Episode #84: Inside the OR: A Surgeon’s Guide to Building Trust and High-Performing Teams

What does it take for a team to earn someone's complete trust? For more than 30 years, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Kelley has answered that question every time a patient places their life in his team's hands. He has led surgical teams in hospitals ranging from 1,000 beds in North Carolina to the smaller setting of Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. On this episode of Missing Conversations, Altus executive coaches Ellen Burton and Amy Vodarek sit down with Mark for a candid conversation about what the operating room teaches every leadership team: how humility builds trust, why every voice in the room matters, when to hold a red line, and how a simple "I don't know" keeps people safe. Mark also shares how he's approaching AI with care, what a heart condition taught him about rest, and the one question his team asks before closing every case. Listen now and bring Mark's lessons from the operating room into your next conversation with your team.

Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear

03:08: What it takes to join a team as a learner and lead one as a teacher
07:12: Why bringing business leaders into the operating room builds shared understanding of the work
10:27: How leaders earn the trust to push back when quality and safety are on the line
12:06: Why checking your ego at the door earns your team's respect
13:12: What a team owes the people who place complete trust in them
16:31: How a team finds its flow when everyone anticipates what's needed next
18:46: Why no case is routine, and how blame-free reviews make every team better
20:20: How acting quickly on a concern makes it safe for anyone to speak up
22:35: "I want to be the flame." Holding the line between humility and humiliation
24:30: Why "I don't know" belongs in every leader's vocabulary
27:55: How a seasoned leader approaches AI: learn it, check it, and stay honest about what you don't know
31:01: "What kind of robot do you have?" What one question reveals about competing for top talent
33:25: Words of wisdom for rising leaders: remember why you chose this work and learn from those ahead of you
37:22: Why honesty and accountability protect trust across an entire organization
41:26: How a health wake-up call taught a surgeon that rest is part of the job
43:53: Why a rested team makes better decisions, and how to wait without guilt
45:44: The one question that closes every case: "Have we done everything we can?"

By the end of this conversation, you’ll hear answers to:

How do leaders make it safe for everyone on a team to speak up?

Leaders make it safe to speak up by building real connection and giving every voice equal weight. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Kelley builds that connection in simple ways: the surgical tech of the day picks the operating room music, and the team shares lunch and has even gone golfing together. Because every case is different, his team talks openly throughout the day and looks together for ways to do the work better next time. Everyone is free to raise a concern, publicly or privately, whatever their role. When a team member needed support with an uncomfortable situation involving an outside vendor, Kelley stepped in quickly, showing his people that voicing their concerns leads to action. Timestamp: 18:46

How should senior leaders approach AI adoption?

Senior leaders can approach AI by learning it well enough to use it responsibly before guiding others with it. Dr. Mark Kelley admits AI feels intimidating, and he studies it anyway. He uses it to pull current research on complex surgical cases, which saves him significant time, and then checks every study to confirm it's reputable. He's careful to avoid acting as if he knows more than he does, because a leader who pretends can lead people down the wrong path. His approach is a useful model for any executive team: stay curious, verify what the technology produces, and be honest about what you're still learning. Timestamp: 27:55

How can leaders sustain their energy and show up at their best?

Leaders show up at their best when they treat rest as part of the job. Dr. Mark Kelley learned this through a health wake-up call earlier in his career, and today he leads with a steadiness his whole team can count on. He protects his sleep, and his emergency room colleagues know he'll see non-urgent patients first thing in the morning while he stays reachable for true emergencies. He recharges through exercise and phone-free time in nature, especially along the shores of Lake Superior. Mark explains why a rested surgical team produces better outcomes, and how leaders can choose the right timing with confidence. Timestamps: 41:26, 43:53

“There's a lot more freedom to be able to say, ‘Hey, you know that didn't go well. What can you do now?’" ~ Dr. Mark Kelley

About Dr. Mark Kelley

Dr. Mark Kelley has spent more than 30 years leading surgical teams in hospitals as small as 20 beds and as large as 1,000. An orthopedic surgeon with Aspirus Medical Group, he cares for patients and families at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Laurium, Michigan. Mark grew up in Ann Arbor as one of six children, studied at the University of Notre Dame, began medical school in Mexico, and completed his orthopedic residency at Mount Sinai in New York. Whether he's joining a large surgical team or leading his own, he stays teachable, keeps everyone talking, and treats each patient's trust as a commitment the whole team shares. He's the father of four sons and grandfather of four, and he recharges through gardening, boating, and carpentry.

You can learn more about Mark at: https://providers.aspirus.org/mark-kelley/1851303978

About Altus Growth Partners

At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results.

We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose.

Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them.

You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/

About the Book

Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams.

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Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward. Order your copy today!

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Keywords:

#HealthcareLeadership, #TeamCulture, #AIinLeadership