S4E3: How to Have Difficult Conversations Across Differences (feat. Jess Bunin, MD)

Available on Substack, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple PodcastsHow can we navigate conflict, communicate across differences, and repair relationships when conversations get hard?In this episode of Learning to Lead, Colonel Jess Bunin, MD, co-founder of All Levels Leadership, joins us for a practical and deeply relevant conversation about civil discourse, community building, and the leadership skills needed to communicate effectively when tensions rise.Drawing from her experiences in healthcare, coaching, academic leadership, and military medicine, Dr. Bunin shares a five step framework for communicating across difference that includes:* developing psychological safety, * listening actively, * finding common ground, * rethinking our own perspectives, and * challenging others’ ideas without making them feel attacked.We also explore what to do in the moment when a conversation gets heated, how to recognize our own defensiveness, and how to return to difficult moments with humility, respect, and a desire to repair. This episode reminds us that difficult conversations are not simply problems to get through. When approached with skill and courage, they can become opportunities to build trust, strengthen relationships, and move forward together.🎧 Listen, follow, and share the Learning to Lead podcast today:Available on Substack, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple PodcastsAbout Learning to Lead:Learning to Lead focuses on developing and supporting emerging healthcare leaders (students, trainees and early-career healthcare professionals) through conversations with leaders about their experiences and insights (“leader journeys”), foundational leadership concepts (“deep dives”), and the most useful and impactful tools to become better leaders (“leadership hacks”).”You will be connecting to a community where you can learn, grow, and transform into a more capable and confident leader, ready to reimagine the healthcare system. Learning to Lead is a collaboration of faculty and students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University.Creators Rahul Anand, Maya Doyle, Peter Longley and Brooklynn Weber. Student Producer: Krishna AnandSenior Producer: Brooklynn WeberExecutive Producer: Rahul AnandGot ideas? We’d love to hear from you and build this community together:Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky & X: @LearningToLeadPod or email us at [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onleadinginhealthcare.substack.com