Break Your Own Mental Molds: Interview with Dr. Stephen Klasko, Former CEO of Jefferson Health

Several years ago, I interviewed Dr. Stephen Klasko, former President of Thomas Jefferson University and former CEO of Jefferson Health, an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our interview:

Adam: How did you get here? What failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Stephen: The key was starting to realize that what we’d been taught wasn’t always true, and what we cling to from the past may not help us design the future. I vividly remember lectures about the simplicity and wisdom of performing hysterectomies, only to visit the bookstore and see books like “The Hysterectomy Hoax.” I also kept hearing doctors who said business would ruin healthcare – that’s really why I went and got an MBA at Wharton, to see the “dark side” that was supposedly threatening our old ways of doing things. The problem then, and now, is that America’s healthcare delivery system is a mess. We have Star Wars medicine grafted onto a Fred Flintstone delivery mechanism. Healthcare in this country is fragmented for patients, frustrating for doctors, deeply inequitable for people who are poor, and occasionally unsafe for people who entrust us with their health. What excites me is that the prospect of patients taking charge – of using the consumer revolution to rebuild healthcare delivery that is accessible, transparent, equitable, and integrated. That will only happen when the patient is the boss.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Stephen: Leaders, and their boards of trustees, need to self-consciously plan and appreciate the balance between execution and discovery. If your business is thriving, in an industry that has adjusted to the digital age, then focus on execution. But if the “fourth industrial revolution,” the digital age, is breathing down your neck, and you don’t want to be left behind, then flexing your discovery muscle is critical. Make creativity a watchword. Develop the teams who will redefine your future. For us, we’re working in two legacy industries – healthcare and higher education. There’s enormous financial pressure on both those industries, and both are critical to the future of our country and world. It’s why Jefferson’s vision statement is to “re-imagine health, education, and discovery to provide unparalleled value.”

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Stephen: Break your own mental molds. I spend time using techniques to think beyond today’s problems. First, history of the future – what will be obvious ten years from now, and why can’t we start doing it today? I find that if the time scope is too short, people will respond with this year’s budget and regulation issues. Make people think ahead. Second, imagine your company just hired a brilliant, hot-shot change agent as CEO … what would she do? Third, flex your own creative muscle. Read something you’d never normally pick up. Go home a different route and observe something new. Pursue something you are passionate about – don’t put it off because the calendar is too tight.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Stephen: Always have people working for you who believe they can do your job… including some who are right.

Adam: What are your hobbies and how have they shaped you?

Stephen: The app world is so beautiful because I can now combine my two passions at the same time, running and music. I pick a theme song for every morning run. It reminds me to appreciate people who tell stories through their art.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Stephen: If you want to see the future, find good people who are uncomfortable in the status quo. Pay attention to those people – and use them to build teams of diverse thought and diverse backgrounds.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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