Episode 27: “Soul-Care, Character, and Practical Wisdom: Ecosystem-Wide Flourishing in Health” with Dr. Kimara Ellefson

What if flourishing leadership isn’t something we achieve, but something we practice — moment by moment — through intention, vulnerability, and wisdom?

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Scott Parsons sits down with Dr. Kimara Ellefson — National Director of Strategy & Partnerships at the Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health — and explores how leaders can cultivate flourishing across healthcare systems by first cultivating it within themselves.

Together they explore:

• Flourishing leadership as knowing who we are — and who we’re becoming
 • Why leaders must “nourish their own souls” before caring for others
 • Character, caring, and practical wisdom as foundations for thriving cultures
 • Emotional intelligence, relational influence, and the courage to pause
 • Feminist relational theory and the power of community in leadership
 • Ecosystem-wide flourishing — moving beyond burnout and learned helplessness
 • The role of reflection, intentional habits, and shared humanity in healthcare
 • How small “pauses” create space for practical wisdom and better decisions
 • Why our leaders may impact our health as much as — or more than — our doctors

Kimara brings extraordinary clarity and compassion to leadership in healthcare — inviting us to rethink how we support healers, cultivate culture, and build systems where everyone can flourish.

This episode is for leaders in medicine, organizational development, education — and anyone who believes that leadership is, at its heart, a relational and moral act.

Learn more about the important work of the KNN by visiting The Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health. 

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Hosted by Dr. Scott Parsons, this podcast explores how character, virtue, wisdom, and purpose can shape a more flourishing life and leadership journey.

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Flourish with us—because leadership rooted in character changes everything.