BY JONATHAN KRAVETZ, MMS PUBLISHING OPERATIONS
The Massachusetts Medical Society has partnered with the Hanley Center for Health Leadership & Education to launch a comprehensive virtual leadership program designed to equip physicians with essential skills for navigating today’s complex health care
environment.
The three-session program, titled “Leading with Impact: Essentials for Physician Leadership in an Uncertain Environment,” will begin October 8, 2025, and run through December 3, 2025. Each session spans three hours and focuses on critical leadership competencies
that physicians need whether they hold formal or informal leadership roles.
The virtual program balances presentation of state-of-the-art models with the opportunity to work in small groups on real cases and challenges. The initiative addresses the growing need for adaptive leadership skills as physicians face increasingly fast-paced
and complex health care environments.
The program’s curriculum emphasizes communication agility, feedback delivery and reception, difficult conversation navigation, and change leadership during uncertain times. Participants will develop core competencies for leading themselves, their teams,
and organizations within high-pressure clinical settings. One previous participant praised the program’s practical approach, noting, “The program helped me to improve my communication with colleagues and patients with opposite communication styles....”
Structured Approach to Leadership Development
The program is divided into three distinct sessions, each targeting specific leadership challenges. The first session, “Leading with Clarity and Agility: Harnessing Your Communication Skills,” will take place October 8 from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. This session
focuses on developing communication agility to adapt messaging, build trust, and create alignment across diverse stakeholders.
The second session, scheduled for November 6, addresses “Leading through Courageous Conversations and Effective Feedback.” Participants will practice navigating difficult conversations using thoughtful feedback techniques and emotional intelligence principles.
The final session, “Navigating Change and Uncertainty,” occurs December 3 and emphasizes applying practical frameworks to real-world challenges in uncertain environments. This session aims to strengthen leadership skills through state-of-the-art methodologies.
“These workshops solidified my approach to work-life balance, which I really appreciated,” shared one participant from last year’s program.
Partnership with Hanley Center for Health Leadership & Education
The collaboration with the Hanley Center for Health Leadership & Education brings specialized expertise in health care leadership development to Massachusetts physicians. The Hanley Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit that has been creating and delivering
customized leadership development curricula for more than 20 years. The center’s involvement ensures the program incorporates current best practices and evidence-based approaches to leadership training. The virtual format allows for broader participation
while maintaining the interactive elements essential for skill development. Small group work on real cases and challenges provides practical application opportunities that participants have found valuable.
“Wow…the actual stories and conversations between participants and panelists were most helpful,” noted another program alumnus.
Focus on Immediate Application
The program’s design emphasizes immediate application of learned concepts, with participants working through real-world scenarios during each session. This approach ensures that leadership skills develop through practice rather than theoretical discussion
alone.
The curriculum addresses both soft and hard leadership skills, recognizing that effective physician leadership requires technical competence alongside interpersonal abilities. The program specifically targets communication challenges that physicians face
when working with diverse stakeholders in health care settings.
“I found the program very informative and also enjoyable and would definitely recommend it to others,” said one participant.
The Massachusetts Medical Society’s leadership program represents a strategic response to the evolving demands of health care delivery, where physician leaders must navigate complex organizational structures, changing regulations, and diverse stakeholder
expectations while maintaining focus on patient care quality. Registration for the program is currently open.
