Overview

Frazer Buntin, seasoned healthcare COO, argues great operators are “born with an operator brain”—but the muscle is honed by doing five jobs relentlessly: hire great people, set strategy, monitor behaviors, measure results, and model culture. He shows how to split attention between the here and now and a 90-day horizon, why iteration beats ideation once you’ve found a promising arc (e.g., a growth stage company from ~25% to ~80% maturity), and how to build a culture of risk-free candor so problems surface fast and get fixed. We also go off the beaten path to explore his unexpected right-brain practice: making sculpture and canvas works from creek limestones—how “flow” keeps the work and the person honest.

You can follow Frazer on LinkedIn and see his art on Instagram.

Highlights & takeaways

• The 5 jobs of leadership: Hire well · Set the strategy · Monitor behaviors (go to the field) · Measure results (KPIs, reports, operating forums) · Model the culture.

• Two time horizons: Ruthlessly balance “what moves the business in days” and “what compounds over ~90 days.”

• Field first: Shadow staff like “the new person in training.” Watch clicks, friction, and workarounds; bring back two pages of notes.

• Make speed a moat: “Our success is the rate at which we surface and solve problems.” Build the flywheel: surface → fix → visible improvement → more candor.

• Iteration > ideation: Once you’ve got signal, stop chasing shiny things. Move a solution from 25% → 80% with continuous iteration.

• Offsites matter: Get out of the office; keep a living North Star with focus areas; revisit quarterly.

• Protect deep work: Schedule 45-minute blocks for 90-day thinking. Often: pen + paper away from a screen.

• Patient-centric ≠ clinician-appeasement: In healthcare, align clinical excellence with business outcomes; the end user comes first.

• Keep the art pure: Create work you believe in, not what “will sell.” Flow state as honesty practice.

• Career funnel: Every 12–18 months, reflect (likes, strengths, company fit). When it’s time to move, don’t tiptoe - intentionally and aggressively pursue what you are after.

• The 3-circle career target: Do work you’re good at · in an industry you love · with compensation that fits.

Timestamps

00:00 – Operator DNA & the 5 jobs of leadership

03:00 – Two horizons: this week vs the next 90 days (and how to allocate time)

04:30 – KPIs, reviews, and the operating cadence

05:30 – Shadowing the field: product fixes you only see on the front line

08:00 – Building risk-free candor so problems surface fast

11:00 – “No plan survives first contact”—why conference rooms lie

13:00 – Shiny objects vs focus; iteration > ideation; the 25% → 80% arc

18:00 – ELT composition, offsites, and a living North Star

20:00 – Change your environment to think better (and schedule deep work)

24:00 – Paper before PowerPoint (story first, slides later)

27:00 – Why growth companies > big-company optimization

28:30 – Aligning clinicians and business around the patient

33:00 – Frazer’s art: limestone sculptures and stone-on-canvas

42:00 – Flow state, imposter feelings, and keeping the work honest

52:00 – The career funnel & becoming the most prepared candidate

55:00 – The three-circle target for a satisfying career

56:30 – What’s next in art; where to see his work

Connect With Us

Have a story about a time when you or a leader you know decided not to play it safe? I’d love to hear about it. Reach out to me at hello@kingstrategicaction.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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