As recruiting begins for the next cohort of Baldrige Executive Fellows (approaching its 17th year!), we asked alumni about the value they received from the program.
Different Perspectives Across Sectors
One of the things I enjoyed most was spending time with leaders from completely different industries. As health care leaders, we can become pretty insulated in how we think about problems because our world is so unique. It was refreshing to hear how people in manufacturing, education, government, and other sectors approached many of the same leadership challenges from a completely different perspective. I came away with far more ideas than I expected.
Capstone Project Helped Increase Surgical Capacity
The fellowship also wasn't just interesting; it was practical. My capstone project ultimately helped our hospital increase surgical capacity and care for significantly more patients while making better use of the resources we already had. That's a pretty good return on the investment.
Listen for Ideas that Challenge You and Borrow Ideas from Other Fellows
What advice would I give to new Fellows before they begin?
Go in with an open mind. Don't spend your time trying to figure out how every lesson applies to health care. Instead, listen for ideas that challenge the way you've always done things.
I'd also encourage participants to get to know the other Fellows. Some of my favorite parts of the program were the conversations between sessions. You'll find yourself borrowing ideas from people whose industries look nothing like your own. Our group text thread is still very active, and we catch up at the Baldrige Quest for Excellence® Conference each year and regularly ping ideas off one another.
Solve a Real Problem
Finally, pick a capstone project that solves a real problem. The more important it is to your organization, the more energy you'll have to see it through, and the more impact you'll make when you get back.
Baldrige Executive Fellows Alumnus
Neil Roy
Chief Medical Officer
Adventist Healthcare, Shady Grove Medical Center
Baldrige Executive Fellow, 2024
Expanding Your Mindset to Capture Insights Across Industries
Come into the program with an expanded mindset. You will hear about projects and approaches for improving an organization from many different industries, and all of them have something to offer and can translate to some aspect of your organization. I learned valuable lessons about organizational culture across multiple states from an engineering firm—which couldn't be further from the type of organization I work for—but the takeaways were profound. Always approach every presentation you hear, whether from Baldrige organizations or your peer group, with an expanded mindset.
Lessons and Practices That Have Stayed With Me: Getting to the Root Cause and Sustaining Culture Through Growth
Several practices I encountered through the program have had a lasting impact and have been incorporated into my work. One is the A3 problem-solving methodology, a structured approach to continuous improvement. My team has used A3 in several improvement initiatives, and it has helped us bring greater clarity, focus, and discipline to our efforts. Rather than jumping to solutions, the process encourages us to thoroughly understand the problem and identify its root cause before determining the best path forward. The value of this approach has been so significant that I have incorporated it into leadership training sessions for health care organizations, providing leaders with a practical and highly effective framework for problem-solving and improvement.
I was also impressed by one organization's strategy for preserving culture during periods of growth. Their practice of embedding an established leader within a new team or location helped ensure that organizational values, expectations, and culture were intentionally transferred and reinforced. It was a simple yet powerful approach to maintaining consistency while expanding operations.
Translating Innovation Into Impact and Building Peer Relationships
The program has influenced me in several meaningful ways. Learning from high-performing organizations and seeing how their innovative practices can be adapted to my own workplace has been invaluable.
Equally rewarding has been the opportunity to build strong relationships with members of my fellows group. Over time, I have been able to support several of them on projects where I could offer expertise or share lessons learned from my own experiences. Those collaborations have been both professionally rewarding and personally fulfilling.
Many of these colleagues are navigating challenges similar to those I have encountered. By exchanging ideas and insights across organizations and across state lines, we are able to broaden our perspectives and extend our collective impact. That network of shared learning is one of the most valuable outcomes of the experience.
Baldrige Executive Fellows Alumnus
Margaret Pfeiffer
Vice President, Clinical Operations
West Coast University
Baldrige Executive Fellow, 2023
Learn More
Discover how the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program can help you elevate your leadership and advance your organization's performance. You can also hear directly from past participants by exploring interviews with Fellows alumni and learning how the experience has influenced their leadership journeys.
Information about the 2027–2028 application process, important program dates, tuition, and what is included is available online. The program begins in March 2027 at the 38th Quest for Excellence® Conference.
Share This Opportunity
Please share this announcement with executives and senior leaders who would benefit from an immersive leadership development experience and a unique peer-learning community.
Contact
For additional information, please contact Dawn Bailey.
Alumni Listing
View current and alumni Baldrige Executive Fellows.
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Alumni Capstone Interviews
View interviews with former Fellows discussing their personal experiences and capstone projects.
Alumni Spotlight
Jo Ann Jenkins
CEO, AARP
Baldrige Executive Fellow, 2012
AARP’s CEO Talks about Leadership (and the Value of Baldrige)
Jo Ann Jenkins was recognized by Fortune magazine this year as one of the world’s greatest leaders. Undoubtedly, members of her cohort of Baldrige Executive Fellows who gained new insights from learning from and with Jenkins were pleased for her (and not surprised). As Jenkins shared recently, “My interactions with other Baldrige Fellows have consistently been enlightening, inspiring, and illuminating.” Read More
