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In this inspiring episode, host Jarvis T. Gray sits down with Alyssia Crews, a healthcare executive with a rich background in healthcare operations and oncology leadership. Alyssia opens up about her personal journey into healthcare, lessons learned from mentors, overcoming adversity, and the role of emerging technologies like AI in modern leadership.

Key Topics & Highlights

• Alyssia’s Leadership Philosophy:
  Alyssia shares her go-to Maya Angelou quote and how making others feel valued forms the core of her approach—emphasizing relationships and compassion at all levels.
• From Sports Management to Oncology:
  Alyssia reveals how an unexpected opportunity sparked her career in healthcare, and how personal loss led her to specialize in oncology, combining passion and purpose in her work.
• Climbing the Leadership Ladder:
  Strategies that fueled Alyssia’s progression from operational roles to executive, including seizing stretch assignments, building mentor relationships, embracing challenging tasks, and seeking out developmental opportunities.
• The Power of AI in Healthcare Leadership:
  Alyssia discusses how AI tools, such as Copilot, are revolutionizing productivity—streamlining administrative tasks and allowing leaders to spend more quality time with their teams.
• Dealing with Adversity:
  Alyssia candidly describes a pivotal challenge she faced after losing her father, and what she learned about authenticity, empathy, and supporting team members through tough times.
• Mentorship and Influence:
  The impact of key mentors—especially Dr. Goodwin, whose calm leadership style and focus on relationship-building left a profound effect on Alyssia’s own approach.
• Current Trends & Challenges in Healthcare:
  Alyssia identifies workforce engagement and retention as the most pressing challenges, particularly post-pandemic. She discusses strategies her organization uses, including robust leadership development programs and tailored career summits.
• Celebrating Wins & Looking Ahead:
  Alyssia outlines her excitement for expanding cancer research programs and further developing her team. She emphasizes the importance of intentionally pausing to celebrate team accomplishments.

Rapid-Fire Insights

• What inspires Alyssia: Creating innovative solutions for patients and helping team members discover their own “passion plus purpose.”
• Best career advice: Be bold and proactive—don’t wait for opportunities to come to you.
• Biggest lesson: Building confidence to speak up sooner in meetings and not being afraid to share credit and collaborate.
• Recommended reads:
  • Who Moved My Cheese? (Spencer Johnson)
  • Hardwiring Flow in Healthcare (Quint Studer)
  • Anything by Simon Sinek

Connect with Alyssia

• LinkedIn: Alyssia Crews

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