A Cure for the Common Company with Richard Safeer, MD

“Most leaders never get trained on how to support the health and well-being of their workforce,” says Dr. Richard Safeer, Chief Medical Director of Employee Health and Well-Being at Johns Hopkins Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Safeer, author of “A Cure for the Common Company,” discusses his shift from family medicine to spearheading workplace health initiatives. He stresses that true organizational change goes beyond superficial wellness programs, advocating for a fundamental shift in how companies view and support employee health.

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Dr. Safeer highlights the critical role of leadership in modeling healthy behaviors and integrating well-being into the core business strategy. He challenges current practices, noting that less than 3% of Americans live fully healthy lifestyles, largely due to ineffective corporate support systems. His advice to HR leaders and executives is clear: prioritize genuine health habits and create a culture where well-being is as fundamental as any business operation. Through patience and persistence, Dr. Safeer believes that impactful, lasting changes can be achieved, transforming the workplace into a catalyst for well-being.

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Quotes

• “We think that it’s our own responsibility to live a healthier life. Sure, we can be responsible for ourselves. But we also have to recognize that most of us don’t live on an island. We live with people in our home and we live with people in the workplace. And it’s really the collection of those forces that shape our ability to make healthier choices and have healthier emotions. One of my catchphrases is that well-being is a team sport because we really can’t win alone. (13:26 | Dr. Richard Safeer) 
• “We can be proactive in the workplace… UKG did a study about a year and a half ago… And they found out that just as many people who said their spouse impacts their mental health also said their manager impacts their mental health. That’s how powerful we are as leaders. And I don’t think most leaders are trying to be a negative force in their team’s life, but they don’t recognize it. And then they aren’t helped. We don’t help them understand what they can do to be a more positive force.” (21:21 | Dr. Richard Safeer)
• “We need to understand that if we’re truly going to optimize the well-being of our workforce, we need to look at this not only as an individual challenge, but an organizational challenge, which will require organizational change.” (37:21 | Dr. Richard Safeer) 

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• We think that it’s our own responsibility to live a healthier life. Sure, we can be responsible for ourselves. But we also have to recognize that most of us don’t live on an island. We live with people in our home and we live with people in the workplace. And it’s really the collection of those forces that shape our ability to make healthier choices and have healthier emotions. One of my catchphrases is that well-being is a team sport because we really can’t win alone. (13:26 | Dr. Richard Safeer) 
• “We can be proactive in the workplace… UKG did a study about a year and a half ago… And they found out that just as many people who said their spouse impacts their mental health also said their manager impacts their mental health. That’s how powerful we are as leaders. And I don’t think most leaders are trying to be a negative force in their team’s life, but they don’t recognize it. And then they aren’t helped. We don’t help them understand what they can do to be a more positive force.” (21:21 | Dr. Richard Safeer)
• “We need to understand that if we’re truly going to optimize the well-being of our workforce, we need to look at this not only as an individual challenge, but an organizational challenge, which will require organizational change.” (37:21 | Dr. Richard Safeer) 

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