Transformation

Have you ever seen an organization use the word “transformation”… but nothing and no one actually transforms?

Hi everyone, it’s Joan.

I want to share a real example from my years with The Permanente Medical Group — the physician arm of Kaiser Permanente — where I spent 15 years, and the last ten as a Vice President of Operations.

Back in 2014, our senior leaders — Lindsay Dix, Dr. Ken Gruen, and Dr. Sharon Mowat — made a choice that most leaders talk about but very few actually do.

They didn’t start by changing workflows. They didn’t start by changing systems. They started by changing themselves.

And that aligns perfectly with what Brené Brown writes about in Chapter Eight of Strong Ground. She draws a sharp line between transformation and incremental change — and most organizations never cross it.

But these leaders did.

They took us out into the field to see Lean Transformation not as a noun… but as a verb.As something you live. As something you model. As something that shows up in how you think, act, experiment, and lead — every day.

They partnered with simplr | JWA for a three-year journey that began with the executive team. It wasn’t theory. It wasn’t inspirational posters on the wall.It was hands-on practice: rapid improvement events, value-stream development, and coaching embedded in real departments.

The most powerful part?

They led publicly. They allowed themselves to be uncomfortable. They let us see their vulnerability, their curiosity, and their growth in real time.

They went from having the “traditional” answers…to saying, “I don’t know yet. I’m learning. Let’s test this together.”

We built Mission Control areas. We created daily huddles. We standardized rounding. We built a coaching rhythm that actually sustained results.

And then the NeuroLeadership Institute came in — training us, licensing us, and giving us a shared language of growth mindset that elevated everything.

This work changed me permanently. It shaped how I think, how I coach, how I lead, and what I believe is possible in organizations.

Now that I work across many industries, I can see how rare this truly was. Most teams are still struggling with the basics — because they’re trying to create transformation without embodying transformation.

Yet in the Diablo Service Area, even 11 years later, that foundation still lives in the culture.

So I want to offer deep gratitude — and a loud, public shout-out — to Lindsay Dix, Dr. Kenneth Gruen, and Dr. Sharon Mowat for leading with intention, courage, and staying power.

And now, let me end where I started. When your organization says it wants “transformation”…are you actually transforming? Or are you just changing the furniture?

If that question lands for you — or makes you curious — I’d love to continue the conversation.

Thanks for listening.