Leading with kindness: A systems approach to subjective well-being and healthspan

Author's Biography

Stephen J. Swensen Stephen Swensen, MD, is a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and a Transformational Fellow at the NARBHA Institute, where his focus is on advancing the understanding and cultivation of subjective well-being and healthspan in organisations and communities. His most recent book features an evidence-based blueprint for cocreating ideal work (Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout — 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace). For 35 years, he served patients at Mayo Clinic as an interdisciplinary collaborative leader, clinician and scientist. As director for Leadership and Organisation Development, he co-led the Professional Fulfilment Initiative and oversaw the development of 4,100 physicians and 232 key leaders. While he was chief quality officer, his team established the Quality Academy, with 37,000 colleagues certified as Fellows. As department chair, he, along with his team, used their Value Creation System to improve the welfare of both patients and professionals. A full professor, he was principal investigator of two National Institutes of Health grants and has authored three books and more than 200 articles. He was honoured with the Diamond Lifetime Achievement Award and served as the president of two international medical societies. He holds a master’s degree in medical management from Carnegie Mellon University.