Latest news with #leadershipcrisis
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NUMC CEO and 9 other hospital leaders resign in protest over Hochul's ‘hostile takeover'
At least 10 hospital executives from Nassau University Medical Center, including its CEO, have put in their resignations in response to what they called a 'hostile takeover' by Gov. Kathy Hochul, according to sources in the hospital. CEO Meg Ryan confirmed to The Post that she and other leaders in the hospital have resigned effective in July, so that they can help oversee the hospital board's transition, she revealed. '[New York State] has made it very clear that they do not want me to be in the CEO role,' Ryan told The Post about her decision to step down. 'It was the hardest decision I had to make in my career.' Besides Ryan, at least nine other top officials made the decision to resign, including the hospital's chief medical, nursing, human resources, and information officers, as well as senior leaders in pharmacy, facilities, finance, and special projects. She and other executives told The Post that since the state budget passed earlier this month — which included language that allows the state to appoint seven board members to NUMC, with 6 directly picked by the governor — morale among leadership has been depleted. With seven board members out of 11 being hand-picked by the state, Ryan and other hospital leaders have said this completely shifts the power balance. But despite the transition being just days away, Ryan told The Post that the state has kept NUMC's leadership in the dark and has not provided any information on who they're appointing and how the new model will work. 'It's kind of bizarre, this is supposed to be happening in 48 hours and we have no idea who is on the board,' Ryan explained. Hospital leaders said the state's silence during the transition is deafening, and they are now convinced once Gov. Hochul inserts her own board members, which is slated to happen Sunday, everything is going to change. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Grace Ting and others said they resigned because they believe the new board would strip existing leadership of any real influence — and potentially push to convert the facility into a dedicated mental health hospital, a claim the governor's office has denied. 'Hochul wanted control at all costs and now she will have it, but they're going to lose a lot of great people because of this and it's a real shame,' a source familiar with the situation said. Although the state has repeatedly denied these claims, documents obtained by The Post revealed a letter that NUMC received from the state's Department of Health, signed by Gov. Hochul, in March 2024 that said the hospital's current model was financially unsustainable and specifically recommended it cut staff and be converted into a 120-bed behavioral health facility. That letter concluded that in order for NUMC to be financially stable, it would have to eliminate general medical services and transform into a psychiatric facility. The letter also slammed the hospital's leadership for rejecting the recommendation and failing to submit any alternative turnaround plan — all while the hospital's parent company, Nassau Health Care Corp., lost more than $500 million over five years. Ryan, however, argued those numbers are outdated and don't reflect the hospital's current trajectory, and said since taking the helm in early 2024, NUMC has clawed its way back from a nearly $200 million deficit and is now on track to turn an $11 million profit this year. She said that the state is now using outdated numbers to justify a power grab, meanwhile, there is a federal probe into claims made by former Chairman Matthew Bruderman the state was robbing the hospital of over $1 billion dollars in a span of two decades. Gov. Hochul's office said an announcement on the hospital board will be made in the coming days, but declined to comment further. 'Due to years of gross mismanagement, NUMC is in financial peril. I don't know what parallel universe she's living in,' Hochul's Long Island press secretary, Gordon Tepper told The Post. 'The state's focus at NUMC remains on patient care and the hospital's fiscal stability. That's all that matters — everything else is just noise,' Tepper said earlier this month.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Fijian Deputy PM rejects University of the South Pacific collusion claims, says 'no leadership crisis'
Pal Ahluwalia, left, and Biman Prasad at the opening of the 99th USP Council Meeting at Auckland University. 20 May 2025 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis The Fijian Deputy Prime Minister and Minster for Finance Biman Prasad says suggestions that he is colluding with the University of the South Pacific (USP) vice-chancellor and president are "nonsense". Prasad and Education Minister Aseri Radrodro are in Auckland for the 99th USP Council meeting this week. He has been accused of colluding with USP's chief executive Professor Pal Ahluwalia in a "clear case of conflict of interest". "The USP Council is aware that USP is experiencing a leadership crisis," according to a letter to editor published by the Samoa Observer . "Professor Pal Ahluwalia has unfortunately turned out to be a divisive and demoralising head of the regional institution lacking in vision, statecraft and worst of all the undermining of staff of regional member countries. "He has a close personal relationship with the DPM Prasad. "We have confirmed reports that over the past week, [Prasad] and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Gurmeet Singh have been meeting with Professor Ahluwalia at the VCP's residence, a clear case of collusion." However, Prasad has called the allegations "nonsense," telling RNZ Pacific, "I met him many times at his house." "I meet a lot of people at the university. I was a professor at the university, and many of these people right around the table are my friends [with] whom I have had lunch, dinner, coffee. I have visited their places. "The Prime Minister of Samoa is a good friend of mine. You know, when she comes, she comes to my home. So I can't understand this nonsense that comes from people. Some people have nothing else to do." The regional university is jointly owned by 12 Pacific Island governments . The institution has been facing ongoing problems involving leadership and staff dissatisfaction, with Fiji-based unions picketing last October after the sacking of a staff union leader. Pal Ahluwalia, Biman Prasad and Aseri Radrodro at the opening of the 99th USP Council Meeting at Auckland University. 20 May 2025 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis According to Prasad, there is no leadership crisis. "I think that is an exaggeration. Of course, vice-chancellors [and] political leaders always have issues. In any organisation, nobody can be perfect and you cannot satisfy everyone. "But this [USP] Council is a very professional, good thinking people, who have the university in their hearts and minds. "This is a very important institution for the region, and our government - compared to what the previous government did to the university - has actually restored that. "We have restored academic freedom. We have restored grant funding to the university. The university was struggling. There is no leadership crisis and the current vice chancellor's position finishes in August next year. He said the USP will be looking for a new vice-chancellor "very soon". Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff in Suva want the Vice-Chancellor out. 18 October 2024 Photo: Facebook / Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff Prasad said he has been a union president himself and sat on the USP Council as a union leader for many years. He said the unions always have a legitimate right to raise issues and questions about leadership. "I used to have issues with the vice-chancellor. I served under three vice-chancellors, so these are normal things. "You have that in New Zealand - a very strong tertiary union who put the university administration [and] the government on their sport as part of what you get in a democracy." "The media must not just quickly jump with some rumors. These are noise [which] means you are in a democracy, whether it is coming from the unions, whether it is coming from the workers, whether it is coming from NGOs. He said USP has always been a big success story of regionalism, regional cooperation, and regional integration. He said many of those who are part of the USP Council meeting have studied at the university. "It is the conscience of the Pacific. It obviously has had challenges over the last 50 years of its existence. "But it remains one of the most revered, most celebrated institution and the resolve of every leader, every minister in every country is to see USP progress, and that is what it will do."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The FQPPU Calls for the Resignation of Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry
IN BRIEF: Discredited and disconnected leadership. Pascale Déry has weakened the policy tools of higher education, hollowed out her ministry's mission, and ignored major crises —from funding to artificial intelligence— by downplaying the issues and evading responsibility. Actions incompatible with her role. Political interference, disregard for academic freedom, and lacklustre AI consultations: the minister has acted contrary to the principles she is meant to uphold, resulting in a complete breakdown of confidence in university communities. A clear call to turn the page. The FQPPU demands her immediate resignation: the higher education system needs visionary, unifying leadership committed to a strong, accessible, and politically independent university system, not a ministry that continually undermines its public service mission. MONTREAL, May 13, 2025 /CNW/ - Are Quebec's universities better off since Pascale Déry became Minister of Higher Education? The answer across institutions is unanimous: no, and the decline is evident. Since her appointment, Pascale Déry has systematically weakened the policy levers of higher education. Her ministry has been stripped of its substance, and its responsibilities have been dispersed across other departments, leaving behind a compliant arm of economic and immigration priorities that are disconnected from its fundamental mission. Confronted with successive crises —from disarray around artificial intelligence to neglect of the system's financial collapse— the minister has consistently failed to provide vision, support, or even basic attentiveness. Worse still, when institutions raise alarms, she deflects responsibility, denies the urgency of the situation, and lets the system sink into unacknowledged austerity. Following the CSN and numerous student and faculty unions, the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d'université (FQPPU) adds its voice: it is time for Pascale Déry to step aside and make room for someone capable of articulating a clear ambition for the future of our higher education system. A Minister at Odds with Her Mandate A recent court ruling describes Minister Pascale Déry's actions as incoherent, irrational, and unreasonable. This harsh judgment echoes what the academic community has observed for months: a tenure marked by either a troubling ignorance of the college and university networks or an alarming indifference to their fate. Tasked with defending academic freedom, Pascale Déry has instead become its chief threat. She blocked a nomination at the INRS without valid reasons, interfered with CEGEP course content, and refused to endorse a motion to protect academic freedom from foreign threats. Regarding artificial intelligence, she initiated a superficial consultation process—with no resources, unstructured, and widely criticized as a mere public relations exercise. Worse still: she touted the recent budget as a historic success, eliding that it imposes massive cuts on a system on the verge of collapse. While universities speak of a "seismic shift", the minister stubbornly claims that institutions have sufficient space to adapt, despite soaring costs, stagnant subsidies, and plummeting international enrollment, all linked to her poor policy decisions. "She seems to exist in a parallel universe, completely disconnected from campus realities," says Madeleine Pastinelli, president of the FQPPU. "Her obstinate refusal to acknowledge the scale of the crisis only deepens her growing isolation within higher education, a sector where she should be the primary ally. She no longer has our trust moving forward." Time to Turn the Page Too much political interference. Too many refusals to engage. Too much contempt and ignorance. Higher education can no longer move forward with a minister who denies the obvious, sidelines the voices sustaining the system, and governs without direction or dialogue. "At this point, this is no longer a momentary disagreement, but a complete break between the minister and the university communities," says Madeleine Pastinelli. "What Quebec needs now is leadership that can rebuild trust, rally the strengths of the network, and invest in a bold, shared vision of the university as a public good." The FQPPU is therefore calling for the immediate resignation of Pascale Déry. Because our universities (and our CEGEPs) deserve better: a ministry that uplifts them, not one that renounces their core mission. Since 1991, the FQPPU is the representative body of university faculty in Quebec. SOURCE Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d'université (FQPPU) View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Managers Report More Negativity Than Their Teams — Why That Matters
Managers might be the most misunderstood role in the modern workplace. A lot rides on them. But they carry the most pressure too. Read any article about organizational success and you'll hear about visionary leaders, heroic founders, transformative strategies. But behind those headlines and high-wire acts is the quiet, steady presence of managers. Especially middle managers. They're asked to be culture carriers, performance drivers, emotional shock absorbers. All while hitting targets they didn't set, with resources they don't control. Gallup's latest research confirms what many have sensed: managers are less engaged than before and many are looking for change. They are also struggling more than the people they lead. They report more negative daily experiences. More stress, more sadness, more loneliness. Manager engagement Gallup If you're a CEO, CHRO or senior leader, this isn't just a middle management issue — it's a leadership pipeline crisis in slow motion. Today's disengaged managers are tomorrow's missing leaders. That should give us pause. Because when the manager is disengaged, it doesn't stop with them. It spreads. Culture frays. Performance drops. Innovation stalls. The manager is the message — and if they're emotionally underwater, the signal gets distorted. This isn't just a mental health issue. It's a performance crisis. Gallup's meta-analysis shows 70% of the variance in team engagement comes down to the manager. When they're depleted, it cascades. And the signs are building. Take this: 41% of employees say they don't have time to learn at work. That includes many managers. Even when the desire to grow is there, the space isn't. Add to that the emotional weight they carry — part performance monitor, part team therapist, part culture keeper — and there's barely time to breathe, let alone lead. Many managers know they're still growing. Four in 10 say they haven't mastered team engagement or performance management. Six in 10 don't feel confident developing people or shaping careers. It's not about effort—it's about support. This is where AI enters the story. There's hope that AI could ease the load. In the right hands, it might. It can reduce admin clutter — manage schedules, budgets, updates, and reports. That's not just convenience. That's capacity. It could give managers back the time they desperately need to coach, reflect, and develop their teams. But it won't fix everything. An Oracle study on AI and the future of work is telling. Workers said robots outperform managers in areas like maintaining schedules, solving problems, and delivering unbiased data. But when it comes to empathy, coaching, and shaping culture — humans still lead. That's not just a difference in skills. It's a shift in what matters. But the Oracle study also revealed something chilling – 64 percent of people would trust a robot more than their manager and half have turned to a robot instead of their manager for advice. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised. Managers have been set up to fail and then faulted for failing. But part of me still finds it heartbreaking — that we've made technology feel more trustworthy than a human who means well. As AI absorbs more operational tasks, the differentiators for human managers will evolve. It won't be about who can track more data. It will be about who can hold a better conversation. Build trust. Read the room. Have the hard dialogue. Create safety and spark courage. So here's the challenge: we can't just automate away the stress. Delegating admin to algorithms won't be enough. We need a new kind of investment. Leadership development often feels like a luxury brand. Curated. Exclusive. Reserved for those who've arrived. Manager development, in contrast, is mass-produced. Standard modules. Generic content. 'Training' that rarely connects to the realities of the job. But not all overload looks the same, and not all development should either. If you want sustainable performance, stop treating manager development like an assembly line. It needs to be tailored and individualized, not templated. Expansive, not extractive. And deeply aligned with where a manager is — emotionally, cognitively and professionally. Career stage matters. So does emotional load. A first-time manager isn't wrestling with the same challenges as a mid-career one. Pretending otherwise is a setup for disengagement. Support should feel more like a refueling station than a staircase. Personalized. Just-in-time. Built around what unlocks each manager's next leap. If 41 percent of employees say they don't have time to learn, your systems aren't just flawed — they're actively blocking development. AI can give time back by clearing inboxes, summarizing meetings and automating workflows. But reclaimed time isn't growth unless it's intentionally reallocated. Organizations must shift learning from extra to embedded. If development isn't part of the job, it won't be part of the culture. Most performance systems track deliverables. Few track depletion. You can't solve burnout with bonuses. You can't spot it with quarterly reviews. You have to ask — consistently and compassionately — 'How are you really doing?' Burnout is emotional. Engagement is relational. Make that part of your operating system, not an HR campaign. Most managers don't need another dashboard. They need the courage to enter tough conversations and the skill to come out the other side with trust intact. Start here: These aren't soft skills. They are core capabilities, and they should be measured like any other metric. A manager's ability to coach directly impacts retention, trust and innovation. Map these skills to measurable outcomes like retention, customer engagement and collaboration. If it's not being measured, it won't be taken seriously. If your most grounded, values-driven managers burn out quietly and you only notice when they resign, your definition of success is too narrow. Start expanding the lens: Rest, reflection and renewal shouldn't be post-burnout interventions. They should be built into your performance architecture. Otherwise, you're rewarding erosion and calling it excellence. Managers aren't just the middle. They are the infrastructure. The memory. The movement. If you want culture, strategy and performance to last, invest in them early, personally and deeply. Because when a manager is emotionally spent, it shows up. In meetings that fall flat. In hallway silences. In the idea that never gets voiced. In turnover that looks abrupt but was quietly unfolding for months. And if we want to protect our future, we need to listen upstream. Not just to what they do, but how they're doing. Because no AI can replace a leader who believes in you, stretches you, and sees your worth before you see it yourself. That's the kind of leadership today's managers are still capable of. But only if we see them too. And if we invest in them now — before it's too late.
