Name: Andrea Turel

Title: Medical Student (Former COO at The Bath Club & Director at Ignite Healthcare Staffing)

Organisation: RUSM

Medical Student, former COO & Director of Business Development in Healthcare, Freelance Singer/Songwriter (LP under Celestial 3) & Commercial Model. Offering 15 years of experience in healthcare (administrative & direct patient care), 6 years directing Operations & Human Resources, 4 years in Project & Account Management, 3 years in Recruiting, and 5 years in Product Advertisement, upholding business integrity and humility, all the while enhancing revenue and client rapport.

Bringing expertise in implementation management across a multitude of medical specialties/departments, EHR training/documentation, client acquisition & contract negotiation, along with superb interpersonal verbal & written communication, tenacious problem-solving & renovation skills, empathetic relationship-building & team leadership abilities. Proactive with demonstrated record of accomplishment in exceeding revenue objectives, as well as qualitative client & employee satisfaction. Empathetic, multilingual individual, speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension proficiency in English and German. Basic conversational comprehension in Russian, Spanish. MD/MBA Candidate 2026.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Andrea's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

Through clear, direct & honest communication, empathy, and follow-through, we establish trust & a strong rapport with employees, customers, peers & stakeholders alike. Telling someone what they'd wish to hear, rather than reality, does not help in the long run & can instill mistrust, as well as promote an image of incompetence; however, it is a common mistake leaders make.

At the end of the day, everyone wants to do a good job. Sometimes we must set aside our own egos, take a step back, and assess the situation to determine what needs to be communicated, as well as improved upon moving forward. Having smart & achievable goals & timelines, to then be thoroughly executed, is also important to retain a strong rapport.

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

To me, a vision is the dream or ideal goal. The mission, then, is how to reach that ideal goal. Reality often doesn’t go how we intend, & we often must face unexpected, as well as expected, obstacles to achieve (those obstacles often aren’t part of our vision or dream, otherwise they might be nightmares). That all is to say, a vision is not unrealistic per se and can also be seen as a primary driver.

It is so critical to keep that alive, our “why” for doing something. When we lose that “why,” we lose our sense of purpose & direction. But if we can remember our visions & rekindle those dreams, we can accomplish much more than, perhaps, we ever imagined. It’s what ignites a mission to begin with. The mission is just the execution that makes it happen. I also try to think, “Does this vision help more than just me?” If I can answer yes, I’m typically more inclined to pursue it.

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

Figure out what makes people tick & be empathetic. If you know their goals & dreams (or their visions & missions), it’s much easier to get them motivated & involved in areas that best serve their unique skillsets or interests. Furthermore, lead by example. Employees and even peers are much more likely to follow advice if they see you demonstrating the same as you suggest. I used to tell my employees that I would never ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.

If we were short-staffed, someone called out of a nightshift & there wasn’t other coverage available, I would come work the graveyard alongside them, still returning to my administrative duties in the morning. This kept a sort of camaraderie & reminded them that I was part of the team. It also gave me an opportunity to check in on employees in person, re-motivate them, see what issues they were having & where there was room for improvement, etc.

That said, it was also equally important that I learn my limits & demonstrate good boundaries, such as work-life balance, as well, which did admittedly take me most all of my teens & twenties.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

I’ve been fairly fortunate to have many strong, compassionate mentors & supervisors. Most of the time, when faced with this question, I would think of my direct supervisors, employers, and professors, many of whom were very instrumental in my professional development. Additionally, my parents all work very hard as well, mostly after having come from practically nothing. My biological father, for example, got his pilot’s license when he was 15, exchanging lessons for maintenance work, was in the Airforce/Air National Guard, had his own tax business with multiple offices by 22, and then a helicopter tour business that he focused on being accessible to the general public for a couple decades, all the while trying to help support my brothers and I.

This was after growing up working in the fields at 6 years old to afford shoes for school, given our immigrant family struggled on welfare when my grandfather developed polio, working his hardest to recover & get back to work. Needless to say, my father is also one of the most humble & kindest people I know. He certainly taught me the value of the dollar & was a constant inspiration for me to strive towards my own goals.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

There are plenty of distractions all around us. Keeping focused can be easier said than done these days. Aside from setting specific short-term & long-term goals to keep me motivated & disciplined, I schedule recurring time blocks on my calendar to stay focused (and to take breaks as needed as well). Going back & remembering my “why” can certainly revitalize me & help me regain focus or stay disciplined when I feel I’m losing direction or drive.

Personally, staying physically active, mentally stimulated, emotionally & spiritually engaged also helps me rejuvenate to productively tackle each day (or know when to step back & take a break to handle the next day better).

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

As aforementioned, I love using calendar & task list apps. Additionally, I’m a huge fan of spreadsheets, color coordination & all. I prefer blocking out times to delegate to certain tasks during my day, although I always allow buffer time to address unforeseen issues as they might arise, whether this be with an employee, client, software, personal or family health, etc.

I absolutely love problem-solving, especially when I can ease someone else's headache or burdens and stay ahead of my to-do list as best I can so that I have the time to do so. Finding aspects of your day, week, or year that excite you or push you can also help in dedicating yourself to plans. And remembering it’s ok to adjust your plans if they aren’t working. There is often a better way.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

Let people have the same opportunities you did to prove yourself. Let them show you they are capable of their own growth. And, most importantly, let them help you. The better you delegate & divide tasks, the better you can best utilize your time & specific skills, the better you can rejuvenate or keep work-life balance, and the better you can continue to assist others both within & outside of work (as a parent, spouse, teammate, etc.).

You could say this is a lesson I learned the hard way, related to decisions I made regarding my response in question 3, in which I overextended myself. It’s absolutely a lesson well learned for your own longevity, as well as those around you.