Not for Profit, Not for Gain — For Purpose
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. That’s nothing new for me — I live in my head more often than not, for better or worse. But recently, one topic in particular has taken up a lot of space in my thoughts: the difference between for-profit and nonprofit organizations in healthcare.
For a long time, I firmly believed the distinction was black and white. I saw for-profit healthcare as money-driven, focused solely on numbers and revenue, with little room for mission or heart. On the other hand, I viewed nonprofit organizations as the opposite — fully mission-driven, with a focus on people above all else. Of course, they still needed to “keep the lights on,” but their purpose felt grounded in compassion.
As I’ve reflected more deeply, I’ve come to realize it isn’t that simple. Having a purpose — both personally and organizationally — is the foundation for success and psychological well-being. Purpose isn’t exclusive to one business model or another; it’s something that can exist anywhere, if it’s genuine and lived out consistently.
As I embark on the next chapter of my career, much of my reflection has centered around who I am as a person and as a leader. I’ve put intentional effort into defining my values and my purpose, and identifying the nonnegotiable’s that align with both. I’ve always been a bit unconventional when it comes to leadership. For years, I questioned whether that was a weakness — whether not fitting the mold meant I was somehow doing it wrong. But I’ve since realized that my nontraditional approach is what drives my strength as a transformational leader. It’s what allows me to see the potential in people, to lead through authenticially, and to create environments where growth feels both challenging and supported.
It’s taken me years to fully own the person I am — and the person I am still becoming. But as I continue to grow, learn, and take inventory of myself, I’m increasingly clear about where my skills sit and how I can bring the most value as a leader. These traits and values define how I view people, how I interact with my team and partners, and ultimately, they influence whether I succeed or fail. Because if I’m not in an environment that embraces the type of leadership I bring to the table, then neither I nor the people I lead can truly thrive.
I’ve also learned some hard lessons along the way. Healthcare is a highly regulated, compliance-driven field — that’s never going to change. In fact, as healthcare continues to evolve, the oversight and regulations will only become more strict and narrowly defined. My goal as a leader is to operate within those guidelines while still embracing the people who make the work possible. My job is to help those I lead meet every nuance and expectation, but also remind them that the work we do is, at its core, human work.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that people and performance are not mutually exclusive. You don’t have to choose between compassion and compliance. Being a compassionate leader doesn’t mean disregarding the rules, and being a compliance-focused leader doesn’t mean losing your empathy. True leadership finds the balance between the two — building systems that support quality, metrics, and accountability, while never forgetting the people behind them.
Alongside the changes in healthcare itself, the workforce has also evolved. The next generation of professionals is motivated differently than those of ten or twenty years ago. They have new expectations, new boundaries, and a renewed sense of purpose. Successful leadership today means recognizing that shift — learning how to adapt, communicate, and connect with a wide range of personalities and values. Leading now requires both flexibility and clarity, empathy and accountability.
When I think about what matters most, I’ve realized that the financial status of an organization — for-profit or nonprofit — means very little compared to whether its values align with mine, and whether those values are actually lived out. At the end of the day, that’s what determines whether a workplace feels like a fit.
Recently, I started listening to Leadership Principles Explained by Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon. On paper, Amazon is everything I thought I didn’t relate to: a massive, for-profit corporation that has dominated nearly every market it touches. But as I listened to how Jassy described the company’s mission and how their values are woven into everyday actions, something struck me. It reminded me that purpose and profit can coexist — that mission isn’t always lost just because money is part of the equation.
That realization grounded me. It reminded me that leadership, in any setting, is about integrity — doing the right thing for the right reasons, no matter the structure around you. It’s about finding places and people whose values align with your own and who are committed to doing good work, the right way.
At the end of the day, my belief is simple: purpose over profit, people over process, and integrity over image. When those things align — when an organization truly lives its values — that’s where authentic impact happens. That’s where I want to lead.
