I interviewed Dr. Michael Pfeffer, Chief Information Officer and Associate Dean at Stanford Health Care and Stanford University School of Medicine. Michael brings a unique perspective as a physician, professor, and tech leader at one of the world’s most prestigious healthcare institutions.
We explore his journey from practicing hospitalist to healthcare tech exec, the lessons he learned from being a soccer referee, and his leadership philosophy. Michael also shares how teamwork and collaboration and setting clear expectations drive success.
(Apologies for the recording quality—we had a technical glitch with our podcast recording app and had to switch to Zoom for this episode.)
"If you set expectations clearly at the start—just like in the first five minutes of a soccer game—you can step back and let the team play. It’s about giving them clarity and trust to do what they do best."
– Michael Pfeffer
Topics We Discussed
00:24 Early Lessons from Soccer Refereeing
05:15 The Transition from Physician to CIO and Career Inflection Points
09:45 Building Good Teams
14:10 The Role of AI in Healthcare and Stanford's Vision
20:35 Balancing Conflict and Collaboration in Leadership
28:50 How Michael Manages His Time
35:10 Michael Likes to Cook
42:05 Advice for Aspiring Leaders and Medical Students
Insights from Michael
"Leadership is a muscle—you have to keep training and refining it. It's about constantly learning, adapting, and bringing evidence-based techniques into your approach while staying true to your core values."
– Michael Pfeffer
"AI is everyone’s job. It’s a toolset we need to integrate into everything we do, not something owned by a single team."
– Michael Pfeffer
"It’s about surrounding yourself with people who challenge you and fill in your opportunities. The cliché is to surround yourself with people smarter than you, and that’s great—but it’s more about finding those whose strengths complement your own and who help you grow."
– Michael Pfeffer
"Conflict, when done appropriately, is good—it’s in those disagreements where better ideas often emerge."
– Michael Pfeffer
"A good team is like a band: everyone contributes equally to make the music happen."
– Michael Pfeffer
"If there’s an opportunity that presents itself, say Yes."
– Michael Pfeffer
