Healthcare is an industry built on human connection. At its heart, it’s about caring for people, their bodies, their minds, their lives. Yet too often, the way leadership shows up in healthcare fails to reflect that same humanity. Leaders frequently ask for resilience from their teams without modeling it themselves. They speak about well-being while often hesitating to bring their full selves into the conversation.
Meg Rivera believes the future of healthcare leadership begins with something deceptively simple: being human.
She learned this firsthand a few years ago when she stood in front of a crowd of over 500 people and shared a deeply personal journey, her years-long struggle with infertility, which included seven rounds of IVF, thousands of injections, and countless emotional highs and lows. It wasn’t the physical toll that made it difficult, but the vulnerability it required. She had to set aside the image of the polished, composed healthcare executive she thought she was supposed to be. Her goal wasn’t to elicit sympathy or prove her bravery. She shared her story so her team could see the truth: leaders are human, too.
That experience offered a profound lesson, vulnerability doesn’t diminish leadership; it strengthens it. It creates trust, connection, and permission for others to show up as they are. In an industry where burnout, stress, and emotional exhaustion are rampant, this kind of human-centered leadership isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity.
Rivera calls this approach Leading Out Loud, and it rests on three foundational principles:
1. Stand in Truth
Healthcare has long been shaped by rigid hierarchies and carefully constructed personas—the all-knowing physician, the tireless nurse, the polished executive. But these are remnants of outdated leadership models. Today, organizations thrive when leaders show up with authenticity. When leaders stand in their truth, they create space for others to do the same. That authenticity builds trust, and trust is the engine behind collaboration, psychological safety, and improved outcomes for patients, employees, and businesses alike.
Telling the truth doesn’t just mean sharing personal stories. It means being candid about what’s working and what isn’t. It means being transparent about the business, about challenges ahead, and about decisions that may be difficult. That kind of clarity creates alignment, and alignment drives results.
2. Lead from the Front and the Middle
Healthcare leaders often feel pressure to carry the weight of responsibility alone. But the most effective leadership doesn’t come from above, it comes from beside. It’s about leading shoulder-to-shoulder.
That means setting the vision, rallying the team, and lighting the path forward but also rolling up one’s sleeves. It means engaging in the hard conversations, celebrating the wins, and sharing in the responsibility.
In an industry steeped in hierarchy, leaders who practice shared accountability, who position themselves in the middle of the action, build cultures where people feel seen, supported, and committed. That’s not just strong leadership; it’s smart business.
3. Create Brave Spaces
While safe spaces are important, Rivera argues that in healthcare where the stakes are high and the pace of change is relentless, brave spaces are essential. These are environments where people feel empowered to challenge assumptions, speak openly, name uncomfortable truths, and take creative risks.
Brave spaces are where innovation takes root. They foster resilience and inclusion. In these spaces, teams are more likely to contribute fully, bringing forward not just their concerns, but their insights and ingenuity. This isn’t just about a positive culture. It’s about performance. Healthcare organizations that create brave spaces see stronger engagement, higher retention, and better functioning teams.
Human Leadership for a Healthier Future
These principles are not just theories, they are the foundation of how Rivera leads. They’ve helped shape teams that are more inclusive, accountable, and have an increase in high-performance. And they’ve shaped her, too, as a leader, a teammate, and now, as a new parent.
She often reflects on the kind of leaders today’s world is modeling for the next generation, including her own daughter. What she hopes that generation will see are leaders who aren’t afraid to be real. Leaders who speak the truth, even when it’s hard. Leaders who understand that in healthcare, humanity isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength.
The future of healthcare leadership is human. It’s brave. And it’s unapologetically authentic.
Meet Abby, a passionate health product reviewer with years of experience in the field. Abby's love for health and wellness started at a young age, and she has made it her life mission to find the best products to help people achieve optimal health. She has a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and has worked in various health institutions as a Nutritionist.
Her expertise in the field has made her a trusted voice in the health community. She regularly writes product reviews and provides nutrition tips, and advice that helps her followers make informed decisions about their health. In her free time, Abby enjoys exploring new hiking trails and trying new recipes in her kitchen to support her healthy lifestyle.
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