UNKNOWN

What if the success you’ve worked so hard to earn is built on ways of thinking that your world no longer rewards?

In a world of growing complexity, the instincts that once served leaders well—control, certainty, and correct answers—have become liabilities. Shifting Toward Unorthodoxy invites readers into a deeper conversation about their organizations and how best to lead them, revealing the unseen “operating systems” that shape how we make sense of what’s happening—and what’s possible.

Drawing from decades of healthcare leadership, coaching C-suite executives, and lived practice, Dr. Michael Hein explores how mindsets—not methods—drive the personal transformations that underlie successful leadership in the 21st century.
Shifting Toward Unorthodoxy isn’t a how-to manual. Grounded in adult development and complexity theory, it’s an invitation to lead differently—not by mastering new techniques, but by shifting the assumptions beneath them.

This book is for leaders who suspect conventional answers won’t solve today’s challenges. For those willing to question orthodoxy. For those ready to do the inner work that sustains outer impact.

Shifting Toward Unorthodoxy offers no shortcuts and no roadmaps—just the courageous invitation to think again, see differently, and lead with greater clarity, humility, and presence.

Michael Hein, MS, MD, MHCM, Associate Certified Coach (ACC), believes that when healthcare leaders don't fully understand complexity, it leads to burnout, turnover, and poor patient care-issues he considers preventable forms of human suffering. Healthcare is more complex than ever, and traditional top-down methods often exacerbate these challenges. Success today requires leaders who adapt, absorb uncertainty, and react quickly. For many, this means embracing new leadership mindsets. With over 30 years of experience in healthcare, Michael is Senior Vice President and an executive coach at MEDI Leadership, the top healthcare coaching firm in the U.S. Drawing from clinical and executive roles, he helps leaders make the mindset shifts needed for success in complexity. Previously, Michael was CEO of a nonmerger hospital network and a Chief Medical Officer in Catholic Health Initiatives. He led transformations at the Veterans Health Administration and cofounded KPI Ninja, a healthcare data company. Michael holds degrees from the University of South Dakota, Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and St. Cloud State University. He is a certified executive coach through the International Coaching Federation, trained at the Hudson Institute of Coaching. His experience bridges frontline care and strategic leadership, coaching leaders to drive sustainable change in complex organizations. His book, Shifting Toward Unorthodoxy: Ten Unconventional Mindsets that Help Healthcare Leaders Succeed in a Complex World, encourages a shift from outdated leadership mindsets to adaptive ones. A lifelong athlete, Michael enjoys cycling and swimming. He lives with his wife, Connie, in rural Nebraska, where the landscape's peace restores his focus and dedication to helping leaders become complexity-fit.