PODCAST: Leading with Kindness | Quality Time with Dr. Schaal
Feb. 12, 2026View all episodes and SUBSCRIBE wherever you get your podcasts, including on:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
In this episode, Dr. Stephen Swensen discusses his work at Mayo Clinic to create thriving, ideal work environments. His most recent book, Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout - 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace, outlines four evidence based elements of an ideal workplace: agency, belonging, collective effervescence and positivity.
Dr. Swensen is a recognized expert, speaker and inter-disciplinary researcher in wellbeing, leadership and organizational development. For 35 years, he served patients at Mayo Clinic as a clinician, scientist, educator and leader. He serves as a senior fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and a transformational fellow at The NARBHA Institute.
Expert: Dr. Stephen Swensen, senior fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; transformational fellow, NARBHA Institute; professor emeritus, Mayo Clinic
Notable topics covered:
The role leadership plays in creating healthy, thriving work environments
The elements of an ideal workplace: agency, belonging, collective effervescence and positivity.
How People-Centered Kind Leaders cultivate work communities that allow people to optimize their positive life assessment and healthspan.
Links:
Quality Time with Dr. Schaal is an accredited continuing medical education course. Visit our Online CE page to listen and earn 0.50 credits per episode. Houston Methodist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.