Dr. John Couris is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tampa General Hospital (TGH). Since becoming the CEO of TGH, John has established himself as an influential and successful leader of the large non-profit hospital. A two-person research team from the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida focused on the lived experiences of John and the degree to which these experiences have influenced his leadership style. Utilizing phenomenological interview techniques (Seildman, 2019), they created questions that intentionally guided John to reflect on specific segments of his upbringing, early work and college experiences, marriage, and work to recreate these segments through the art of storytelling. The roles of the researchers interchanged between artists, translators, and transformers to gain new insights and perspectives on the various aspects of John’s life (Erickson and Kovalainen, page 297). Using firsthand evidence shared from John’s perspective, the researchers applied deliberate, rigorous qualitative research methods to give his lived experiences meaning.

Using John’s reflections, the researchers identified three primary themes that appear to underpin his professional success. Their findings revealed the way John’s heritage, personal values, and beliefs manifested into a successful principle-centered leader within healthcare.