Lessons from Leaders: Featured Guest Polly Dunford, President and CEO of IntraHealth International

04/25/22 • 16 min

I am here with Polly Dunford, the President and CEO of IntraHealth International. Polly has been someone we have been trying to get on our podcast for a long time - since she took this role at IntraHealth in March of 2020.

“It was a crazy time to take over an organization. I started on March 16th, the exact day that the world went virtual...”

In this episode, Polly shares what it felt like to meet staff virtually. She shares about her role, not as the CEO, but as the self identified CPO – Chief People Officer - focusing on supporting her team members during a challenging time period.

How does she think about doing everything remotely?

“The virtual workspace has been an opportunity to even the playing field...”

Listen to hear about what an even playing field looks like in her organization and how the virtual workspace led to unexpected relationship building.

What I appreciate so much about Polly and her entry into leadership at IntraHealth it is her flexibility - letting go of her own plan and shifting her focus from big thinking and thought leadership to helping staff find childcare, support for eldercare, and the deeply personal needs outside of the office space.

In addition to leading through the beginning of COVID-19 and the pandemic, Polly talks about leading through the tragic murder of George Floyd and how it rocked her organization to focus even more on equity, inclusivity, and actively participating in social justice efforts.

I can’t begin to write and acknowledge all of the lessons Polly shares with us in under 20 minutes. There is vital information in this episode for leaders and organizations everywhere. Stories to relate to, lessons to learn from, and struggles that have been very real for so many.

Thank you Polly for sitting down with me and for being an admirable leader through and through!

“It was a crazy time to take over an organization. I started on March 16th, the exact day that the world went virtual...”

How does she think about doing everything remotely?

“The virtual workspace has been an opportunity to even the playing field...”

Listen to hear about what an even playing field looks like in her organization and how the virtual workspace led to unexpected relationship building.

Thank you Polly for sitting down with me and for being an admirable leader through and through!

Previous Episode

Lessons from Leaders: Featured Guests William (Bill) Abrams & Nathalie Laidler Kylander, Trickle Up

This week is a special episode as we have a Lessons from Leaders Alumni, William (Bill) Abrams, and the successor to his position at Trickle Up, Nathalie Laidler Kylander.
This episode is unique in that we are able to walk through their experience of transitioning from one CEO to another, including what the overlap time looked like, how they walked it with grace and respect for one another, and how their leadership “trickled down” through the entire organization.
Both are self-proclaimed non-traditional CEO’s, and have much to share about leading right now. I appreciated hearing from Nathalie about her expectations coming into Trickle Up, her perceptions of Bill’s transition out, and how she prepared to take over this organization.
From Bill, we hear a different perspective about what it feels and looks like to transition out of an organization, what he looked for in a successor, and how he prepared physically, emotionally, and mentally.
The New York Times suggested 'Transition' as the word of the year in 2021, and there was no shortage of that at Trickle Up and many organizations across the globe. I am honored to sit down with two incredible leaders who can now shine the light on their journey last year, the learnings, the wins, the trials, and also, where the future is headed.
Thank you Nathalie and Bill!

Next Episode

Lessons from Leaders: Featured Guest Kate Moynihan, Executive Director of Seva Foundation

Kate Moynihan is with us this week. I have known Kate for years and have always admired her leadership savvy.

Kate is the Executive Director of Seva Foundation, a foundation working in over 20 countries to increase the capacity of local hospitals, and develop sustainable eye care programs.

Kate, like nearly all leaders, has seen a drastic change in leadership over the course of the pandemic. She talks about her role as an executive for a non-profit organization during a time of such discord and how she leaned into purpose first. Prioritizing "the why" in what she was doing allowed her to stick to her instincts to realign and reaffirm within the organization.

You will also hear Kate discuss the importance of setting personal boundaries and figuring out how to create a balance between work and personal life. She shares her ideas on how to disconnect from work. We could all use a boost in that.

Thank you, Kate!