Leadership Development for Women Physicians

Lead Your Way

Leadership development and peer coaching for women physicians navigating increasing responsibility, complexity, and change.

Sustainable leadership development for women physicians.

Medicine often rewards overextension without creating space for sustainable leadership. Lead Your Way is built to fill that gap.

Lead Your Way is an ongoing facilitated cohort experience for women physicians taking on increasing leadership responsibility or navigating change. Co-facilitated by Dr. Gretchen Rickards, MPH and Dr. Diane Shannon, MPH, the program blends leadership frameworks, structured discussion, and peer coaching. Each session is grounded in the realities of practicing medicine and the demands of leading inside complex healthcare systems.

A facilitated cohort. Not a webinar series.

Lead Your Way is small, structured, and discussion-based. Sessions combine leadership frameworks, peer coaching, and reflection on the real challenges of your work, so you leave with practical tools you can apply between meetings.

Each topic is shaped around the realities women physicians face in demanding environments: leading without formal authority, communicating under pressure, delegating well, and protecting the conditions for sustainable leadership.

Because leading well requires structure, peers, and time to think.

1
Practical Tools

Leadership frameworks designed for the realities of practicing medicine.

2
Facilitated Peers

A small group of women physicians navigating similar leadership demands.

3
Reflective Practice

Structured time to think clearly about how you lead and what you need.

What Participants Develop

Outcomes are practical, leadership-focused, and grounded in the realities of medicine.

01

Clearer leadership priorities

A more defined sense of where to focus your attention, and how to make decisions when demands compete.

02

Practical communication and delegation skills

Concrete tools for difficult conversations, feedback, delegation, and influence in clinical and team settings.

03

More sustainable leadership habits

Greater awareness of patterns that drive overextension, and clearer practices for protecting your time and judgment.

04

A trusted professional community

Ongoing connection with women physicians who understand the demands of leading inside healthcare.

Whether your role is formally titled or informally leading, this program is built for women physicians thinking carefully about how they want to lead.

Navigating increasing leadership responsibility within clinical or systems roles.
Balancing the demands of clinical work, leadership, and personal life.
Questioning whether the current pace and structure of work are sustainable.
Looking for more intentional ways to lead, communicate, and make decisions.
Wanting connection with peers who understand the realities of medicine.
Seeking practical leadership tools rather than abstract frameworks.

Sample Topics

Each session is built around a leadership topic and applied to the realities of the cohort. Topics evolve based on participant context.

1

Leadership identity and values-based decision making

2

Communication, influence, and difficult conversations

3

Delegation and managing competing priorities

4

Boundaries and sustainable leadership practices

5

Perfectionism, overfunctioning, and patterns under pressure

6

Career transitions and leading through change

How the program works.

One 90-minute facilitated group session each month, co-led by Gretchen and Diane
One 1-hour office hours/drop-in session each month
Leadership topic and framework introduced each session
Structured peer discussion and case-based reflection
Practical tools and prompts for application between sessions
A shared online platform for additional resources and connection between sessions
A small, ongoing professional community of women physicians
CME credit option available
CME AVAILABLE

A Reflective CME option is available. Documentation for institutional CME reimbursement can be provided on request.

Co-facilitated by two physicians with leadership and coaching expertise.

Gretchen and Diane bring combined experience in clinical medicine, leadership inside healthcare systems, and coaching women physicians navigating complex roles.

Dr. Gretchen Rickards, MPH

Dr. Gretchen Rickards, MPH

Physician · Leadership Coach

Dr. Gretchen Rickards, MPH, is a physician, leadership coach, and consultant. She works with women physicians and senior professionals navigating expanded leadership responsibility and the complexity of leading inside healthcare.

Her work draws on clinical practice, systems experience, and applied leadership coaching focused on practical, sustainable change.

Dr. Diane Shannon, MPH

Dr. Diane Shannon, MPH

Physician · Coach · Author

Dr. Diane Shannon, MPH, is a physician coach and author, and a former primary care physician. She works with women physicians on sustainable leadership, career direction, and the systemic patterns that drive overextension in medicine.

Her approach is practical, evidence-informed, and grounded in the realities of clinical work and complex healthcare environments.

Two simple ways to join.

Choose the option that works best for you. Both include full access to the program.

Monthly
$250
per month
Pay month to month.

The practical details.

Format
Monthly 90-min facilitated session + monthly 1-hr office hours
Duration
Ongoing
Cohort Size
Small · intentionally limited to 12
Start Date
Inquire about upcoming start dates
Platform
Zoom · materials via secure portal
CME
Reflective CME option available

Find out if this is the right fit.

Use the inquiry form below to reach out. We'll share details about the program, the next cohort, and how to apply.

Common Questions

I don't have a formal leadership title. Is this for me?
Yes! We are all leaders, whether or not we hold a formal title. The tools and strategies we explore will help you lead with confidence in your career, team, and life. More importantly, they will support you in creating a sustainable and fulfilling path in medicine, no matter your role.
I'm not a woman or a physician — Is this group coaching program for me?
This group coaching experience is specifically designed for women physicians, focusing on the unique challenges they face in leadership, career sustainability, and personal growth. However, if you are a male physician or a non-physician professional interested in a similar program, we'd love to hear from you! We are actively developing future cohorts tailored to different audiences. Please reach out to discuss upcoming opportunities.
Can I use CME funds for this program?
Yes! A Reflective CME option is available, so you can invest in your leadership growth while fulfilling continuing education requirements. We are also happy to provide any supporting information your institution may require for CME reimbursement.
What if I have to miss a session?
The didactic portion of each session is recorded, and materials are shared so you can stay current with the cohort if you miss a session.
How small is the group?
Intentionally small and limited to 12. Enrollment is capped to maintain meaningful discussion and engagement.

Inquire About Lead Your Way