In this article you’ll discover how, in just 40 minutes delegates harnessed Leading with Joy®—a fusion of mindfulness, life-centered design, and hybrid collective intelligence grounded in neuroscience and behavioral psychology—to create environments where healthcare professionals and patients feel valued, understood, and empowered. By connecting mind with the heart elevated to systems thinking, they drove innovation through play and life-centered Design Thinking to create sustainable impact in healthcare at global scale, which can be achieved in any industry.
In November 2024, the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) (WISH7) under the patronage of the renowned Qatar Foundation brought together global leaders, policymakers, and innovators to address pressing health challenges.
Amidst this backdrop, Marty Zalewski was invited by the CEO of WISH to deliver a groundbreaking session titled “Leading with Joy: Creating Self-Realizing, Lasting Wellness—A Holistic Embodiment Experience.” This session aligned with WISH’s focus on system-level innovation and change through self-empowerment and self-realization, offering a transformative approach to healthcare leadership.
WISH partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop collaborative research projects, generating evidence-based reports on topics requiring urgent global attention. This partnership underscored a joint commitment to enhancing policy and practice, emphasizing the need for regional perspectives on global health and translating research into practical solutions with real-world impact.
This year’s summit focused on four main tracks:
- Health of Vulnerable and Minority Populations
- Health and Armed Conflict
- System-Level Innovation and Change
- Community-Led Engagement and Intervention
Challenges in Healthcare Leadership are Felt by All Professional Industries:
Navigating Rapid Innovation: Healthcare and other professionals, including those in Financial and Professional Services, often struggle to keep pace with innovation, social changes, decentralized systems, and democratized opportunities.
Outdated Learning Methods: Traditional approaches may not suit the new era, leading to difficulties in engaging meaningfully and creating sustainable value.
Emotional Disconnect: Professionals may feel disconnected from their core values and purpose, hindering their ability to lead effectively and inspire others.
Session’s Goals
Create ‘Capacity for Change’ by aligning with our core values to shape our intentions, visions, and strategies.
Explore the value of integrating Mind, Heart, and Physical Manifestation of the desired feelings and outcomes produced by the mind and heart through a new, evidence-based method and learning model to unlock transformative innovation in healthcare.
Bring into existence through design a path to arriving at the desired feeling using the art materials of terracotta, play dough and decorations. Sculpt and shape a representation of one’s desired state of being with creative flow.
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Our Approach: Leading with Joy in Healthcare
Creating Environments of Value and Empowerment
Leading with Joy in healthcare is about fostering environments where healthcare professionals and patients feel valued, understood, and empowered. By prioritizing the well-being of healthcare professionals, we can enhance patient care and drive sustainable innovation.
Reconnecting with the Inner Child
We invited participants to reconnect with their ‘inner child’—a state of limitless imagination and creativity unbounded by limitations. As children, we approached the world with curiosity and openness, essential qualities for innovation and compassionate leadership.
Integrating Play and Mindful Reflection.
Through a hands-on, heart-centered exploration, participants engaged in activities that combined play with mindful reflection. This process allowed them to:
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Align Mind and Heart: Explore the profound connection between thoughts and emotions.
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Embody Wellness: Physically manifest their desired states of being using creative materials.
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Inspire Purposeful Action: Empower themselves to make meaningful impacts in their roles as healthcare leaders.
Evidence-Based Learning Method
According to science of learning, the most effective way to learn is by counteracting our natural tendency to forget.
- Active Engagement: Conscious Learning, Creativity, and Physical Manifestation: Hands-on creation connects mind and body, enhancing learning and creativity.
- Enhanced Alertness and Focus: Stimulating activities heighten attention and concentration.
- Mindfulness, Reflection, and Play: Mindful play fosters self-awareness and openness to innovation.
- Interactive Exercises and Experimentation: Active exploration encourages problem-solving and innovation.
- Sharing Knowledge and Collaborative Innovation: Collaboration enhances understanding and sparks creativity.
Session’s Outcome: One of Most Talked About and Impactful Sessions of the Summit
In 40 minutes, using Leading with Joy’s fusion of mindfulness practice, life-centered design and hybrid collective intelligence, participants created environments where healthcare professionals and patients feel valued, understood, and empowered.
Through a hands-on, heart-centered exploration, participants engaged in activities that combined play with mindful reflection. This process allowed them to:
-
Align Mind and Heart: Explore the profound connection between thoughts and emotions.
-
Embody Wellness: Physically manifest their desired states using creative materials.
-
Inspire Purposeful Action: Empower themselves to make meaningful impacts in their roles as healthcare leaders.
Leading with Joy’s القيادة بالفرح Contribution to Global Healthcare
Watch Key Takeaways
Originally designed to be an intimate experience for select delegates, the awareness of Leading with Joy’s impact attracted 5x as many delegates to become a standing-room only seminar.
Hear the testimonials:
