In this episode, I sit down again with Dr. Kuhl, Chief Medical Officer at Providence Medford and a returning guest on the podcast. Every time we talk, the conversation leads to thoughtful insights about leadership and the realities of healthcare.

We begin with a story from Dr. Kuhl’s early neuroscience research—what he calls “life in the rat lab.” After months of failed experiments, the breakthrough came when he stepped back and changed the approach, quite literally “flipping the rat.” That moment becomes the metaphor for our conversation.

From there, we discuss a challenge many healthcare organizations face: complaint and event-reporting systems that sometimes replace direct communication. Dr. Kuhl shares how creating buffers and encouraging conversation before formal reports are filed can improve culture and trust.

The takeaway is simple but powerful: when a system isn’t working, it may be time to rethink the approach. Sometimes leadership requires us to step back, ask better questions, and look at the problem from a completely different angle.

Subscribe to Karl’s Leadership Writing.

👉 Who is Karl Pister?
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn.
👉 Have access to leadership materials that will level up your game.
👉 Contact us on our website.
👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel.

Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.