EP 116: What Healthcare Executives Must Do to Create Cultures Where People Stay

In this episode of the Coffee Break Podcast, Dr. Renee Thompson sits down with Dr. Tera Gross, Chief Nursing Officer at Mayo Clinic in Florida, for a thoughtful and practical conversation about what it truly takes to lead well in today’s healthcare environment. A seasoned nurse executive and national nursing leader, Tera shares how intentional leadership development, strong relationships, and a quality improvement mindset can shape culture, improve outcomes, and reduce disruptive behaviors across teams. From fostering psychological safety to equipping leaders with the skills to give and receive feedback, this episode is packed with real-world insights leaders can immediately apply. This conversation is especially valuable for nurse leaders, executives, and anyone responsible for shaping culture in complex healthcare systems. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why leadership development must go beyond technical skills and focus on relationships, influence, and trust How fostering a culture of feedback improves accountability and psychological safety Practical strategies for addressing disruptive behavior with curiosity, clarity, and consistency How quality improvement is a mindset, not just a project Why interprofessional leadership alignment is essential to a healthy work culture Lessons from Tera’s leadership journey and how reflection shapes better leaders About Dr. Tera Gross Tera L. Gross, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE, is the Chief Nursing Officer for Mayo Clinic in Florida. She has served in progressive leadership roles at Mayo Clinic for nearly 25 years in both Minnesota and Florida. Tera is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and a recipient of the Diamond Quality Fellow Award from the Mayo Quality Fellows Program. She currently serves as Region 4 Director on the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Board of Directors and is passionate about empowering healthcare leaders to thrive through quality improvement, integrity, and intentional leadership.  Links & Resources Connect with Dr. Tera Gross on LinkedIn Email Tera at [email protected] Download your copy of our 33 Scripts to Address Disruptive Behavior When You Don’t Know What to Say Check out Renee Thompson’s newly revised book and #1 Amazon Best Seller Enough! Eradicating Bullying & Incivility: Strategies for Front Line Leaders here! Check out Renee Thompson’s book Do No Harm Applies to Nurses Too! Strategies to Protect and Bully-proof Yourself at Work here! Learn more about the Eradicating Bullying & Incivility eLearning Program here! Have a question for Renee? Email us at [email protected] to have your leadership question featured in an upcoming Q&A episode! Disclosure: The host may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products we link to. As an Amazon Associate, Coffee Break earns from qualifying purchases. Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share with your colleagues. Your support helps us reach more healthcare leaders working to create better work environments.