Leading with Trust: How Workplace Culture Shapes Clinical Success

Defocus Media Eyecare and Optometry Podcast Network

In today’s ever-evolving healthcare landscape, workplace culture has become more than a buzzword—it’s a measurable driver of patient satisfaction, staff retention, and clinical excellence. For eye care professionals, cultivating a strong, trust-driven culture isn’t just good for morale—it’s foundational to providing quality care.

In a recent episode of the Four-Eyed Professor podcast, Dr. Chris Lievens sat down with Amy Bland and Tom Chwe, co-founders of Curo Research, to break down what truly defines workplace culture in optometric settings. With a focus on leadership in healthcare and improving team dynamics in clinical settings, this conversation offers a roadmap for building high-functioning teams—even in the face of tough personalities or uninspired leadership.

Table of Contents

Defining Workplace Culture in Clinical Settings

Leadership in Healthcare: It Starts at the Top

Building Trust and Accountability

Navigating Challenging Team Dynamics

The Role of Self-Awareness in Leadership

Creating Positive Energy as a Leader

Action Steps for a Stronger Culture

Defining Workplace Culture in Clinical Settings

Workplace culture isn’t determined by dress codes or catered lunches—it’s defined by how people feel when they show up to work.

Amy Bland shared her journey as a research director, noting, “The more I took care of my team, the more they took care of me.” Her team culture became so attractive that people outside her department were actively requesting to join. The secret? Trust, accountability, and clear expectations.

In eye care, where clinicians often operate under intense schedules and patient demands, culture must be consciously built—not left to chance.

Leadership in Healthcare: It Starts at the Top

“You can teach someone to manage tasks, but leadership is about inspiration,” said Dr. Lievens.

Tom Chwe echoed this sentiment: “Creating a good workplace culture starts with the leader—and it trickles down.”

In healthcare, particularly in private practice or hospital-based optometry, many doctors are placed in leadership roles without any formal training. The discussion emphasized that leadership in healthcare is a skill set that can—and should—be developed. From books like Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink to The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, there are tools to help doctors grow beyond clinical expertise and into cultural stewards.

Building Trust and Accountability

At the heart of a healthy workplace culture is trust—but it’s not always soft and fuzzy. Accountability plays a major role.

Amy emphasized that accountability should be viewed not as punishment but as empowerment. “Where there’s trust, there’s vulnerability,” she explained. “And when leaders are willing to be vulnerable, it gives everyone else permission to be honest and accountable.”

This is especially important in team dynamics in clinical settings, where efficiency, role clarity, and peer support are critical to delivering consistent patient care.

Navigating Challenging Team Dynamics

What do you do when the culture goes south?

Two tough scenarios were discussed: dealing with a toxic leader and working alongside a “bad apple” team member. Tom recommends starting with empathy and curiosity. “A lot of times, these people have unmet needs. The first step is to get to know them and understand what they’re missing.”

Amy added that you don’t need to be in a formal leadership role to influence others. “Be the change in your own corner of the room. When you model the culture you want to see, others will follow—or self-select out.”

This insight is critical for young optometrists or students entering practice: your behavior influences culture whether you have a title or not.

The Role of Self-Awareness in Leadership

Leadership without self-awareness is like examining a patient without a slit lamp—it misses the depth.

“Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence,” said Tom. “You have to understand your emotional regulation and how it affects others.”

In clinical team dynamics, doctors who are unaware of their impact often unknowingly create tension. This can manifest as high turnover, poor patient handoffs, and disengaged staff—even when clinical outcomes appear fine on the surface.

Encouraging leaders to regularly seek feedback and reflect on their interactions is a key part of sustainable culture development.

Creating Positive Energy as a Leader

Amy and Tom highlighted a powerful study by Dr. Kim Cameron, which found the number one predictor of successful leadership wasn’t IQ, training, or tenure—it was positive relational energy.

“When you walk into a room,” said Tom, “do people feel inspired and energized—or drained?”

Leaders who bring emotional consistency, optimism, and a sense of collaboration set the tone for the entire team. This presence is often what separates a stressed-out office from a high-performing, resilient one.

Action Steps for a Stronger Culture

The team offered clear, actionable steps that every eye care professional can take to improve culture:

• Read together: Create a book club with titles like The Ideal Team Player or Crucial Conversations.
• Set expectations early: From hiring to onboarding, establish what behaviors are acceptable.
• Lead without a title: Culture doesn’t require a promotion—it requires presence.
• Stay curious: Approach team challenges with curiosity rather than frustration.
• Acknowledge growth: Celebrate small wins in leadership and team behavior shifts.

Improving workplace culture in eye care isn’t a one-and-done initiative. It’s a mindset, a commitment, and a daily practice. From trust to vulnerability, from emotional intelligence to decisive accountability, the road to a high-performing team is paved with intention.

As Amy Bland wisely put it, “There are no bad teams—only bad leaders.”

Whether you’re a student, a new graduate, or a seasoned OD, the time to start leading with presence and positivity is now. Culture is not just built by executives—it’s shaped by every interaction, every day.