From Burnout to Breakthrough: Dr. Mohamad Saad on Organizational Alignment and Physician Coaching

In this compelling episode, we sit down with Mohamad Saad, MD, MBA, CPE, an internal medicine physician, healthcare leader, and certified coach, to explore solutions for two of healthcare's most pressing challenges: workforce disengagement and physician burnout. With 70% of employees disengaged and burnout at crisis levels, Saad presents a data-driven approach to organizational alignment and coaching that can revolutionize healthcare leadership.

Why it matters: Burnout and disengagement don’t just affect morale — they impact outcomes. Engaged employees are 1.5x more productive, and inspired employees are 2.25x more productive. Saad’s alignment framework connects organizational vision and goals to frontline work, creating purpose-driven teams that thrive.

Key Insights:

• The alignment triangle: How cascading vision → mission → goals → SMART objectives → projects, drives measurable improvements.

• Three types of alignment: Vertical (vision to frontline), horizontal (cross-departmental), and diagonal (interdisciplinary connections).

• Coaching vs. directing: Why empathetic listening and powerful questions unlock potential better than traditional leadership.

• AI’s role in healthcare: How artificial intelligence will amplify emotionally intelligent physicians while challenging those still developing intrinsic skills.

Real-world results: As a residency program director, Saad aligned resident quality improvement projects with hospital operational goals, significantly reducing length-of-stay for heart failure, pneumonia, and COPD patients.

Bottom line: Healthcare leaders need tools like organizational alignment and coaching to combat burnout, inspire teams, and prepare for the future. Saad’s insights offer actionable strategies for creating engaged, purpose-driven organizations.

• Connect with Mohamad Saad, MD, MBA, CPE .

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership .