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Episode #
26
Being an Effective Influencer When You're Not the Boss
In Being an Effective Influencer When You're Not the Boss, Kris Baird returns to discuss how real leadership in healthcare often comes from those without a formal title. As President of Baird Group, she unpacks how influencers inside health systems—like nurse coaches and early adopters—can shape culture, shift resistance, and drive results through trust, empathy, and resilience. Joined by Chris Lingner, the conversation moves beyond hierarchy and dives into smart design strategies for change, purpose, and progress.
EPISODE GUESTS

Kris Baird
Baird Group (Baird Consulting, Inc.)
Culture Catalyst
Kristin Baird, MHA, BSN, is a nationally recognized healthcare culture catalyst, author, and executive consultant with over three decades of experience driving employee engagement, nursing retention, and positive patient experiences. As the founder and President of the Baird Group (established in 1994), she utilizes her specialized "Baird Model" for culture transformation to guide healthcare organizations through culture assessments, leadership development, customer service training, and proprietary medical mystery shopping. A registered nurse and former healthcare executive, Baird’s clinical and operational background includes serving as Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Watertown Area Health Services and pioneering a high-volume, 24/7 nurse triage system as an Ask-A-Nurse Product Manager for Mercy Health System. Her systemic impact on national healthcare policy includes a 2009 appointment by the U.S. Secretary of Health to serve as an advisor for the National Health Service Corps. A prolific industry voice, she has authored five books—including her signature leadership coaching course, Be the Leader Nobody Wants to Leave—and published over 200 articles on healthcare leadership and clinical workplace culture.
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