Episode 173: Leading Conflict Instead of Avoiding It with Dr. Jason Kuhl
Thu Feb 05 2026
In this episode, I sit down again with Dr. Jason Kuhl, Chief Medical Officer at Providence Medford Medical Center, to talk about something every healthcare leader faces: conflict, and how to lead it instead of avoiding it.
I open with a moment that’s stayed with me for years: watching Dr. Kuhl navigate a tense physician call with calm, discipline, and persistence until the right outcome happened. It’s a clear example of what this episode is about. Conflict isn’t the exception in healthcare, it’s part of the job. The real question is how leaders show up when it happens.
We talk about why conflict often comes with change, why avoiding it erodes trust, and why healthy organizations don’t eliminate conflict, they use it to build clarity and alignment. Dr. Kuhl shares how trust is built long before conflict appears, why preparation and curiosity matter, and how separating the problem from the person changes everything.
We also dig into practical leadership tools: slowing conversations down, creating space for hard discussions, and using shared agreements to reduce friction over time. Dr. Kuhl explains why compassion, authenticity, and grace aren’t soft ideas, but cultural foundations that directly affect performance and patient care.
If conflict is something you’re facing or something you’ve been putting off, this conversation offers a grounded, realistic way forward.
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In this episode, I sit down again with Dr. Jason Kuhl, Chief Medical Officer at Providence Medford Medical Center, to talk about something every healthcare leader faces: conflict, and how to lead it instead of avoiding it. I open with a moment that’s stayed with me for years: watching Dr. Kuhl navigate a tense physician call with calm, discipline, and persistence until the right outcome happened. It’s a clear example of what this episode is about. Conflict isn’t the exception in healthcare, it’s part of the job. The real question is how leaders show up when it happens. We talk about why conflict often comes with change, why avoiding it erodes trust, and why healthy organizations don’t eliminate conflict, they use it to build clarity and alignment. Dr. Kuhl shares how trust is built long before conflict appears, why preparation and curiosity matter, and how separating the problem from the person changes everything. We also dig into practical leadership tools: slowing conversations down, creating space for hard discussions, and using shared agreements to reduce friction over time. Dr. Kuhl explains why compassion, authenticity, and grace aren’t soft ideas, but cultural foundations that directly affect performance and patient care. If conflict is something you’re facing or something you’ve been putting off, this conversation offers a grounded, realistic way forward. Subscribe to Karl’s Leadership Writing. 👉 Who is Karl Pister? 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn. 👉 Have access to leadership materials that will level up your game. 👉 Contact us on our website. 👉 Subscribe to Karl's YouTube channel. Ready to level up your leadership skills? Sign up for The Coaching Group's leadership courses.