Effective leadership is about more than decision-making—it’s about advocacy, collaboration, and advancing a shared mission. In partnership with the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM), STFM kicks off a three-part series on The STFM Podcast exploring the lifecycle of leadership in academic family medicine. In this first episode, Grant Greenberg, MD, and Wanda Cruz-Knight, MD, MBA, CPE, discuss how to lead within the complex ecosystems of academic medical centers and health systems. From advocating for departments to building coalitions and managing institutional change, they share insights on what it takes to lead with impact.Hosted by Omari A. Hodge, MD, and Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase, MDCopyright © Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, 2025