Likable Badass Leadership — Leading with Warmth and Confidence
In this episode of Medical Mentor Coaching, Dr. Stacey Ishman explores the concept of Likable Badass Leadership, inspired by Likable Badass by Alison Fragale. Designed for physicians in their first 10 years of practice, this conversation reframes leadership as the intentional balance of warmth and competence—connection and confidence—especially in high-stakes academic and clinical environments.
Dr. Ishman reflects honestly on her own leadership evolution, shares research-backed insights on why warmth comes first, and offers practical, actionable strategies to help physician leaders build trust, psychological safety, and followership without sacrificing clarity or authority.
No need to take notes—check out the blog for a full written summary of these insights.
If you’re interested in leadership development, mentorship, and career strategy for early-career physicians, this episode is for you.
1. Introduction to Likable Badass Leadership (0:00 – 1:00)
Overview of the book Likable Badass by Alison Fragale
Why this framework resonated deeply with physician leadership experiences
The gap between competence-focused training and connection-based leadership
2. Competence vs. Connection in Physician Leadership (1:00 – 2:30)
Physicians are highly trained in competence—but rarely in connection
Why leading with confidence alone can unintentionally create distance
The power of combining assertiveness with warmth
3. Personal Reflection: When Confidence Misses Connection (2:30 – 3:30)
Dr. Ishman’s own tendency to “come in hot” and skip the human layer
How intention without connection can still land poorly
Lessons learned at work—and at home
4. Why Warmth Comes First (3:30 – 7:00)
Psychological research showing that people assess warmth before competence
How warmth creates psychological safety and openness
Why competence without warmth is often perceived as abrasive or intimidating
5. Finding Your Default Leadership Pattern (7:00 – 6:30)
Identifying whether you naturally lead with warmth or assertiveness
The importance of intentionally strengthening the opposite muscle
Examples from peer leadership conversations
6. Actionable Strategies for Likable Badass Leadership (6:30 – 9:30)
Pause and ground yourself before difficult conversations
Open by acknowledging the person and the problem
Use curiosity, open-ended questions, and shared purpose
Align expectations with mission (patient safety, team function, care quality)
7. Practical Communication and Presence Tips (9:30 – 10:30)
The role of tone, pacing, and body language
Why speed can read as impatience
How posture, eye contact, and openness build trust
8. Feedback, Criticism, and Psychological Safety (10:30 – 11:15)
Why public criticism erodes warmth instantly
How to give feedback with partnership and shared goals
Leading with clarity and care, not harshness
9. Leadership as a Skill You Can Build (11:15 – 12:00)
Likable Badass leadership is not about changing your personality
It’s about upgrading your mindset and habits
The future leader you want to be starts with daily intentional choices
Leadership in medicine is not just about being right—it’s about being trusted. In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman challenges the idea that competence alone is enough and introduces a more effective, human-centered model: Likable Badass Leadership. By leading with warmth first and confidence second, physicians can foster safer teams, better communication, stronger retention, and more meaningful impact.
This episode offers both mindset shifts and concrete tools to help early-career physicians lead in a way that feels authentic, effective, and sustainable—without sacrificing authority or excellence.
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