In this episode of the Healthcare Plus Podcast, Dan Collard sits down with Dr. Katherine Meese to unpack their new book, Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce, new from ACHE Learn, a practical, research-grounded guide to leading across generations in healthcare. Rather than leaning on clichés, they explore how technology has reshaped expectations at work, why younger clinicians experience the environment differently, and what leaders can do right now to retain and develop talent at every level.

They move quickly from origin story to business case, connecting multigenerational leadership to retention, safety, and engagement. You’ll hear how disrespect drives toxic culture (and turnover), why communication gaps sit behind many sentinel events, and how reframing PTO and well-being improves team performance. They also preview the book’s myth-busting chapter (data that challenges doom-driven narratives) and explain why the patient belongs at the center of any workforce conversation.

The episode introduces Control+Alt+Lead, a leadership “reboot” framework that starts with self-reflection, builds psychological safety for new clinicians to speak up, and shifts from succession planning to success planning so people can thrive.

What you’ll learn:

• A clear business case for multigenerational leadership (retention, safety, engagement)
• Why technology (not stereotypes) drives many generational differences
• Practical ways to reduce disrespect and strengthen communication
• How to apply the Control+Alt+Lead framework
• Where Genfluence fits into ACHE Congress and your leadership development roadmap

Smart, usable, and grounded in real fieldwork, this conversation offers leaders a path to keep great people longer and take better care of patients in the process.

About Dr. Katherine A. Meese and Dan Collard

Dr. Katherine A. Meese and Dan Collard are co-authors of Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce (ACHE Learn 2026).

Dr. Meese has fifteen years of experience in healthcare management, leadership and research, and is an award-winning scholar and author in organizational behavior, well-being and leadership. Most importantly, she is on a mission to use science to help healthcare leaders keep their people and keep them well. She is the author of five books including The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust with Quint Studer.

Dan Collard’s thirty-one years in the industry include hospital and health system operations, technology start-up transactions and consulting. He has been described as a “change agent, builder, mentor and developer of others.” His lens-of-the-operator view continues to guide his leadership practice. Dan is the cofounder of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group and the coauthor of Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired and Rewiring Leadership in Post-Acute Healthcare.