I was like, okay, help me. Let’s talk a little bit more about that. And in that conversation, he said to me,
Mary (07:47.692)
Yeah
Geoffrey M. Roche (08:07.152)
you always focus on connection. You’re always the type of person that when you speak at a conference, when you do your work, when you’re online, whatever it may be, you’re always looking to connect. You’re not coming in with a motive. You’re coming in with this desire to connect. And when you connect, you’re also looking for the ways to connect other people to other people. And right around the same time, one of my mentors had shared with me that my superpower in her view,
was that I was just this amazing super connector. And she shared with me that in her lifetime, I was one of those special people that you could come to at any time that would just connect another person to someone else just so that they would have that unique opportunity to meet somebody who could help them. And so when Sean challenged me on this, I really started to understand where he was going. And so that’s really what led me to do that. I’ll tell you the irony
about that is I’m a person that loves sort of the artist’s storytelling. And when he said that to me and I analyzed it, what it didn’t resonate initially was how important the term heart was to me. And the reason is is A, there’s that part where I go back and reflect on Cathy, but on a personal end, I have also faced heart conditions.
Mary (09:10.668)
Mm -hmm.
Mary (09:30.989)
Mm.
Geoffrey M. Roche (09:31.26)
And so, you I have a pacemaker. I’m a young, you know, young man, but I have a pacemaker. When I go to the airport, they’re always like, wait, you’re too young to be going through that special machine. But what I learned in that journey as well is, you know, the heart is so important in every possible way, right? And in my case, I needed a pacemaker to keep my heartbeat at a rate that was safe and healthy for me to continue to live. But in that journey, what I also learned
Mary (09:34.658)
Mm -hmm.
Mary (09:38.592)
Yeah.
Geoffrey M. Roche (10:01.308)
was as a heart leader, I can choose every day to either make it or break it for another person. I can choose to either lift them up or tear them down. And when I look at leaders far too often in the workplace, especially in healthcare, but in every industry, there’s far too many people who every day are choosing division over unity and choosing their own egotistical approach versus the idea of building community.
And so in my journey and my experience, it was sort of an aha moment as I reflected back on all of it to say, I’m gonna choose every day. Yes, I’m gonna make mistakes, we all are human, but I’m gonna purposely choose every day to try and make it for everybody.
Mary (10:47.692)
I love the idea of being a connector as your superpower. Could you talk to us a little bit more about what that means and maybe just give us some examples of it in practice?
Geoffrey M. Roche (11:02.578)
Yeah. So, know, some, the way that I view it, right, is I strongly believe everybody in a workplace is seeking connection. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, whatever you describe yourself as, we all have an inherent desire to connect. We want community. Some of us want small community, some of us want big community. We all want something.
And so to me, the idea of connection is both very personal, but it’s also incredibly professional. And so it’s really this idea that we’re going to connect genuinely together, or I’m going to help somebody to connect with a professional community. Some of the inherent practices would be everything from, you know, I’m the type of person that people regularly reach out and say, Hey, we’ve got this opportunity. Do you know somebody? And, you know, generally right away I can think of somebody who I’m going to pick up the phone and say, Hey, you know, I just heard from this organization. I know the leader.
Mary (11:54.51)
Mm.
Geoffrey M. Roche (12:02.738)
and I’ve already told them that I think you’d be the best, but ultimately you have to decide. And if you decide, I’m gonna connect you right to them. And I have always believed strongly in that as an example. The other is just the art of, because I’m building those authentic and genuine relationships, I’m also working very hard to get to know somebody so that as I see other opportunities for them to share their craft, share their purpose.
I’ll give you a real life example. Back in the end of June, I had the privilege to meet a colleague that presented at a conference that I was also presenting at. And when she presented on the work that she was doing, I absolutely knew right away that what they were doing was unique. So I went over to her. We had never met. Went over to her afterwards and I said, have to tell you how not just impressed I am, but how…
Enamored frankly I am with with what you’ve been able to do and she was like, that’s so kind So we had conversation. I invited her to dinner. We ended up having dinner for four hours You know had a great time fast forward the next week I said to her I said, you know I’m gonna I’m gonna introduce you to some folks because I’m gonna be a part of a global convening on this work And I’d love to see if we have an opportunity to get you there Made it happen
Mary (13:05.037)
Yeah.
Geoffrey M. Roche (13:27.79)
And a couple weeks ago, we were together in the United Kingdom on this work. Now, earlier this week, I had the opportunity to go and travel to her healthcare system and do a site visit for two days. And it kind of came full circle. Her leaders knew I was part of a reason that got her to share their story on a global stage. But also I was able to share with them how special and unique she was as a leader to their organization.
And just earlier this morning, she texted me and she said, you don’t know the difference you’ve made in my life. And I thought, I had a small little part, but as I reflected on it, that’s one of those examples again, I made sure every time I spoke while I was on site to make sure they knew how unique and special she was, the work that she did.
Mary (14:08.024)
Yeah.
Geoffrey M. Roche (14:24.838)
I also made sure that when I sent my thank you notes, which I’m a big fan of, after the visit to every single person that I met with, that I highlighted that. Because we don’t appreciate one another enough in the workplace. And when you can take that extra step, it makes all the difference.
Mary (14:45.783)
Yeah, I mean, as a leader, connecting people with other people is so powerful. I think connecting people with other opportunities can be equally as powerful. And I think, you know, I think that you outlined that perfectly and, you know, you just never know what kind of impact you’re having on the life of someone else. I mean, in your case, it’s like, you know, Kathy was probably just doing what she does. You know, she was just
being the leader that she knew that she could be and helping you and grooming you and showing you this kindness and showing you this empathy. the same for you. It’s like somebody can do something that to you it may seem like something that’s not really too impactful, but for somebody else it’s like the impact on their life can be so great. So sometimes as leaders just shifting
the way that we connect people with other people and with other opportunities and how we approach leadership can be so transformational, not only on our own life and how we feel, but on how we’re impacting those around us. I’m also curious, can you define purpose -driven transformation and why it’s so important?
Geoffrey M. Roche (16:08.734)
Yeah, so really when I think of purpose -driven transformation, again, there’s a personal and then there’s a professional end to that. Personally as a leader, I strongly believe that it is a leader’s responsibility to help craft the pathway with each and every one that they have the privilege to lead. Because to me leadership is truly a privilege. Every day a leader should be waking up and thinking about that they’re there to help another person.
achieve their dreams and stretch those dreams in a way that helps them to grow personally and professionally. And so when I think about the purpose side, the purpose driven side should always be the most finite focus for a leader. Ultimately, transformation also, as I said, has that personal and professional end. Certainly on the professional end,
It could mean someone’s transforming from promotion, transforming from one role to the next, but it also could mean that they’re a part of organizational transformation. That could be organizational culture, that could be a big initiative. But when it’s driven back to purpose, it kind of has that full scope and full picture. And so on the personal end, obviously, transformation is very, very important. One of the reasons I always encourage people in our professional lives to also have their own personal brand.
is because ultimately that’s how we’re defined. That’s how people see us in the workplace, right? But we have to own it. You know, I’d say all the time, just because I work in a very large corporate healthcare organization, their brand is not my brand. Do I appreciate their brand? Absolutely. But my brand is my brand. And I want to be known for that brand, both in the workplace, in the community, in society, and everywhere that I serve. And as part of that,
That transformation is really important because we all go through journeys in our careers and in our lives. And that purpose -driven transformation is very, very different than just a journey. It’s really a place where our lives are changed. It could be changed through mentorship. It could be changed through coaching. But we are transformed to become better each and every part of that life and every part of that journey.
Geoffrey M. Roche (18:29.372)
And so to me, has that personal and professional connection.
Mary (18:33.467)
Yeah. And I love the idea of purpose -driven too, especially when it comes to work, you know, because I think that I’ve spoken with a lot of people, you know, whether they love their job or they hate their job, if they can find purpose in it, then it makes it so much better. And, you know, I think as humans, we crave purpose too.
So, know, for somebody out there that’s like, I don’t really enjoy my job at the moment. What could they do to really find that purpose?
Geoffrey M. Roche (19:12.456)
You know, that’s a really, really good question, right? Because I think the first thing you have to unpack within that type of thing is what is it about your job that you don’t like? It is incredibly challenging to find purpose if you’re in an organization with toxic leadership. I’ve been there. You know, there have been times in my career, especially the shorter stints of my career, where the only reason I’m not there
is because of the toxic leaders. And as somebody who’s incredibly purposeful, I knew that I can’t be in that culture long because it’s gonna suck the energy out of me entirely.
With that said, however, I do believe that irregardless of the culture that we’re in, we have to remember that there’s still something unique about each and every one of us. And so for our friends and colleagues that could be in those situations, what I have learned to do and what I have coached others to do, while we’re in that space, find something.
about the work that you’re doing. Find someone in the organization that you connect with that you can pour your heart and soul into that still allows you to feel that sense of purpose. It may not be as big, it may not be as transformational, but at least could be something. So I’ll give you an example. When I was in an organization for a year where the leader and the other leaders
were not people focused. I don’t know if they cared at all about other people, about themselves. But what I learned in that tenure was there were other professionals in the organization who were in need of other executives to give them a voice. And so I took it upon myself to coach them, to mentor them, and
Geoffrey M. Roche (21:26.492)
When I had an opportunity to help them to move on in their career, I helped them. I got them into a better environment. And to this day, I’m still coaching them. And they’re coaching me. And so, you there’s still ways for us to find sort of a microcosm type of approach, even when we’re in that difficult spot. At the same time, you know, I look at…
Mary (21:40.697)
Mm.
Geoffrey M. Roche (21:54.522)
Andre Martin wrote a really important book recently called Right Fit, Wrong Fit. And I will say that when we are in our wrong fit, we absolutely want to demonstrate commitment to do our best to get out of it. Because there’s nothing like the impact to our mental, physical, and social aspects of our life. And when you’re in the workplace where we spend so much time, that purpose can wane. That passion can wane.
And I know I have learned in my career when I’ve been in those situations that it’s not only is it draining, but it can become, it can lead to burnout and it certainly can lead to moral injury. And certainly none of us can afford that.
Mary (22:44.042)
lot of our listeners are leaders or they’re aspiring leaders. So what are some steps that they could take at their current organizations to truly embed this culture of purpose, belonging and community?
Geoffrey M. Roche (23:02.044)
Yeah. So for those that are in leadership, the first thing that I think they absolutely need to challenge themselves and their organization with is how much are we truly doing from a professional and leadership development standpoint? What are we doing to help our leaders and those aspiring leaders to grow and have their careers enriched? Generally, many organizations are not doing enough from an investment standpoint.
in those critical areas. People development takes time. People development takes resources. But when you do it, you see the ultimate change that all of us desire. That was my experience. Yes, I had an amazing CEO and Cathy. Yes, I had a mentor. But I also was part of an organization that challenged me, put me in leadership development programs, had me take crucial conversations types of trainings, had me go through
aspiring emerging leadership program and had me continue on in my journey to continue those types of things. But an organization has to invest in that and so leaders need to truly care about that. For aspiring leaders, I often will say, and I guess in some ways I should say for leaders and aspiring leaders, if you don’t have a mentor, you should consider it. If you’re a leader and you’re not mentoring,
You absolutely should. And I often will also say, one mentor, it’s better to have multiple. Some people call it a personal board of advisors. Because when you have, and again, when you have this, don’t pick somebody who always agrees with you, pick people who are gonna challenge you too. And I think that’s really, really critical. The other piece I would say for both leaders and aspiring leaders is commit your whole heart and soul with purpose.
to continuously learn and develop. None of us in leadership should ever feel like we’re stop to learn. Every journey, every experience, we should be soaking it in to learn. You heard me say I’m in a doctoral program, right? And is it fun all the time? No, I’m not gonna tell everyone go out and do a doctoral program. But what it has reminded me of is that when I reached the end of that journey,
Mary (25:20.354)
Yeah.
Geoffrey M. Roche (25:26.61)
I’m gonna be able to share it with other people and hopefully impact other lives because of it. But when we learn, we need to share. And that’s what I think we wouldn’t be in such a, what I consider a crisis of leadership generally in what I believe we are organizationally, if we had more leaders who listened, who cared for others and who continued to learn. Because when you add all that together,
It’s just a more holistic approach because you’re never gonna forget about people.
Mary (26:00.598)
Earlier, you mentioned something really interesting in your graduate program about leadership and how leaders are trained in more of a systematic approach as opposed to, I think you called it an empathetic approach. For our listeners who, maybe they’re in a situation where they have a leader who is really, really toxic, what’s some advice that you could give them?
where they could change that situation, whether it’s approaching their leader or anything else that they may be able to do today or this week to make their situation better.
Geoffrey M. Roche (26:44.574)
It’s definitely tough, right? mean, so there’s some obvious questions we have to think about is A, does that employee feel that they have psychological health and safety? Because certainly if you don’t, it’s gonna be really tough to want to bring that up to A, that leader, or consider other recourses such as going to human resources, other areas to deal with it. I think these are real life matters to your point.
and what I have learned is sometimes there could be something else that’s happening to that leader that we may not know that’s making them act that way. And until somebody does approach them to help them understand that, they may not even be realizing that negative or adverse impact that they’re actually causing. And so, but you still have to
walk that line carefully because again, you don’t know, you know, and you also don’t know could there be repercussions for you. I do think though, that there are diplomatic ways to certainly have that type of a conversation. I can think back in my career, I’ve worked for leaders who, you know, I was thinking, you know, I remember I’ve worked for one who I thought, you know, had no appreciation or respect for me.
just because of their actions. And I can remember at one point, I diplomatically brought up that I just felt there wasn’t a connection between the two of us. And that leader took it upon themselves to fix it. That leader started to show up more. That leader started to make themselves be more present. That leader started to ask me, if they could do a better job, what would it take?
because ultimately they wanted to not lose the respect that I once had. And so sometimes without question, we do need to speak up, but do it in a diplomatic way. Do it in a way that’s, know, sometimes we have to just ask a question. So, you know, again, if you have that psychological health and safety and you just feel like something’s going on, just to have that conversation with the leader and say, I just wanna ask you.
Geoffrey M. Roche (29:13.384)
Can you help me understand are there things that I could be doing better? Because even if you know that you’re doing fine by putting it back on them, it could make them sit there and think, why are they asking me that? What have I done that makes them think that? I think there are things like that that are really, really important. I will say generally, especially if it’s a leader you report to,
Mary (29:29.762)
Mm.
Geoffrey M. Roche (29:42.534)
it’s definitely better if possible to find the way to have a conversation with them, versus go to someone else because it’s gonna cause a lot more potential friction. And my experience has been, especially in an executive level, they’re gonna tell you, have that conversation first, if possible. I would encourage individuals to read Crucial Conversations as well. mean, as somebody who’s read the book, somebody who’s been trained on it, there’s some great…
Mary (29:48.056)
Mm.
Geoffrey M. Roche (30:11.624)
techniques that are in that book and in the training that also help you to have what’s considered a crucial conversation. And again, it’s not a confrontational conversation. It’s a crucial conversation, which means one of the reasons I love crucial conversations as a framework is it’s about getting the conversation to be purposeful so that in the conversation you’re getting the outcome that you truly want. And so it’s not easy.
but when you can train in it, educate yourself on it, it’s definitely useful.
Mary (30:45.857)
Another hot topic that I see on LinkedIn lately is this idea of resilience. And, know, sure. So you can lead with heart and you can lead with empathy, but I mean, you’re still going to run into so many challenges along the way. So what role does resilience play in leading organizations through transformative growth and how can leaders really cultivate this resilience within their teams?
Geoffrey M. Roche (31:14.782)
Yeah. You know, so from a healthcare perspective, you will regularly hear me specifically say, I feel the resilience term is thrown around far too often, and it’s shared in a way that in my opinion is disingenuous.
I think it’s very infuriating to say to a healthcare professional, a clinician, be resilient.
Geoffrey M. Roche (31:42.586)
I don’t know of a healthcare person that is not resilient. I don’t know of many people that aren’t resilient. I mean, we’re humans. Life is tough. We have to adapt. We have to work our best through ambiguity. We’ve got to deal with change. And I find that the term and the way that it’s being pushed so often quite infuriating because ultimately when I look at it,
We need to create the cultures that allow individuals to be able to adapt and to be able to thrive even in uncertain times. That’s what’s most important. So saying to someone, resilient, to me at times is almost like saying, just do what you want me to do. It’s not saying with intent and purpose on helping them to get there. So I hear leaders at times say, be resilient through this change. No.
Don’t tell them to be resilient. Tell them and educate them on how to make it through with purpose and intention. Ask them what could be concerning them about the change that then you as the leader could help coach and motivate them through the change. And so to me, I feel like it’s thrown around in a way that kind of takes the responsibility off of the leader and puts it on the team.
And I don’t think that’s fair. I think that it’s one of the reasons why, in my opinion, we’ve gotten to a point in time in many organizations where culture and engagement is as low as it’s ever been, is because we haven’t as leaders owned it. We haven’t taken the time to go out and speak to every part of the organization and say, what else could we be doing for you? And so,
That’s generally how I view it. And in the healthcare space, it’s one of the reasons why I think we have such crisis levels of burnout, because we’ve been, just be resilient. Look, I am a big person of the importance of grit. I do believe that teaching grit, teaching confidence, teaching adaptability, teaching proper change management, teaching individuals
Geoffrey M. Roche (34:07.558)
to again have those support networks is really, really critical. But I don’t believe we just need to throw around resilience and tell people to be resilient. I just, I feel like we, it’s a cop out in my opinion.
Mary (34:22.688)
So we know that people within the organizations, like the staff or the heartbeat of the company, I mean, they make it run, they make it grow and thrive. I mean, truly. Can you discuss the long -term impact of embedding this culture of purpose and belonging?
Geoffrey M. Roche (34:41.116)
Yeah, I mean, the long -term impact, and to your point, the importance of it is that it becomes sustainable. And ultimately, the way to become and make it sustainable is you have to invest in it. Leaders have to be investing in it. Organizationally, we have to be investing in it. So that as we build the next generation of leaders, as we do succession planning, we’re coaching, we’re training, we’re educating, we’re always coming back to how it’s part of our secret sauce.
And when we do that, ultimately, what we’ll see, and when we see organizations that have done this, we see higher employee engagement, we see thriving cultures. In the healthcare space, we see the inherent impacts in a very positive way to our patients, because quality and people go hand in hand. Safety and people go hand in hand. And so it becomes part of every fabric of the organization. And that, to me, is not just a differentiator.
It truly dignifies who we all are. And it speaks to what makes us each one of us unique and special. And that’s really what I would want, certainly as a leader, and I would think every organization would want that as well.
Mary (35:59.094)
Wow, Jeffrey, this has been such an amazing conversation today. Where can we find you on social media?
Geoffrey M. Roche (36:05.65)
Yeah, connect on LinkedIn. Happy to connect there. Just do Jeffrey Roach and always happy to connect and talk through these things and be there in support of one another.
Mary (36:14.168)
Thanks for coming on the show today.
Geoffrey M. Roche (36:15.826)
Thanks for having me.