The STS Resilient Surgeon Podcast
”The Resilient Surgeon” aims to inspire cardiothoracic surgeons to be their best selves, in and out of the OR, using scientifically proven strategies and methods of the world’s top performers. In each episode, host Michael Maddaus, MD, talks to game changers in the high-performance and wellness space who provide expert guidance for reducing stress and burnout, building resiliency, and achieving balance in life. Listen today.
Episodes

Monday Mar 24, 2025
Monday Mar 24, 2025
Do you ever say to yourself, “I don’t feel like doing this today?” On this episode, Tim Pychyl, PhD, procrastination researcher and author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, talks about procrastination and how to avoid it. Pychyl reveals the latest research on why people get stuck and offers strategies to "break free from self-destructive ideas and habits" and start living an inspired life. Listen today.

Tuesday Jan 14, 2025
Tuesday Jan 14, 2025
Host Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Jonathan Clark, leadership scholar at UTSA and co-author of Leading Through: Activating the Soul, Heart, and Mind of Leadership, about prioritizing people, purpose and real productivity to transform an organization. Hear compelling stories that show how "the legacy model of leadership can be destructive," resulting in what he calls "organizational darkness." Learn about a positive model focused on caring for people and helping them thrive.

Monday Dec 16, 2024
Monday Dec 16, 2024
In this episode of The Resilient Surgeon, host Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Dr. Ross Bremner, the executive director of Norton Thoracic Institute and the department chair of the Center for Thoracic Disease and Transplantation at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, about surgeon burnout. Dr. Bremner shares his journey through burnout and how he used the 3 Cs - compassion, connection and creativity, to recover.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 40% of surgeons met criteria for burnout, defined as a high emotional exhaustion score and/or a high depersonalization score.

Wednesday Oct 23, 2024
Wednesday Oct 23, 2024
Dr. Steven Gerndt is a cardiothoracic surgeon, speaker, and leadership mentor who developed the concept “Civilitas,” a system-wide cultural transformation focused on psychological safety and fostering of leadership by example. In this episode, Dr. Gerndt talks about his work dedicated to helping organizations and people navigate personal crises through counseling, affirmation, and empathy. He emphasizes the critical importance of allowing people in crisis to be heard.

Monday Sep 30, 2024
Monday Sep 30, 2024
In this week’s Resilient Surgeon episode, Sheila Heen, a lecturer on negotiation at Harvard Law School and co-author of Thanks for the Feedback and Difficult Conversations, talks about giving and receiving feedback and how we can be better at both. Specifically, Heen explains how to be less dismissive in the way we receive feedback and become genuinely grateful and appreciative of feedback from others. She also talks about creating a productive feedback culture in the workplace.

Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
Former US Navy Commander Mike Abrashoff joins Dr. Michael Maddaus for a conversation on leadership with humanity. Abrashoff shares his success in turning around a struggling ship, the USS Benfold, which became the subject of his New York Times bestselling book, It's Your Ship. Hear about his simple yet powerful approach to leading with compassion, empathy, and respect for others.

Monday Sep 16, 2024
Monday Sep 16, 2024
Join Dr. Michael Maddaus, host of The Resilient Surgeon, for a discussion with Amer Kaissi, professor of health care administration at Trinity University in San Antonio and author of Humbitious: The Power of Low Ego, High-Drive Leadership, about embracing change with an open approach rather than a defensive stance. Kaissi explains that when leaders "connect with humility and elevate with ambition" they can transform organizations.

Monday Sep 09, 2024
Monday Sep 09, 2024
It's not what you do — it's what you do in-between what you do — that really matters. In this episode of The Resilient Surgeon, Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Dr. Adam Fraser, leading educator and researcher on human performance and author of The Third Space: Using Life's Little Transitions to Find Balance and Happiness, about transitioning from one role, such as a surgeon, to the next role, such as a spouse or parent. Dr. Fraser explains, "We carry our mindset and emotional state from one of these activities to the next -- and all too often this has negative, occasionally disastrous consequences." Learn how to get the small stuff right and mentally "show up" for whatever comes next.

Thursday Aug 29, 2024
Thursday Aug 29, 2024
Healthcare - and life- is filled with friction. In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus talks with Huggy Rao, co-author of The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier, about eliminating the forces that make it harder to get things done.

Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Harvard Business School professor and researcher of psychological safety, Amy Edmondson, explains the difference between good and bad failures and how to think about and practice failure wisely. She shares examples of how people and organizations can embrace human fallibility, pursue smart risks, and prevent avoidable harm.