"Hey", 10 minutes later...

This week, I was honored with athenaAdmired 2024—my second year in a row receiving this nomination across athenahealth. Being recognized in the top quartile of leaders globally (among 10M+ people) is an incredible honor. While it reflects a commitment to fostering an environment where teams can thrive, it also prompts an important question: So now what?

Leadership is really hard. And to be honest, I don’t expect to be nominated again—just like I didn’t expect it the first time. That’s not what drives me. In a way, I see it as my job to be a great leader. The recognition is nice, but what matters most to me is that the people who work directly for me, and throughout my organization, love their jobs, find meaning in their work, and feel valued.

When those things align, amazing things happen. Since joining epocrates, we’ve had three incredible years of progress—call it “moving the needle”—beating the odds, challenging the status quo, and pushing boundaries beyond what we ever imagined for this company. We've redefined what’s possible and executed at a level that keeps raising the bar. That’s what makes the work fulfilling—not the recognition, but the impact we’ve made. Three years in, the majority of my team is still on this journey with me.

What’s important is that my team trusts me. Trusts me to have open, transparent conversations about the business. Trusts me to provide real feedback on how they’re doing—both personally and professionally. Trusts me to challenge them in ways that push their careers forward, even if it means having tough, uncomfortable discussions. Not every conversation will go smoothly, and that’s okay. Growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones.

For a long time, I liked being comfortable. I spent almost 15 years in the same organization—familiar roles, known challenges, and a clear sense of stability. But growth requires discomfort, and eventually, I knew it was time to change.

Three years ago, I jumped into epocrates with very little experience in media, advertising, or publishing. It was a risk. It was uncomfortable. But it was also the best decision I could have made. Because stepping into the unknown, learning fast, and embracing challenges head-on is exactly what fuels real progress—not just for me, but for the teams I lead and the business we’re building.

The reality is, as a leader, almost everything I do has the potential to create conflict. I push my team hard. I have high expectations, and they know it. But those expectations aren’t just about performance metrics—they’re about growth, ambition, and a belief in what they are capable of achieving. It requires making decisions that won’t always be popular. It demands that we sometimes go against our instincts, that we risk not being liked by everyone. I’ve learned to be comfortable with my areas of improvement. Self-awareness is key, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I’m far from perfect. Apparently, the voting members of athenaAdmired feel otherwise.

For example, I tend to use the word “hey” more than any word in the dictionary. It’s my go-to way of reaching out—but sometimes, it results in radio silence for hours. Maybe my team has developed an immunity to it at this point. This happens in my personal life too—no shame. I think they’ve even created memes about me.

And then there’s my chronic lateness. Not because I’m taking a break or slacking off, but because I try to give every possible minute to the people around me. I struggle to walk away from a conversation when someone needs my time, even if it means running behind for the next meeting. Recently, our Executive Leadership Team started implementing the 0:05 and 0:35 start times for meetings. Maybe they are trying to tell me something. I haven’t figured out how to be perfectly punctual, but I do know the financials of this company inside and out—so there’s that.

I can also be a bit... sporadic. “Hey, look, a deer!” My mind moves fast, jumping from one thought to the next, which makes me great at vision and big ideas. I thrive on change, problem-solving, and leading people through uncertainty. But project management? It’s not for me. So there, maybe athenaAdmired will change their mind.

And yet, results don’t come from numbers alone. They come from people. People who are passionate about what they do. People who love coming to work every day because they know their work matters. People who work hard—not just for the sake of working hard—but because they believe in the impact of what they’re building.

And perhaps the best part of leading a high-performing organization is watching incredibly talented people grow beyond the roles I can offer them. Seeing them step into bigger opportunities—whether it’s a promotion I couldn’t give them, a leadership role with a larger team, a pivot from the current role to the right role, a stretch assignment I couldn’t provide, or even a career move that brings them greater financial success.

At the end of the day, that’s what matters most to me. Not athenaAdmired, not the accolades—but the people. Because when you invest in them, listen to them, remember them, challenge them, and create an environment where they can thrive, the results will follow.

- epocman