We are fortunate to have an advisory board, comprised of multi-sector industry leaders from a variety of disciplines, to guide our strategy and growth. We have created the “Meet the Advisory Board” series as a way to introduce you to these talented leaders and learn about their perspectives on leadership and cross-sector collaboration.
In this interview, meet Advisory Board member Poonam Alaigh, MD, Research Professor, University of Pittsburgh and President & CEO of Alaigh Care Associates.
Why did you choose to join TLD Group’s Advisory Board?
TLD Group is one of the leading consulting firms that helps organizations succeed by investing in people and culture. This is a core principle that resonates with me and has guided me during my professional journey and so it was a natural alignment to be part of the team.
What is the biggest leadership challenge facing leaders today?
One of the biggest challenges today is ensuring an engaged and productive workforce, especially as we endeavor to adjust to the changes brought on by the pandemic. For any organization, the workforce is its biggest asset. And in the healthcare sector specifically, there are real issues of workforce burnout and neglect of overall wellbeing, including mental health. Keeping teams together, motivated, and inspired needs to be the true focus of leaders, in our new normal of a physically distant world.
What advice do you have for leaders looking to develop themselves to make an impact on the health care industry?
One piece of advice is to create a culture of servant leadership that fosters collaboration, psychological security, respect, and an environment where innovation and risks are encouraged. Only then will an organization create the impact required to reach its full potential.
What is your leadership motto? Why?
My motto is “I have your back.” That has helped my teams create a vision that is boundless in creativity and imagination while focusing on the practicality of implementing solutions and fostering collaborations around a shared goal of the art of possibility.
How do you enjoy spending your time out of work?
I really enjoy learning, growing, sharing, and experiencing new things in my personal life. I measure this in various ways: whether its traveling, hiking, learning a new dance move, getting to connect in a meaningful way with people, or simply closing all of my rings on my Apple Watch!
Poonam Alaigh, MD
Poonam Alaigh, M.D., MSHCPM, FACP, is a Research Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and President & CEO of Alaigh Care Associates. Dr. Alaigh was previously the Acting Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where she directed a healthcare system with an annual budget of over $70 billion and over 300K employees, overseeing the delivery of care to more than 9 million enrolled veterans.
