In this episode of Lead Change, Dr. Michele Marcolongo joins host Mary K. Mulcahey for a powerful conversation about leadership, innovation, mentorship, and purpose-driven work in academia and engineering. Dr. Marcolongo shares her personal journey from aerospace engineering to biomaterials research following the loss of her mother to cancer, a transformative experience that inspired her to dedicate her career to developing medical technologies that improve patient care.

The discussion explores her leadership philosophy as Dean of Engineering at Villanova University, including servant leadership, strategic vision-setting, mentorship, and creating a culture of respect and collaboration. Dr. Marcolongo also highlights groundbreaking initiatives at Villanova, including sustainable engineering integration, new biomedical engineering programs, and the innovative Sports and Performance Engineering master’s program.

Throughout the episode, she reflects on lessons learned from influential leaders, the importance of humility, balanced with confidence, and how thoughtful leadership can drive meaningful institutional and societal change.

• Leadership is most effective when grounded in service, humility, and support for others.
• Transformative personal experiences can shape career purpose and long-term impact.
• Great leaders create environments where faculty, students, and teams can thrive.
• Strategic thinking and long-term vision are essential for meaningful organizational growth.
• Mentorship and sponsorship play critical roles in career development.
• Recognition and gratitude, even through small gestures like handwritten notes, can have lasting impact.
• Successful change management requires listening, collaboration, and stakeholder buy-in.
• Engineering and medicine are increasingly interconnected through innovation and technology.
• Sustainable engineering principles should be embedded into all areas of education and design.
• Leadership development programs like ELATES and ELAM help prepare future academic leaders for complex challenges.
• High-performing teams depend on trust, delegation, and shared vision.
• Innovation often requires balancing day-to-day responsibilities with focused strategic priorities.
• The most memorable research moments come from persistence and years of incremental work.
• “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” — a reminder to take action and move forward now.

In this episode of Lead Change, Dr. Laura Ngwenya, a neurosurgeon-scientist and leader in neurotrauma, shares insights from her multifaceted career spanning clinical care, research, and national leadership. She discusses her work treating traumatic brain injury (TBI), leading clinical trials, and investigating the underlying mechanisms of poor neurological outcomes through translational research.

Dr. Ngwenya also highlights her leadership roles, including serving as Vice Chair for Research and directing a neurotrauma learning health system focused on improving patient outcomes across the continuum of care. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration across disciplines, integrating patient and community perspectives, and building sustainable systems that align clinical impact with institutional priorities.

Throughout the conversation, she reflects on mentorship, the importance of defining a personal “why,” and lessons learned from working with diverse teams. The episode underscores how purposeful leadership, grounded in both science and service, can drive meaningful change in patient care and academic medicine.

🔑 Key Takeaways

1. The Power of the Neurosurgeon-Scientist Model

• Integrating clinical care with research enables direct translation from bedside to bench—and back.
• Studying real patient problems (e.g., cortical spreading depolarizations) drives meaningful scientific inquiry.

2. Leadership is About Building Systems, Not Just Roles

• Effective leaders create infrastructure (clinical trials, research support, interdisciplinary teams).
• Sustainability requires aligning clinical innovation with financial and institutional priorities.

3. Collaboration Drives Innovation

• Progress in complex fields like neurotrauma requires bridging silos between clinicians, researchers, and communities.
• Diverse perspectives lead to better ideas and better patient outcomes.

4. Start with Your “Why”

• A clear personal mission helps guide career decisions and leadership opportunities.
• Alignment with purpose prevents burnout and ensures meaningful impact.

5. Listening is a Leadership Superpower

• Effective leadership isn’t directive—it’s collaborative.
• Understanding different perspectives helps unify teams toward shared goals.

6. Mentorship is Critical for Change

• Representation matters, but support and encouragement matter even more.
• Mentorship plays a key role in improving diversity in fields like neurosurgery.

7. Confidence and Presence Matter

• How leaders carry themselves (confidence, clarity) impacts how they are perceived and how effectively they lead.

8. Patient-Centered Thinking Must Extend Beyond the Hospital

• True outcomes include long-term recovery, rehabilitation, and return to life—not just surgical success.
• Learning health systems can integrate patient, caregiver, and community voices to improve care.

In this live episode of the Lead Change podcast, Dr. Mary Mulcahey sits down with Dr. Leon McCrea, Vice Dean for Educational Affairs at Drexel University College of Medicine and a nationally recognized leader in medical education and health equity.

Dr. McCrea shares his journey as a family physician, educator, and leader, emphasizing the importance of relationship-building, mentorship, and purpose-driven work. He discusses his leadership roles, including his work developing inclusive pathways into medicine and leading a regional consortium focused on health equity.

The conversation explores how effective leaders align teams around a shared mission, innovate even in resource-constrained environments, and prioritize developing the next generation of physicians. Dr. McCrea also reflects on the importance of allyship, adaptability, and timing in leadership decisions.

At its core, this episode highlights how meaningful leadership is rooted in purpose—creating opportunities for others, fostering inclusive systems, and continuously evolving to meet the needs of both learners and patients.

Key Takeaways

1. Purpose Drives Leadership
   • Effective leadership starts with a clear “why.”
   • Dr. McCrea’s mission centers on creating access and opportunity for underrepresented individuals in medicine.
2. Relationships Are Everything
   • Strong leadership is built on authentic relationships, both within and beyond your organization.
   • Long-term connections often become critical opportunities later in your career.
3. Innovation Must Continue—Even Without Resources
   • Resource limitations shouldn’t stop progress.
   • Leaders must push teams to innovate, even when it feels difficult or uncomfortable.
4. Align Around a Shared Mission
   • Successful teams rally around a common goal that people believe in deeply.
   • Leaders must clearly communicate and reinforce that mission.
5. Allyship Improves Systems for Everyone
   • Allyship isn’t limited to one group—it’s about creating better, more equitable systems overall.
   • Inclusive environments benefit all individuals, not just underrepresented groups.
6. Timing Matters in Leadership
   • It’s not just what you propose—it’s when.
   • Understanding organizational readiness can determine success or failure.
7. Adaptability Is Essential
   • Change is constant, and rigidity is the enemy of leadership.
   • Great leaders stay flexible and help others navigate evolving environments.
8. Teaching Multiplies Impact
   • The greatest legacy of a leader is developing others.
   • Educating future physicians amplifies impact far beyond individual patient care.
9. Leadership Requires Resilience
   • Leadership often involves being under-recognized and absorbing challenges (“taking arrows”).
   • Staying grounded in purpose helps sustain long-term effectiveness.
10. Find Freedom in Your Work
    • Fulfillment comes from meaning and purpose within your work, not escaping it.
    • Leaders should cultivate that same sense of purpose for their teams.