Ep. 51 - Karl Pister Challenges Professionalism in Healthcare Today (05/13/25)

Dig into the shifting landscape of healthcare leadership as Meredith Hirsh challenges executive coach and podcast host Karl Pister to unpack the evolving—and increasingly controversial—definition of professionalism in medicine. With more than 30 years of hands-on business experience and a background in clinical social work, Karl brings a rare blend of empathy, real-world insight, and executive wisdom. He’s worked with everyone from high-performing physicians with low EQ to emerging leaders navigating generational divides, and he’s seen how HR policies, anonymous complaints, and tone policing are reshaping what leadership looks like inside hospitals and across our healthcare system. Together, Karl and Meredith dive into whether today’s healthcare culture has overcorrected in the name of psychological safety—and what’s being lost along the way. Are we protecting employees or avoiding hard conversations? Are we cultivating excellence—or just mass-producing average? This episode will challenge your assumptions, spark conversation, and explore what it really means to lead with both strength and empathy in a system under pressure.