New Book Blog! The Energy Bus by Caroline Diez, EdD, MBA, C-TAGME

BOOK BLOG: The Energy Bus By: Caroline Diez, EdD, MBA, C-TAGME

When I first picked up The Energy Bus by John Gordon, it seemed straightforward and familiar. Most of us have heard its main ideas before: positivity, leadership, and culture all matter. People often call it “an old read, but a good read,” and after thinking about it from a medical education leadership perspective, I saw why it still connects with readers years after it came out.

Right NOW, Energy Really Matters

What surprised me was how relevant the message still feels today in healthcare and medical education. Right now, energy really matters in academic medicine. Medical education is becoming increasingly complex, and it can be hard to balance daily demands with the need for meaningful human connection. Residents, faculty, administrators, and leaders all carry heavy emotional and professional responsibilities.

In places like this, culture does not just happen on its own. I've seen firsthand how quickly a leader's attitude can influence a team, both positively and negatively. Frustration and burnout spread quickly, but so do empathy, steadiness, encouragement, and purpose.

That is why this book spoke to me so much. The book centers on the 10 Rules for the Ride of Your Life. All the rules had something useful to offer, but a few stood out to me both personally and professionally as a leader in medical education.

Rule #1: You’re the Driver Of Your Bus

This rule felt especially relevant because the energy that leaders bring often sets the tone for a whole team or department. In medical education, some days it feels like the work is running you, not the other way around. Pressures from accreditation, resident issues, and constant changes can quickly lead to a culture of exhaustion and reacting instead of leading.

But one of the most important truths in leadership is that people absorb energy long before they absorb strategy. (Think about the well-known leadership adage, often attributed to Peter Drucker, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”). If leaders always show up frustrated, disconnected, or cynical, that attitude spreads quickly. But calmness, empathy, and steadiness can spread too. This does not mean ignoring real problems or pretending to be positive when things are tough. Healthcare leaders need to be honest, but they also need to be thoughtful about how they bring challenges into their teams.

Thinking about this chapter, I realized how easy it is in academic medicine to fall into survival mode. We get so caught up in daily demands that we forget to lead the culture. This rule reminded me that building a positive culture takes active leadership, especially when times are tough.

Rule #4: Invite People On Your Bus And Share Your Vision For The Road Ahead

This rule really resonated with me because one of the best things about medical education is how mission-driven our work is. People go into academic medicine because they care about training future doctors, improving patient care, supporting learners, and being part of something bigger. But over time, paperwork and daily demands can make it easy to lose sight of that mission.

This rule reminded me that good leadership is not just about assigning tasks or managing schedules. It is about helping people reconnect with their purpose. In medical education, people want to know their work matters, and it truly does. Whether you are leading a residency, mentoring, helping with accreditation, or caring for patients, every role helps shape future doctors and their training environments.

What stood out most to me in the chapter on this rule was that leadership is not just about using authority to get people on board. It is about creating a vision that people truly want to join. In healthcare, where everyone is often stretched thin, having a shared purpose really matters. When people feel connected to a larger purpose, arduous work feels more meaningful and collaboration becomes easier.

That is the power of a shared vision. People are much more likely to care about their work when they feel connected to its purpose.

Rule #8: Love Your Passengers

Of all 10 rules, this one meant the most to me, especially right now.

Academic medicine is very demanding. Learners face a lot of pressure as they build their professional identities. Faculty juggle patient care, teaching, research, and leadership. Administrators support whole systems and often carry their own emotional burdens. In these environments, empathy is not just a nice-to-have skill for leaders. It is foundational.

What I liked most about this rule was the reminder that leadership is really about relationships. The most meaningful moments in medical education are not the big presentations or plans, but the small, often unnoticed moments.

o   Checking in after a difficult clinical experience.

o   Recognizing burnout before it escalates.

o   Creating psychological safety during hard conversations.

o   Extending grace during stressful seasons.

o   Helping someone feel valued when they are struggling professionally or personally.

People do not usually remember every operational success. They do remember whether leaders made them feel supported, heard, and valued. It reminds me of Maya Angelou’s famous quote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  In many ways, that is what leadership in medical education is really about.

For me, this rule reinforced something I have learned through my own work in empathy and leadership: empathy is not a soft skill. It is just as important as operational excellence or professionalism. Empathy helps organizations, teams, and training environments remain human during tough times. In medical education, empathy builds trust, psychological safety, and a sense of belonging, things people need to learn, grow, and thrive.

Overall

The Energy Bus reminded me that positivity in leadership is not about pretending everything is fine or avoiding hard talks. In medical education, real positivity means hope, purpose, empathy, and being intentional, especially on the hardest days.

Maybe that is why this “old read” still means so much today. In healthcare and medical education, the energy we bring affects far more than ourselves. It influences teams, shapes cultures, impacts patient care, and ultimately helps define the learning environments where future physicians and leaders are developed.

Brief Bio: Caroline Diez, EdD, MBA, C-TAGME is the Director of Graduate Medical Education at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas. Her doctoral research focused on empathy development among GME program coordinators/administrators. She is active in multiple professional organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Association for Hospital Medical Education. As a highly regarded presenter, her sessions are always highly engaging, evidence based, and you leave with a memento as a reminder of key take-homes.