The end of each year brings opportunities for reflection and planning for what’s next. This year-end is a special one for TLD Group: the celebration of our 15-year anniversary. As we close out this milestone year, we look back on the lessons we’ve learned over the last fifteen years creating leadership development solutions, recommit to the values and mission that fuel our work, and show appreciation for the team members and clients who have helped us reach our milestone. 

As we wrap-up our milestone celebration, we use this final blog to reflect on the past, look ahead to the future of the health ecosystem as an industry and leadership development as a practice, and share the role we hope to play in shaping both over the next 15 years. 

Reflecting on the Past

The Health Ecosystem as an Industry 

When TLD Group opened its doors in 2008, the health industry looked remarkably different. In fact, the term “health ecosystem” conjured a different meaning altogether — it was a term that implied a biological system, rather than a cross-sector solution to enhancing health and wellness, as it does today.  

Over the past 15 years, we've seen multiple sectors come together in an effort to capture a portion of the GDP spent on healthcare. The result has been massive growth in cross-sector solutions to the industry’s most pressing problems. We’ve seen strides in the adoption of digital health solutions, including telemedicine, electronic health records, wearable health devices, and mobile health apps. We’ve evolved in the way patient care and health data is managed across the health ecosystem, forcing organizations and leaders to think differently about how and where care is delivered. 

The passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 prompted an ongoing transition toward value-based care, which focuses on improving patient outcomes while giving providers the flexibility to deliver the right care at the appropriate time. This opened up the health ecosystem to new entrants, all intending to capture a piece of the pie.  

We’ve also seen new roles and leadership positions across all sectors, from clinicians taking on  new levels of leadership to new positions cropping up in all sectors such as Chief Transformation Officers, Chief Population Health Officers, Chief Diversity Officers, and Chief Wellness Officers. We’ve witnessed innovation from disruptors as they increase access to preventative care and quickly adopt cutting-edge technologies. Other trends have included a call for organizations to help their employees fight burnout and the need for leaders who are driven to enact change.

Leadership Development as a Practice

Along with these advancements throughout the health ecosystem, we’ve also seen advancements in the leadership development industry that have been driven by societal trends and evolving leadership needs. When we asked our team members to comment on how leadership development has changed over the last 15 years, they agreed that one of the largest shifts has been toward tech-driven, personalized, and people-centric solutions. 

“Given the significant industry changes, it is no surprise that we’ve seen an increased emphasis on emotional intelligence and diversity and inclusion leadership training to address contemporary workplace challenges,” said Lisa Clarke, TLD Group’s Vice President of Coaching Operations.  

The emphasis on emotional intelligence has been paired with a greater focus on the relationship between wellbeing and leadership, noted Jessica Molson, TLD Group’s Chief of Staff. 

“Topics like burnout prevention, whole-person leadership, and sustainable workforce planning are rising to the forefront as we grapple with new workplace dynamics in a post-pandemic world,” Molson said. “In a lot of ways, I feel we still haven’t reached a new equilibrium for what a ‘normal’ relationship with work looks like. It’s exciting to watch leaders and organizations explore the ways in which the future of work in the health ecosystem may look different than the past.”

“I am proud of our team’s contributions, from equipping organizations to build a pipeline of diverse leaders, to helping executives create talent strategies that support their future priorities,” said Tracy Duberman, Founder and CEO of TLD Group. “In 15 years, we’ve supported hundreds of leaders and teams in their efforts to make lasting positive change in their health systems, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and other health-adjacent organizations. We’ve learned and helped leaders see that the greatest way they can create impact is by aligning their unique passions to a purpose that will drive their work everyday.” 

Preparing for the Future

What’s on the Horizon for Health Ecosystem Leadership Development

As we look ahead to the next 15 years, we’re confident about one thing: constant change is inevitable. 

“As we prepare our clients and colleagues to thrive in an industry that requires continuous improvement, we will continue to focus on strategies to enhance personal well-being and professional growth,” Duberman said. “To really flourish in today’s rapidly changing environment, leaders and their teams will need to be focused, creative, and adaptable.”

Molson echoed Duberman’s sentiment. 

“As we navigate the evolving landscape of the health ecosystem, we predict that the next 15 years will be marked by innovation, technology integration, and a continued patient-centric approach to healthcare,” Molson said. “Leadership will hinge on adaptability, embracing change, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.” 

Here are two of our predictions for the health ecosystem over the next 15 years. 

1. Continued Cross-sector Collaboration: Studies show that cross-sector collaboration improves patient outcomes and provides benefits to health care workers. We’ve seen firsthand that partnerships between operational leaders, clinicians, and other players in the health ecosystem can fast track outcomes that enhance the patient care experience. In the next 15 years, we predict that players in the health ecosystem will need to be working even more collaboratively to reap the rewards of innovation and improve patient care. 
   
   
2. A New Frontier in Technology Evolution: In tandem with the evolution of technology over the last 15 years, there was also a reimagination of how and where to best care for patients. We predict that a technological evolution of similar magnitude lies ahead, and leaders will need to develop a clear strategic vision for integrating Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and digital health tools into their operations. This vision involves understanding the potential of AI to enhance patient care to streamline operations and improve outcomes, while also making informed decisions about where to invest in AI technologies and where not to. 

Leaders will need a balance of technical understanding and strategic foresight as they use AI to enhance — but not replace — human aspects of healthcare like empathy, understanding, and patient-provider relationships. 

In addition to predictions specific to the health ecosystem, we also make two predictions for emerging trends in leadership development. 

1. Developing visionary leaders: We predict that organizations will increasingly recognize the importance of forward-thinking, adaptable individuals who have the confidence to navigate a complex and uncertain future. Leadership development will shift toward forming leaders who are capable of transformation with radical honesty about what’s in their control, willingness to embrace failure as an opportunity to learn, and optimism about the future of the health ecosystem and its ability to transform to deliver higher quality care for patients everywhere.  
   
   
2. Creating a Culture of Continuous Innovation and Collaboration: As the health ecosystem continues to evolve and strategic partnerships become more vital to overall success, it will become essential to foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and collaboration. Instead of simply focusing within the confines of one organization, leadership development will shift to support leaders in building cross-sector, external networks or consortiums focused on innovation and a shared vision for evolving the health ecosystem for the better.

TLD Group’s Vision for the Next 15 Years

As leadership development across the health ecosystem continues to shift, TLD Group looks forward to helping leaders align their passion with purpose. Our main focus is, and will continue to be, supporting leaders who can think more collaboratively and work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to improve health and wellness for all. 

“We’re committed to continuing to learn and to develop our own skills to better serve our clients and each other,” Duberman said. “We work with our clients to build their leadership capabilities at the same time we build our own. I foresee that over the next 15 years we’ll continue to  pursue what inspires us so that we remain productive, successful, and supportive of our clients.” 

To support leaders and teams in the constantly evolving health ecosystem, TLD Group offers leadership development solutions that are easy to customize and adapt to your needs. Learn more about our solutions here. 

We’ll continue to explore the current industry landscape in our 2024 Trends Report. Follow us on LinkedIn to see the report as soon as it’s released.

We’re committed to shaping the future of the health ecosystem through innovative leadership development solutions. As the heath ecosystem and leadership development continues to evolve, our mission — to ignite leaders, teams, and organizations to align their passion and purpose to transform the health ecosystem — stays the same. Follow along on social media to learn more about our work or contact us today to see how our solutions could align with your organization’s unique needs.