Lead with Confidence,
Build a Thriving Team

Helping emerging healthcare leaders gain the skills they need to lead effectively.

Gain confidence to
lead with ease

Simplify leadership with
step-by-step guidance

Build strong, healthy
team relationships

Promoted for your skills, but feeling lost in leadership?

You were promoted because you’re great at what you do. But managing people is an entirely different challenge. Without the right tools, you may feel overwhelmed, unsure, and even question your ability to lead.

The stakes are high—without proper guidance, you risk losing the trust of your team, creating a toxic work culture, and burning out.

We believe that every leader deserves the chance to succeed from day one.

Leadership doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. Let us help you gain the skills to thrive as a confident, effective leader.

With our coaching, you won’t just become a better leader—you’ll create a more cohesive, motivated, and thriving team. Our coaching programs focus on the skills that truly matter in leadership: emotional intelligence, relational management, and strengths-based growth.

Confidence to make decisions and lead effectively

Stop second-guessing yourself and start leading with clarity. Our coaching helps you develop the confidence to make informed, decisive choices that positively impact your team and organization. Leadership is about taking action, and we’ll equip you with the tools to lead with certainty and purpose.

Stronger, healthier relationships with your team and colleagues

Effective leadership starts with building trust. By focusing on emotional intelligence and relational skills, you’ll foster stronger, healthier relationships with your team and peers. Learn how to communicate clearly, handle conflict with grace, and create an environment where your team feels supported and valued.

A work environment where everyone thrives

When leaders thrive, so do their teams. By developing your leadership skills, you’ll cultivate a positive, engaged work environment where productivity soars, and team members feel motivated to give their best. Together, we’ll help you create a culture where everyone can succeed.

MEET YOUR COACH

Dr. Debbie Schardt knows firsthand the challenges healthcare leaders face. Having been promoted through the ranks herself—from bedside nurse to executive leadership—she understands what it’s like to feel unprepared and overwhelmed. Over the past 30 years, Debbie has refined her approach to leadership development and now holds a doctorate in leadership and coaching.

With her background in healthcare and certification from Harvard, Dr. Debbie specializes in emotional intelligence and relational skills to help you succeed. Her passion is helping leaders like you avoid the same struggles she faced and find true fulfillment in their roles.

Leadership doesn’t have to be complex or overwhelming.

1. Assess Your Emotional Intelligence

Start with an emotional intelligence assessment to understand how your emotions affect your leadership style and interactions.

2. Focus on Strengths-Based Development

Leverage Gallup Strengths to focus on your natural talents and abilities, building on what you already do well to become a more effective leader.

3. Simplify Leadership Development One Word at a Time

Leadership development doesn’t need to be a long, drawn-out process. We simplify it by integrating one leadership principle at a time, making it easy to incorporate into your daily practice.

From Overwhelmed to Confident:
What Leaders Are Saying

We’ve helped healthcare professionals just like you transition from feeling overwhelmed in their new leadership roles to leading with confidence. Here’s what some of our clients have to say about their experience with One Word Leadership.

As someone new to leadership in the healthcare field, I felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities and unsure of how to navigate complex team dynamics. Working with Debbie completely transformed my perspective. Her healthcare experience helped me relate the emotional intelligence competencies and insights directly to my role, giving me the confidence to lead effectively. She provided actionable tools and guidance that have made a measurable impact on how I communicate and build trust with my team. I feel equipped to grow into a leader my team can rely on, thanks to Debbie at One Word Leadership

Jonathon M., Emerging Leader, Healthcare Administration

 

In healthcare, leadership isn’t just about managing people; it’s about inspiring teams to deliver the best care possible. Debbie brought a wealth of industry knowledge and paired it with an exceptional approach to leadership coaching. Through tailored strategies, I’ve become more attuned to the needs of my team and patients alike. This has led to better communication, improved team dynamics, and a better me.

Heather Q., Chief Medical Officer

 

Healthcare leadership requires a balance of empathy, resilience, and decisiveness, skills I struggled to master before working with Debbie. Her coaching, grounded in her bedside nursing and years of healthcare leadership experience, helped me understand how emotional intelligence plays a vital role in patient care and team management. With her guidance, I’ve learned to lead more authentically and foster a culture of trust and accountability within my department. The impact has been profound for both me and my team.

Jamie N., Director of Nursing

 

Leading a hospital requires balancing strategic vision with operational excellence, and Debbie has been instrumental in helping me refine my leadership approach. Her deep understanding of the healthcare landscape and expertise in emotional intelligence provided a fresh perspective on how to engage my executive team and inspire organization-wide alignment. The emotional intelligence test uncovered areas where I could lead with greater empathy and insight, which has strengthened relationships across departments. With Debbie’s coaching, I’ve become more confident in navigating complex challenges and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation in our organization.

KS, Healthcare vendor CEO

 

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