What does it take to grow a stronger leadership culture in today’s medical practices? For Mark Noon, it starts with knowing who you are as a leader.
Having served in both military and civilian healthcare settings, Noon has decades of experience in cultivating leadership from working with hundreds of practices nationwide. Today, he is an executive coach and founder of LeadershipTen, an organization that focuses on leadership development and coaching from experienced business leaders.
Joining Daniel Williams on the MGMA Insights podcast, Noon shares practical strategies for tackling common challenges like poor communication, lack of delegation, cultural misalignment and accountability breakdowns. His insights offer a roadmap for healthcare leaders at every level who want to build more connected and high-performing teams.
From Military Service to Medical Leadership
Noon’s leadership journey began in the U.S. Air Force, where a need for employment led to an unexpected opportunity in clinical laboratory work. “I wasn’t looking for a medical profession… They gave me the job in the medical laboratory world. I didn’t know anything about a lab tech … didn’t know what lab techs did,” he recalls.
Over the next 20 years, Noon rose through the ranks, earning degrees in medical technology and leadership. He eventually served in officer roles that launched him into executive-level leadership experience. “Even then, [I was] doing a lot of speaking and a lot of talking about leadership.”
Building LeadershipTen: Beyond the Healthcare Niche
After a post-military stint with the Studer Group — and later Huron Consulting Group — Noon co-founded LeadershipTen in 2020. While not limited to healthcare, the organization remains deeply engaged with medical practices across the country. “LeadershipTen is simply an organization of the three of us… who wanted to develop leaders,” Noon notes.
The name "LeadershipTen" reflects the idea of completeness and excellence. As noon explains: “Ten is sort of the perfect… If we get a 10, even on HCAHPS, CG-CAHPS, all those, it’s perfect. We’ve done everything right.” Coincidentally, the firm’s coaching model naturally evolved to include 10 sessions, and the word "leadership" itself has 10 letters — synchronicities that reinforced the brand identity.
Four Core Challenges in Medical Practice Leadership
Noon identifies four recurring issues he sees in healthcare leadership across the country:
- Communication
- Motivation
- Delegation
- Culture
With communication and motivation being well-known factors, delegation can present a unique challenge in healthcare. One example Noon shares is how nursing leaders often assume more responsibility than necessary to avoid burdening their staff.
“In healthcare, we really struggle with delegation because we have this need to nurture and take care of people,” he highlights.
When it comes to culture, Noon urges leaders to take ownership regardless of organizational structure. “They may not have great leaders in the upper levels… [but] they can do something about the culture within their department.”
Trust and Accountability Go Hand in Hand
One recurring theme in Noon’s coaching is trust — and the accountability that builds from it. “Accountability is a two-way street,” Noon emphasizes. “My team has to hold me accountable… If your boss or supervisor does not take accountability for themselves, you need to hold them accountable.”
He shares a formative experience early in his consulting career when a colleague called him out for missing a deadline. “I owned it… Never happened again,” Noon recalls.
This lesson continues to shape how he encourages clients to build cultures where upward accountability is not just permitted — but expected.
Role-Playing and Team Integration in Medical Practices
To break down silos in medical practices, Noon uses role-playing exercises that simulate the patient experience from check-in to examination. By rotating roles and observing each phase of the patient journey, team members can gain empathy and insight.
“Everybody watches what Mark does at the front desk and critiques it… Then you come together at the end and say, ‘What did we learn?’” Noon explains. “It’s that kind of thing — call it concern, coordination, and confidence.”
Three Traits Desired in a Leader
This simple framework of identity, competence, and compassion, serves as a north star for any healthcare leader aiming to create trust and connection in their organization.
“Every employee in every medical practice wants to know three things,” Noon says. “They want to know who their leader is, that they’re good at what they do, and that they care.”
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