The Leadership Perspective I’m Taking into My Next Chapter
by Melody Trimble, FACHE, CPPS
After more than 40 years in healthcare leadership, I’ve witnessed change in every form.
From rapid change to overdue change, exciting change, and the kind that keeps you up at night. And through all of it, one lesson has been constant: successful change starts in the mind long before it shows up on a dashboard.
I have led teams through turnarounds, culture resets, growth spurts, and very real moments of uncertainty. During those times, it was never the strategy written on paper that determined success it was the belief behind it. When people feel valued, trusted, and connected to a purpose bigger than their task list, they do incredible things.
Positivity, to me, is not cheerleading or ignoring hard realities. It is choosing to view challenges through the lens of possibility. It is reinforcing that we are capable and that what we do matters. That mindset creates the courage to act, the resilience to adapt, and the collaboration needed to sustain results.
If leaders overlook the human side of transformation, they unintentionally create environments where people feel anxious, guarded, and disconnected. But when leaders invest in mindset and relationships, engagement rises, communication improves, and performance accelerates. I’ve seen it again and again.
As I transition from the CEO seat into coaching, teaching, and supporting the next generation of leaders, I am returning to what has fueled my work from the start: helping people see their own potential and empowering them to bring their best to the teams they serve.
I believe every individual whether a senior executive, a new nurse manager, a sports coach resetting after a season, or someone just finding their leadership voice deserves someone who believes in them. Someone who encourages growth, not perfection. Someone who leads with heart and conviction.
That is where my passion lives now.
I’m excited to spend this next chapter giving back; sharing real-world lessons, building leaders’ confidence, and strengthening cultures that allow both people and organizations to thrive. Because the world needs bold, compassionate leaders now more than ever.
Change is constant. Mindset is a choice. Positivity is the fuel.
“Successful change starts in the mind long before it shows up on a dashboard.”
