What the Doctors Said: The Qualitative Story Within Physician Leadership Development Research

Mark Hertling, DBA


Kim Smith-Jentsch, PhD


July 10, 2026


Physician Leadership Journal


Volume 13, Issue 4, Pages 27-29


https://doi.org/10.55834/plj.5078653476


Abstract

This final article in a five-part series on physician leadership development explores the qualitative findings of a mixed-methods study, highlighting direct physician narratives about their personal and professional transformation during a leadership program. It examines how themes of trust, communication, reflection, and interprofessional engagement emerged through voluntary narrative responses. The insights not only validate quantitative measures of leadership growth and burnout reduction but also underscore the power of structured reflection and psychologically safe environments in leadership training.




Mark Hertling, DBA
Mark Hertling, DBA

Mark Hertling, DBA, retired from the U.S. Army after four decades of service and is a professor of practice and strategic leadership at Rollins College, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Winter Park, Florida.


Kim Smith-Jentsch, PhD
Kim Smith-Jentsch, PhD

Kim Smith-Jentsch, PhD, is an industrial and organizational psychologist with 3 decades of experience studying team performance in high stress environments such as the Navy, NASA, FAA, and in various healthcare settings. She is currently an associate professor of management at the Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College.

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