Chief Medical Officer, Duke Raleigh Hospital
Dr. Ted Boyse
Dr. Ted Boyse sits down with Molly Acton to talk about what it actually looks like to build a career in healthcare leadership. From growing up watching his father practice medicine to becoming Chief Medical Officer at Duke Raleigh Hospital, Ted shares how self-awareness, listening, and small acts of trust-building shaped his path. He opens up about being rejected for his dream role at 41, spending eight years developing new skills in a leadership position he hadn't planned on, and finally landing the job at 50. The conversation covers why the social skills you build in college are the same ones you need to lead, why he regrets not joining more things at Duke, how trust is built through small repeated actions, and why a bad day is just a bad day.
Key Takeaways
- The most important job at your age is figuring out who you actually are right now
- The social skills you're building in college, like conflict resolution, motivating people, and maintaining relationships, are the exact skills you'll need as a leader
- Real listening means asking a follow-up question that shows you actually want to know more
- Trust comes from small actions repeated over time, not big moments
- Rejection at 41 led to eight years of growth and a better outcome at 50. Sometimes you're just not ready yet
- Be a joiner. Ted's biggest regret at Duke was assuming the clubs on the bulletin board were for other people
- Don't try to solve your life at 35 while you're living it at 19
- A bad day is just a bad day. It's not a cumulative score
"You are probably doing better than you think, and a bad day is just a bad day."