Leading Without a Title: How Clinicians Can Drive Change at Every Career Stage with Dr. Kardie Tobb

In this episode of SoundPractice, host Mike Sacopulos talks with Kardie Tobb, DO, MS, CPE, FASPC, FACC, FACOI, a board-certified cardiologist specializing in cardiometabolic disease prevention. Dr. Tobb is founder and medical director of the Cone Health Heart and Vascular Cardio-Obstetrics and Women’s Heart Health Program in Greensboro, North Carolina, and clinical integration officer for the Cone Health Center for Health Equity — a role she built not through a formal job posting, but by joining committees and stepping forward to address problems no one had officially claimed.

Her message is clear and practical: leadership does not require a title. Early- and mid-career clinicians are well positioned to identify gaps, build coalitions, and advance solutions that support organizational priorities — provided they understand the culture, frame their ideas effectively, and follow through on their commitments. Dr. Tobb speaks from experience: in her first year as an attending, she launched a free women’s heart screening event that now draws more than 300 participants each year.

This conversation is essential listening for any clinician who has noticed a problem, questioned whether it was their place to speak up, and stayed silent.

Dr. Tobb explains what it means to lead without formal authority, how it differs from holding a title, and why early-career clinicians often have a leadership advantage: fresh perspective. She also offers practical ways to begin leading informally, including joining committees with purpose, bringing solutions with problems, and delivering reliably on every commitment.

Informal leadership also requires a mindset grounded in intentionality, ownership, curiosity, data, and storytelling. Dr. Tobb also identifies common pitfalls, including mistaking an isolated observation for a systemwide problem, moving too quickly, leaving out front-line stakeholders, and neglecting personal well-being.

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership.

https://doi.org/10.55834/sp.6954760958