Why EMS Leaders Fail: Executive Coaching, Burnout, and the Leadership Gap | David DiNapoli

Why EMS Leaders Fail: Executive Coaching, Burnout, and the Leadership Gap | David DiNapoli

From In-Service EMS Podcast by Jason Falvey

January 25, 2026 · 59 min · Episode 20

About this episode

Jason Falvey interviews David DiNapoli about the challenges EMS leaders face when transitioning from clinical roles to leadership positions.

Send us Fan Mail Jason Falvey sits down with Dave DiNapoli (former EMT/paramedic, police officer, police chief; now an executive coach) to unpack why strong clinicians often struggle once they step into leadership. Coaching isn’t about giving answers — it’s about creating clarity, pressure-testing decisions, and forcing leaders to confront unintended consequences. Dave breaks down the hardest transition in EMS: moving from line staff to formal leader, where identity, language, and expectation...

People in this episode

Host: Jason Falvey

Guest: David DiNapoli

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • executive coaching
  • burnout
  • EMS transition
  • identity
  • decision making

Keywords

  • EMS leadership
  • executive coaching
  • burnout
  • leadership gap
  • decision making

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: EMS

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