IMPLEMENTING “SYSTEMIC EMPATHY” so executives and ECPs can stop feeling like opponents and start acting like partners.
By Benjamin Thayil, OD
Founder, LeadOD, and President, Lifetime Vision and Eye Care
Over the past year, I’ve had the unique opportunity to sit with presidents and CEOs from some of the largest organizations in eyecare. Think of any major industry name and I’ve probably shared a table or did a cold plunge in the Boulder River with them.
In those high-level conversations, one thing became clear: everyone in that room genuinely wants to make eyecare better. Whether the topic was access, affordability, or innovation, the goals were the same ones we share as ECPs.
So why does it sometimes feel like industry and doctors are on opposing sides? Why do
some ECPs see corporate as the problem — and some executives see doctors as the friction?
Here’s what I’ve learned — we’re all aligned in purpose but divided by perspective.
From the corporate side, the focus is on scale, access, and innovation.
From the clinical side, it’s on patient trust, burnout, and the day-to-day realities of care.
Both sides care deeply about patients, but they operate from very different altitudes.
The Altitude Problem
Executives view the world from 30,000 feet. They see systems, policy, and partnerships that can shift an entire industry. As physicians, we operate at three feet, where every decision affects a person sitting in our chair.
At 30,000 feet, you can see trends but not faces.
At three feet, you can see faces but not systems.
The problem isn’t that one view is right or wrong — it’s that we rarely meet somewhere in the middle, say at 3,000 feet, the place where empathy meets execution.
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Introducing “Systemic Empathy”
In healthcare, we talk a lot about clinical empathy — understanding what our patients feel.
But what we often miss is what I call “systemic empathy” — understanding what the other side experiences.
And by “other side,” I don’t mean patients.
I mean: Can we, as ECPs, understand the pressures and goals of the C-suite? And can the C-suite understand the pressures and goals of the ECP?
After all, we’re both trying to achieve the same thing: a well-cared-for patient, just from different ends of the spectrum.
For executives, implementing systemic empathy sounds like: “What does this new policy feel like inside a busy practice on a Friday afternoon?”
For doctors, it’s asking: “How does this decision scale across a million patients, hundreds of clinics, and layers of regulation?”
When both sides start asking those kinds of questions, we stop seeing each other as opponents and start realizing we are partners.
Redefining Success
Executives measure success by contracts signed, patients reached, and network efficiency. Doctors measure it by trust built and outcomes achieved.
But those goals aren’t in opposition — they’re connected. A thriving practice needs sustainable reimbursement and operational support. A growing vision plan needs engaged doctors delivering exceptional care.
If both sides worked from shared metrics — ones that blend business health with positive patient outcomes — we’d stop competing over market share and start collaborating on better care.
The Integrator’s Role
As an optometrist who also works in leadership and organizational culture, I’ve realized I sit in an uncommon space. I know the feeling of running behind in clinic and the energy it takes to connect with every patient. I also know the pressure executives face to innovate, manage risk, and scale responsibly.
That dual perspective has convinced me that the future of eyecare depends on what I see as ‘integrators.’ The people who can translate between systems and humans, between boardrooms and exam rooms.
The future doesn’t belong to the loudest voices on either side. It belongs to the people willing to build the bridge.
Where Do We Start?
What if executives shadowed an optometrist once a quarter — just to see what a “normal” day really feels like? To see the practical impact of corporate decision-making? What if doctors were offered transparent breakdowns of how contracts, reimbursements, or policy changes actually work? What if innovation teams always included both doctors and patients from the start and not just after a launch?
That’s systemic empathy in action. It’s not just good leadership, it’s good business.
When empathy, efficiency, and economics align, everyone wins. When the 30,000-foot perspective and the three-foot perspective meet somewhere in the middle, patients, providers, and partners all move healthcare forward.
Executives design the system. Doctors deliver the care. The future of eyecare depends on the space where those two meet.
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