When Leaders Decide to Change “The Way We Run the Place”

When Leaders Decide to Change “The Way We Run the Place”

From Habitual Excellence, Presented by Value Capture by Value Capture

May 20, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

Ken Segel interviews Dr. James Shamiyeh about sustainable improvement in healthcare at University Tennessee Medical.

In this episode of Habitual Excellence , Ken Segel speaks with Dr. James Shamiyeh, Chief Operating Officer at University Tennessee Medical, about the organization’s Everyday Excellence journey and what it takes to build sustainable improvement in healthcare. Dr. Shamiyeh shares how UT Medical is moving beyond traditional improvement efforts by creating a frontline-driven operating system centered on daily problem-solving, coaching, and leadership development. He reflects on the lessons learned through implementing tiered huddles, empowering teams to solve problems to root, and building a culture grounded in psychological safety and collaboration. Together, they discuss the realities of leading transformation work in healthcare today, including the importance of reflection, vulnerability, and long-term commitment. The conversation highlights how investing in people closest to the work is helping UT Medical strengthen engagement, improve safety, and create lasting operational and cultural change across the organization.

People in this episode

Host: Ken Segel

Guest: Dr. James Shamiyeh

Topics covered

  • healthcare improvement
  • leadership development
  • psychological safety
  • team empowerment
  • operational change

Keywords

  • Everyday Excellence
  • frontline-driven operating system
  • tiered huddles
  • problem-solving
  • collaboration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University Tennessee Medical

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