Episode Details

Are you secretly running on empty, wondering if burnout is targeting you next?

In this episode, Alen Voskanian, COO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Network and author, pulls back the curtain on the raw realities beneath operations leadership. From the constant grind of clinical environments to the personal toll of endless firefighting, Voskanian exposes why burnout hits high performers hardest and how ignoring your creative side can quietly sabotage your impact. This isn’t just about wellness platitudes. It’s a real-world look at chasing fulfillment, designing systems that beat chaos, and the unexpected arts that make leaders resilient.

If you’re a COO (or run with one), you can’t afford to miss these insights. The game has changed. Listen now or risk staying stuck in cycles that will bury both your team and your spirit. This is the side of leadership nobody else is showing you.

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Timestamped Highlights

00:25 – The real reason burnout is rampant among COOs and physicians

04:12 – The under-the-radar roles that secretly prepared him for operations

07:29 – Three unconventional ways to master leadership fast

12:18 – Why stand-up comedy became his secret tool for resilience

15:57 – The hidden danger in neglecting your creative life as a leader

19:53 – Brutal realities of burnout nobody is willing to admit

29:55 – How lean principles are quietly transforming healthcare operations

39:09 – What people on their deathbeds taught him about fulfillment and regret

About the Guest

Alen Voskanian, MD, MBA, is the Vice President and COO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Network. A board-certified physician in Family Medicine and Hospice & Palliative Medicine, he’s also an author and sought-after keynote speaker. Alen is known for transforming healthcare to improve access and quality. He holds degrees from UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and an MBA from Indiana University. He’s a former innovation advisor for CMS, a Cunniff-Dixon/Hastings Center Physician Award winner, and a Health Innovators Fellow with the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Mentioned Resources

• “Reclaiming the Joy of Medicine” by Alen Voskanian
• Indiana University School of Medicine – Physician MBA track
• Ryan Holiday, “The Daily Dad”
• Lean, Six Sigma, and performance improvement frameworks
• LinkedIn (as a platform for learning and connection)

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