Helping Leaders Navigate Conflict to Build Stronger Collaboration 

What happens when a leader’s growth vision is overshadowed by their strained organizational relationships? This was the core challenge facing Dr. Lilian Abrams, TLD Group Faculty Member, when she began coaching a physician leader in a rapidly expanding southeastern US healthcare system. This leader's strategic vision was clear, but the challenging interpersonal dynamics he had with his direct manager threatened not only implementation of his vision, but his own tenure as a leader. In this edition of our Faculty Highlight Series, we explore how Lilian guided this leader from conflict to collaboration, transforming both his professional impact and his team’s growth trajectory.

Building Bridges: From Misalignment to Teamwork

The initial challenge was stark: This physician leader was responsible for an under-resourced but profitable area. His personal style and advocacy for his area lead him to be perceived as uncooperative and difficult by his direct manager. To complicate matters, the senior manager had not communicated his specific issues or concerns about the physician leader directly to him, despite their mounting interpersonal tension. This resulted in a risk for the physician leader that he would be removed from his position.

To address this, Lilian started with a deep stakeholder analysis, which helped her client map out his key stakeholder’s roles, motivations, goals and relationships. This social-mapping process allowed the physician leader to better understand his manager’s perspective as well as the broader organizational context more deeply. Lilian guided the physician leader to shift from a reactive to a proactive stance, by encouraging him to focus on strategic communication and relationship-building.

Results That Matter: Fostering Trust and Advocacy

The impact was soon evident. The senior manager’s perception shifted as the physician leader became noticeably more communicative and collaborative. Instead of remaining isolated, the physician leader began to understand when and how to share key insights, which fostered a sense of partnership with his manager. The results were tangible:

• Improved Collaboration: The physician leader and his manager developed a more respectful and cooperative relationship, which transformed their dynamic into a productive partnership.
• Organizational Impact: The physician leader’s area received increased funding, staffing, and a 15% boost in administrative hours, reflecting stronger organizational support and impact.
• Expanded Influence: The physician leader’s role increased, as did his team’s capacity, when he enhanced his alignment with the expanding organizational structure.

As the physician coachee shared, "I have learned that it’s really important to use my advocacy skills, and not just focus on the internal operations of my area. You need to figure out who the players are, on every level, and they keep getting more complex as you ascend the hierarchy. There are a lot of opportunities!"

Coaching as Collaboration

For Lilian, the coaching journey is always a two-way street: “I appreciate the immense satisfaction I have when I help healthcare leaders achieve their goals more quickly and effectively than they might have otherwise,” she reflects. “My clients are dedicated to improving patient care outcomes while also building thriving organizational systems. Their passion continues to inspire me.”

Looking Ahead: Navigating Growth with Purpose

As healthcare organizations continue to grow, acquire, and integrate, Lilian sees exciting opportunities ahead: “The dynamic nature of healthcare energizes me. Supporting leaders through their complex environments is both invigorating and fulfilling. I look forward to helping more TLD Group clients navigate their challenges with resilience and innovation.”

Lilian’s work exemplifies how coaching at TLD Group fosters deeper connections, bolder leadership, and sustainable growth. By guiding leaders to align their vision with collaboration, she enables them to thrive in today’s ever-evolving healthcare landscape.

Interested in learning more about TLD Group's leadership work? Reach out to work with TLD Group today!