Evergreen Thoughts on Leadership: Lessons from the Battlefield to Healthcare
Webinar
What does military command have to do with physician leadership? According to retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, quite a lot.
Lt. Gen. Hertling brings a rare and compelling perspective to healthcare leadership development. After a distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Army — culminating in command of U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army — he transitioned to the civilian sector as a senior executive at a major faith-based, nonprofit health system, where he was tasked with building a physician leadership program from the ground up. That experience became the foundation for a body of research published as a five-part series in Physician Leadership Journal, and it is the heart of this presentation.
In this webinar, Lt. Gen. Hertling traces his journey from Army retirement to healthcare leadership and shares the four foundational elements of effective leadership development: attributes, competencies, influence methods, and context. Drawing on decades of experience leading complex organizations under pressure — and on measurable outcomes from his healthcare leadership research — he offers physician leaders a practical, evidence-informed framework for improving decision-making, communication, and team performance.
Whether you are building a leadership program, leading a clinical team, or navigating organizational change, Lt. Gen. Hertling's insights from the battlefield and the boardroom offer lessons that are, as he would say, evergreen.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the four foundational components of an effective leadership development program — attributes, competencies, influence methods, and context — and their application to physician leadership in complex healthcare environments.
Analyze outcomes from leadership development research, including measurable improvements in leadership effectiveness, team performance, and clinician well-being, and assess their relevance to participants' own organizations.
Apply evidence-informed leadership practices derived from military, healthcare, and academic settings to improve decision-making, communication, and team performance in clinical and organizational contexts.
Resources:
Books
The Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun by Wess Roberts — Amazon
From Values to Action by Harry Kraemer — Amazon
The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner — Amazon
Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women by W. Brad Johnson and David G. Smith — Amazon
Growing Physician Leaders by Mark Hertling — Amazon
If I Don't Return: A Father's Wartime Journal by Mark Hertling (his newest book) — Amazon
Organizations & Programs
Women in Medicine | wimedicine.org
Founded by Dr. Shikha Jain, this nonprofit supports women in healthcare through mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy, including an annual summit in Chicago.
Practicing Excellence | practicingexcellence.com
A clinician development platform offering short video-based coaching for physicians, leaders, and care teams.
AAPL Resources
Lt. Gen. Hertling's doctoral research on physician leadership has been published as a five-part series in Physician Leadership Journal. The May/June 2026 issue features his findings on burnout.