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Two industry leaders go one on one to discuss leadership, company culture and the changes in healthcare. Anthony and Paul Marden, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, New Jersey, give insight for young leaders and entrepreneurs that are imperative for success.

In his first question to Paul, Anthony inquiries about Paul’s earliest leadership memories. Paul recalls his early years in sports and how it took the group to come together to lock in on one goal. He remembers how being named captain meant that his teammates were always watching him and he knew he had to work hard and to do the right thing by being in the right place in the right time. In sports, he found that practice was paramount and understood what it meant to be relied upon as a leader.

From his first experiences of leadership, to now being a leader in a large corporation, Paul uses the same principles to guide his colleagues. Through one of the worst work life experiences, he was relied upon to help turn his organization around. Because he had been working hard and doing the right thing, management knew they could put their faith in him to be a part of the team to rebuild the fallen company.

Now that he spearheads the company’s efforts, he also takes a very active approach on helping to shape the culture. UnitedHealthcare’s tagline is “helping people live healthier lives” and that is what Paul strives to do every day in his work. It is engrained in the company’s culture and his goal is to continue to help improve healthcare by making it more affordable and less complicated. During “unfreezing sessions” managers are called upon to immerse themselves in the company’s culture, which includes learning and living by their values of integrity, compassion, relationships, innovations, and performance. Anthony asks Paul how values shape a team and he explains that whether they realize it or not, leaders have huge shadows. A leader will dictate how the rest of the work force will perform by both direct and indirect cultural development.

Paul encourages young leaders to ask for opinions. He explains that soliciting input from a diverse group of people empowers managers to make a better decision. He also advises to never forget the consumer. Paul emphasizes why it is so important to remember why they buy your product. A good leader is one that has integrity and can be trusted upon to deliver on what they say they will do.

Paul’s leadership is not just for his colleagues. Check out his blog, where he continues to help simplify the understanding of the healthcare system for all: http://paulmarden.blogspot.com/