00:00:05:03 

MAPS 

Welcome to this episode of the Medical Affairs Professional Society podcast “Elevate”. The views expressed in this recording are those of the individuals, and do not necessarily reflect on the opinions of MAPS or the companies with which they are affiliated. This presentation is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or regulatory advice. And now for today’s “Elevate” episode. 

00:00:33:08 

Chris Turner 

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our three part podcast series on leading during times of change. I’m Chris Turner and it’s great to have you join us for episode two. In our first episode, we talked about the challenges of leading through change, and we introduced a powerful three step framework to help teams navigate uncertainty. Those three pieces we’re talking about were honoring the past, celebrating the present, and then embracing the future, and giving neutral space in between each phase to allow team members to reflect and kind of rebalance, to move on to the next phase. In today’s session, we’re going to talk about resilience and what that really means in the context of our work in Medical Affairs, and how leaders can foster resilience in themselves and their teams. Resilience is a critical skill for thriving in today’s fast paced world, and I’m thrilled to explore this topic with my two outstanding experts, Stephen Kagan and Sejal Motwane. Stephen, Sejal, thank you for being here with me once again. Steve, I’d like to start with you today on this topic. Why is resilience so important to the Medical Affairs community and especially when we’re talking about not only the constant change, but what you called in episode one, velocity and scale of Change. 

00:01:45:18  

Stephen Kagan 

So, Chris, I think of resilience as the process of adapting in the face of adversity, challenges and significant stress. It’s  that ability to bounce back and to move forward. Resilience is critical for success as an individual and as a leader. During my own career in infectious disease practice and in Medical Affairs. I’ve seen how resilience helps patients and professionals overcome challenges navigating change and complex problems, in industry, for example, and especially in Medical Affairs. What makes resilience so relevant today is the sheer volume of disruptions we’re facing, whether it’s AI integration, constant organizational change, pricing reform, or the evolving needs of all of our clients. Leaders and their teams are under incredible pressure to perform at the highest level while managing uncertainty. So resilience is a skill that can be learned and it can be developed, and it’s the foundation for navigating this environment successfully. It gives us a framework to equip individuals with the ability to adapt, to recover, and to really thrive amid challenges, while maintaining focus on their long term personal and professional goals and continuing to foster that culture of collaboration that we talked about. Without building resilience, we risk stagnation, missed opportunities and as noted in the first episode, burnout and sagging performance. 

00:03:25:17 

Chris Turner 

Sejal, in your role leading skills and leadership development, how does resilience show up for medical teams and leaders? 

00:03:32:17 

Sejal Motwane 

Thanks, Chris. Resilience is at the heart of what we do in leadership development. When we talk about our medical teams, resilience shows up in how they operate amid constant disruption. It’s the ability to stay grounded in the science, maintain judgment, and keep patients at the center of everything they do. This is all while priorities are shifting, timelines may be compressed and new information is constantly coming. Resilient teams are able to absorb the pressure, adjust quickly, and continue moving forward, delivering high quality insights without losing focus or momentum. For leaders, resilience is really about how they manage uncertainty. It’s the capacity to stay steady when there isn’t a clear playbook. They’re balancing competing demands, making decisions without all of the information, and resisting the pull to react instead of respond. Resilient leaders know how to pause, reset, and prioritize, and that help sustain performance over time, rather than driving short term wins at the expense of long term impact. At its core, resilience is what allows leaders and teams not just to withstand change, but continue to perform at a high level through it. 

00:04:44:17 

Stephen Kagan 

Sejal, that’s a great perspective. It’s also about connecting with and supporting each other, whether in the field or at headquarters. A resilient team is connected. Members look out for each other. They share the load. They celebrate wins together. This might look like proactive collaboration across divisions, or building trust with cross-functional partners and creating space for open communication and for shared problem solving. 

00:05:14:20 

Chris Turner 

Steve, two of the elements of the resilience model are optimism and positivity. At first glance, these aren’t always seen as ideas that reflect the real complexity of challenges or or how our day to day work actually goes. How do you reframe optimism and positivity as essential characteristics for thriving? 

00:05:35:09 

Stephen Kagan 

You bring up such an important point in understanding resilience. Both optimism and positivity aren’t about ignoring reality or sugarcoating challenges. They’re really about how we approach those challenges. Optimism is that ability to see opportunities in adversity and believe that solutions are possible. It’s about having that growth mindset, especially during times of change. It’s about having a sense of self and a feeling of controlling what we can control. It’s rooted in hope and problem solving, not rooted in denial. Positivity, on the other hand, is about cultivating a mindset that helps us stay focused and stay energized. Positive emotions broaden our perspective. They improve decision making. They build resilience over time. These characteristics aren’t just feel good concepts. They’re really critical strategies for thriving in uncertain environments. And they can be learned, as we mentioned earlier. 

00:06:41:20  

Sejal Motwane 

I completely agree, Steve. And I’m going to add to that because I think there’s an important distinction to be made here between blind optimism and practical optimism. Blind optimism ignores the reality of the challenge. Practical optimism, on the other hand, does the opposite. It fully acknowledges how hard things are right now, while still asking, given this reality, What’s the most constructive way forward? That little shift or reframe keeps teams focused on progress, rather than  getting stuck in the weight of the problem. Positivity works alongside that. It’s not about glossing over frustration or pressure or sugarcoating, asy ou said, Steve. It’s about how leaders help teams avoid slipping into a threat mindset where everything feels urgent or worse and solvable. When leaders are intentional about tone and framing, it supports clearer thinking and better decision making, especially under stress, See, in this way, optimism and positivity aren’t soft concepts. They’re practical tools leaders should be using to help teams stay effective and forward moving in complex, uncertain environments. 

00:07:53:04 

Chris Turner 

Sejal, tell me more about the role of leaders beyond just simple role modeling. What can leaders actually do to help their teams grow resilience? And where might their influence actually be limited? 

00:08:05:23  

Sejal Motwane 

It’s a great question, Chris. Thank you. Leaders have a meaningful role, I think, in shaping resilience, especially through the environment that they create from day to day. One of the biggest levers, of course, is psychological safety, We hear about it all the time… making it clear for our team members that it’s okay to ask questions, talk about what concerns they may have and learn from their misstep without being fearful. When leaders are transparent and approachable, trust will build naturally. Leaders can also support resilience by encouraging self-care. They should absolutely advocate for work life balance, flexibility when or if possible, and tell their colleagues to do a reset or have a reset during periods of high pressure. These signals matter. They help teams manage energy and not just output. And as Steve mentioned earlier, connection matters. Leaders can also strengthen bonds between teammates by encouraging consistent check ins, thoughtful cross-functional engagement, and creating space for open and honest dialog amongst the team. And maybe the last item I’ll mention here is shared purpose. When leaders consistently connect, work back to why it matters, how it’s serving patients or advances the organization, it provides clarity and motivation. This helps teams navigate challenges with competence. 

00:09:27:15 

Stephen Kagan 

Sejal, those are such meaningful points. It’s critical to recognize where leaders can’t directly intervene. For example, leaders can’t force someone to adopt a positive outlook. That has to come from within. What they can do, though, is create opportunities for people to practice resiilience, especially in manageable doses. While leaders can encourage professional relationships, they cannot fulfill all of a person’s emotional needs. 

00:09:56:21 

Stephen Kagan 

And they shouldn’t try. Building personal connections outside of work is equally as important for resilience. Leaders also can’t make someone feel empowered. They can only create that environment where empowerment is possible. It’s up to individuals to take ownership of their choices and ownership of their actions. 

00:10:18:20 

Sejal Motwane 

You hit the nail on the head there, Steve. Leaders really need to strike a balance between support and autonomy. You can give people the tools and space, but they decide how to ultimately use them. 

00:10:29:10 

Chris Turner 

So let’s make this actionable. What are some specific strategies that our listeners and leaders can use to help their teams grow? Resilience. Really practical ways. 

00:10:40:17 

Stephen Kagan 

So let me share a few ideas I’ve seen that successful leaders use and that I’ve used over my career. For one, leaders can model optimism by starting team meetings, for example, highlighting one recent success or an opportunity, rather than immediately diving into the challenge list or operational reviews. This helps shift the focus from problems to solutions. Another is that leaders should encourage teams to focus on what’s within their control. For example, when facing a setback, ask the question what’s one thing we can do right now to move forward? Leaders must communicate regularly and communicate clearly and share information. I myself have used the phrase, this is what I know to be true at this moment when communicating change and uncertainty. Leaders should also regularly connect team goals to the organization’s mission. Remind your team how their work contributes to patient outcomes or to innovation. Help colleagues connect with their purpose. 

00:11:52:05  

Sejal Motwane 

These are all great strategies, Steve, thank you for sharing. And maybe I’ll add a few of my own intentional practices that leaders can do to make resilience tangible. One of these is creating opportunities for peer collaboration. It could be cross-functional problem solving sessions perhaps, or even informal touchpoints or coffee that allow colleagues to really learn from one another more about who they are. Those moments help teams realize they’re not carrying challenges alone, and they foster trust amongst our team members. Leaders can also normalize healthy stress management by sharing practical strategies. It could be things such as setting boundaries a little bit. Staying active and practicing mindfulness. And one of the real important things is that leaders should model these themselves. When people see leaders protecting their own energy and respecting personal time, it gives others permission to do the same. And finally, recognition matters. In our last session, we talked about honoring the past and celebrating the present. Leaders build resilience when they notice and acknowledge perseverance. Perhaps calling out someone who adapted when things didn’t go as planned, or helped maintain momentum during a demanding project. Those moments reinforce what resilient behavior looks like in practice. 

00:13:08:05 

Chris Turner 

Thank you both for those insights. Before we wrap up today’s session, I’d like to give our listeners three action steps that I’m thinking they could take action today on and start building resilience in themselves, in their teams. The first is really reflection. Reflect on the idea of resilience, what elements of resilience we’ve talked about do you really feel strongest in? Which ones do you want to grow? And then start by modeling those for your team. The second is focusing on control. When you’re facing challenges and we all face challenges every day, remind your team and remind yourself to focus on the ones that you can directly control influence. And the third one’s kind of easy is foster connection. So as Sejal was just saying, build those check ins and build cross-functional collaborations for the team to strengthen bonds and support each other. Stephen, Sejal thank you for your contributions today for listeners. Be sure to join us when we do our final episode of the series, on leading and change. In that session, we’re going to look at what it means to lead in the fast changing world and building trust with your team members, your peers, and the executives who depend on you. Until then, take a moment to reflect. How are you fostering optimism and positivity in your mindset and with your team? What steps are you taking to build resilience in yourself and others during these times of challenge? And thank you again for listening. We’ll talk to you next time. Bye.