Watch the full conversation with Jim Skogsbergh below.
Few industries demand as much from their leaders as healthcare. For Jim Skogsbergh, former Co-CEO of Advocate Health, meeting that demand starts with the people a leader chooses to lead alongside. “I don’t know that I’ve ever accomplished anything by myself,” he said. “I don’t think we ever do.”
Jim spoke with Bob Clarke, Chairman of Furst Group and NuBrick Partners, for a special edition of Conversations in Leadership featuring past recipients of the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award. He reflected on more than two decades leading Advocate Health and on what he hopes for the leaders coming up behind him. His reflections center on a clear organizational North Star, humility as a defining leadership trait, an executive team of A players, and the goal of better health outcomes at a lower cost.
In 2023, Jim received the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award from the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), sharing the honor with Dr. Melinda L. Estes.
Why Quality and Safety Became Advocate’s North Star
When Bob asked what stands out as his greatest leadership accomplishment, Jim began with the team. “Whatever success we enjoy, it’s because of a team of great people,” he said. With that in mind, he named two accomplishments.
“I thought at Advocate Health Care we planted our flag in the early 2000s that quality and safety were our North Star,” Jim said. “I think that clarity of purpose was very, very important for the organization.”
That clarity paid off in two distinct ways. “I think as a result, we served our patients extremely well, and I think we became a great place to work for our team members,” he said.
Hear Jim Skogsbergh explain why Advocate made quality and safety its North Star.
What It Means to Leave a Healthcare Organization Stronger Than You Found It
Jim described his second accomplishment as “maybe even more simple.” “What comes to mind is leaving the organization in a stronger, better place than you found it,” he said. “And I really believe that we can say we did that.”
“It’s got the kind of strength that’s going to allow it to endure, and that means it’ll serve patients and communities for a long, long time in the future,” he added, “and I feel great about both those things.”
Hear Jim Skogsbergh describe what he considers his proudest accomplishment as a leader.
For leaders, his framing points to a question worth revisiting regularly. Is the organization stronger than it was when they arrived, and strong enough to keep serving patients and communities long after they leave?
Why Humility Is the Leadership Trait Jim Most Hopes to See
Asked what trait he most hopes to see in the leaders coming up behind him, Jim acknowledged that it was “hard to pick just one” before settling on humility.
“Humility comes to mind, and I’m talking about the kind of humility that makes sure that you respect others’ opinions, the kind of humility that causes you to seek out wisdom and advice and guidance from others, and the kind of humility that causes you to surround yourself with people that are smarter than you are,” he said. “So, if I had to pick one, I’d say humility.”
Hear Jim Skogsbergh explain the kind of humility he hopes to see in emerging leaders.
Building an Executive Team of A Players
Asked for one piece of advice for emerging leaders, Jim said there are many, then offered one centered on the executive team.
“You have to make sure that your team, your executive team, is comprised of A players, and I mean the letter A,” he said. “That requires a continuous assessment because the environment changes and the demands change, and the challenges are simply too great to settle for B players or individuals that are really not at the top of their game.”
“So I would say making sure that you’re surrounding yourself with A+ players is a piece of advice I’d give upcoming leaders.”
Hear Jim Skogsbergh share his advice on building an executive team of A players.
Jim’s point about continuous assessment matters for CEOs and boards alike. Because the environment and its demands keep changing, the executive team that fits one set of challenges may not fit the next. That makes assessing the team with an ongoing leadership responsibility and a standing part of succession planning, not a decision made once at the point of hire.
When Bob observed that building an A team “also opens the door for a lot of healthy debate and shared experiences,” Jim tied it directly back to humility. “That’s where that humility comes in, right? That willingness to engage in debate and discussion, to be challenged in your thinking, and to welcome that challenge so you’re getting the very best advice that you can get.”
Why the Need for Excellent Leadership Keeps Rising
Bob noted that in his 40 years in the field, every year has felt like an interesting time in healthcare, but “right now it feels even more interesting and challenging.”
Jim agreed. “I think you’re right,” he said. “The industry is just getting more and more difficult. It’s more challenging today than when I started, and it’s going to be more challenging 10 years from now.”
For Jim, that difficulty is why the focus on leadership is so important. “I think that the need for excellent leadership has never been greater,” he said, “and that need continues to rise every year.”
Jim’s Hope for Better Health Outcomes at a Lower Cost
When asked about his hopes for the future of healthcare, Jim named one goal above all.
“The one thing I’d love to see, honestly, and it’s big picture, is better health outcomes at a lower cost,” he said. “I think that’s proven to be so very difficult. It is elusive.”
He explained why. “We have great health outcomes in this country… but the cost has sort of taken us down, slowly but surely, and that concerns me, the ability of Americans not being able to afford healthcare.”
Hear Jim Skogsbergh describe the one thing he would love to see happen in healthcare in this country.
On outcomes, Jim said, “we continue to raise the bar.” On cost, his hope reaches further. “If I was really hoping, I’d say dramatically lower costs,” he said, adding that he hopes “the leaders of tomorrow are able to… make that happen for the good of our country.”
Jim also reflected on how complex healthcare can be for people outside the industry.
“Boy, I’m so lucky that I’m in the industry, that I know people, because I think navigating in the blind, if you will, would be tremendously difficult,” he said.
He closed by returning to the goal he started with. “Better health outcomes at a lower cost,” he said. “I think that’s a great goal.”
What Healthcare Leaders Can Take From Jim’s Approach
Jim’s reflections come from more than two decades as a health system CEO, and they last because they return to fundamentals of clarity of purpose, humility, and talent.
They also give boards and executive teams a few questions to test against their own work. Does the organization have one clear priority it can hold to, as Advocate did with quality and safety? Is the executive team assessed continuously as demands change? And does the team welcome the debate and challenge that Jim ties to humility?
For organizations building their next generation of leadership, Jim’s career offers a practical starting point. Name one North Star, surround yourself with people who will push back, and never stop asking whether you’re leaving things better than you found them.
Access the Full Conversation
Bob Clarke, Chairman of Furst Group and NuBrick Partners, in conversation with
Jim Skogsbergh, former Co-CEO of Advocate Health.
About
James H. (Jim) Skogsbergh:
Jim Skogsbergh is the former Co-CEO of Advocate Health. He joined Advocate Health Care as chief operating officer in 2001 and served as its President and CEO from 2002. After Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care merged in 2018 to form Advocate Aurora Health, he served as Co-CEO and, beginning in 2019, as President and CEO. When Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health combined to form Advocate Health in December 2022, he became Co-CEO, a role he held until May 2024. He received the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award in 2023 and the American College of Healthcare Executives Gold Medal Award in 2025.
The Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award:
Presented by the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), the award honors Gail L. Warden, NCHL’s founding chair and President Emeritus of Henry Ford Health. It celebrates individuals who have driven meaningful, enduring improvements in health and healthcare through visionary leadership and a strong commitment to the wellbeing of their communities.
Conversations in Leadership:
Conversations in Leadership is our series featuring candid perspectives from healthcare leaders, hosted by Bob Clarke, Chairman of Furst Group and NuBrick Partners. In a special edition of the series, Bob, who serves on the NCHL Board of Directors, connects with past recipients of the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award to reflect on the decisions, challenges, and lessons that define great leadership.
