18 - Healing the System: Leadership Approaches That Elevate Growth and Empower Healthcare Teams
Scaling Smarter with Jim Carlough: Compassionate Leadership and the Future of Growth
In this episode of the Scaling Smarter: Concept to Cash Flow Podcast, host David Hirschfeld, Founder and CEO of Tekyz, speaks with Jim Carlough, Award-Winning Chief Sales Officer, Bestselling Leadership Author, and Keynote Speaker, about what it truly takes to scale with empathy, integrity, and strategy. With over three decades of experience leading billion-dollar organizations, Jim shares actionable insights on compassionate leadership, succession planning, and how technology—especially AI—is reshaping the healthcare industry and beyond.
Leading with Compassion, Strategy, and Purpose
Jim’s philosophy begins and ends with people. Drawing from his early career at Perot Systems, he highlights the impact of compassionate leadership—a principle modeled by Ross Perot himself. When employees faced medical crises, Perot personally ensured they received the best care possible, setting a cultural standard where leaders put people first. Jim recalls organizing support for an employee’s hospitalized family—an act of empathy that inspired others to lead with heart. “When you take care of your people,” he explains, “they take care of your customers, your company, and your mission.”
From there, the conversation explores how great leaders scale this principle across organizations. Jim emphasizes that empathy must be paired with structure. Too many companies promote top performers without preparing them to lead, leaving new managers without guidance. The solution? Mentorship, clear success roadmaps, and leadership training built on emotional intelligence and accountability. These elements turn strong contributors into transformational leaders.
In the healthcare space—where Jim currently leads at Impulse—technology is rapidly evolving how organizations engage with members. Predictive analytics and AI-driven communication are helping providers reach at-risk populations before issues escalate. Yet, Jim warns against overreliance on AI in clinical settings, reminding listeners that technology should enhance, not replace, human decision-making. Leaders who balance empathy with innovation, he says, will be the ones to drive sustainable growth in the future.
About Jim Carlough
Jim Carlough is an Award-Winning Chief Sales Officer, Bestselling Leadership Author, and Keynote Speaker with more than 30 years of experience in scaling high-performance organizations. As a thought leader in leadership development and healthcare strategy, Jim has guided companies from $100 million to over $1 billion in revenue, helping executives build teams rooted in compassion, accountability, and measurable success.
About JimCarlough.com
JimCarlough.com offers executive leadership coaching, keynote speaking, and training programs based on Jim’s bestselling book, The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership. His work focuses on empowering leaders to grow with integrity, inspire their teams, and navigate complex business transformations with confidence.
Links Mentioned in This Episode
Key Episode Highlights
How compassionate leadership creates loyalty, retention, and performance.
The role of structured succession planning in building sustainable teams.
Why AI and automation must complement—not replace—human empathy.
The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership: vision, communication, empathy, accountability, adaptability, and integrity.
How to navigate rapid change in healthcare and leadership without losing authenticity.
Conclusion
Jim Carlough’s message is clear: scaling smarter is about leading smarter. It’s not technology or strategy alone that drives success—it’s empathy, integrity, and the ability to adapt without losing humanity. His approach challenges today’s leaders to be both data-driven and people-focused, blending compassion with accountability to create organizations that thrive long-term.
If you’re ready to explore how smarter scaling can transform your software or service business, start by visiting Tekyz.com to learn more. And if you’re a founder, CEO, or business leader with a story worth sharing, apply here to be a guest on the Scaling Smarter: Concept to Cash Flow Podcast.
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