American Medical Association reviews

With any change at the top, there will be difficult decisions and polarizing reactions. But broader cultural shifts under the new CEO's leadership are set to do more long-term damage to the organization than any single decision. Eliminating, sidelining disent Over the last year, there have been a number of leadership departures and shakeups, a process which has strategically removed (through firings and “early retirements”) or sidelined long-time leaders with a wealth of institutional knowledge who happened not to agree enough with the CEO. This has exacerbated the recent instability and minimized the possibility of constructive feedback on the CEO’s decisions which often merit more scrutiny. Culture of fear Currently, everyone is afraid to bring anything before the CEO for review and is second-guessing their every decision, and it’s justified. As noted above, people have been let go for not sufficiently falling in line, and those whose work didn’t match the CEO’s expectations have been disparaged in public and dressed down in private. Worse, at any moment you could be tasked with bringing to life one of the CEO’s new ideas, which you likely played no part in shaping but will be fully responsible for if it fails. Micromanagement The AMA is a great organization, but it does have some big, long-term decisions to make regarding its future—plenty of work to keep any leader busy. But the CEO has spent the bulk of his time getting down in the weeds and scrutinizing the smallest of decisions, while sharing only scant details about the direction the AMA is headed. This micromanagement has further amplified people’s need to second guess their every decision and entertain the CEO’s every whim to get some relief. Unprofessional, iron fist leadership In town halls and company-wide emails, the CEO talks about making the AMA a top place to work. Some qualities of great places to work are those with cultures of respect, transparency, and flexibility. None of this is on display from the CEO. In private, his behavior with employees can range from passive aggressive to outright condescending. The recent RTO decision was simply decided by SVPs and is in total opposition to the flexibility employees want. Subsequent criticism of the RTO policy has been sidelined or silenced at every turn. My advice for job seekers: If you’re applying to a manager position or below, proceed with caution. If you’re considering a VP position or higher, stay clear. These issues only intensify the higher up the ladder you go.

Since the new CEO joined, the workplace culture has deteriorated significantly. What was previously considered a collaborative, mission-driven environment now feels increasingly driven by fear and internal politics. The CEO’s leadership style often relies on pressure and public criticism rather than alignment or support. Employees frequently feel they are being tested rather than trusted, which has contributed to declining morale across teams. There has also been a noticeable increase in turnover, including experienced staff who had been with the organization for many years. The resulting loss of institutional knowledge is beginning to affect team stability and continuity. Several highly capable employees have left within a relatively short period of time, and others are actively considering leaving. There appears to be a pattern of favoritism, where some employees are elevated while others are publicly criticized or sidelined. This dynamic discourages collaboration and creates an environment where employees feel they are competing for approval rather than working together. The return-to-office policy has also been implemented in a way that effectively functions as a forced attrition strategy. Employees who were hired as remote workers are now required to relocate if they want to remain employed. For many, relocating across the country without relocation assistance is not financially feasible, meaning the policy effectively forces employees to choose between leaving their job or uprooting their lives. Work-life balance has also worsened considerably. Expectations have become increasingly demanding, and the overall environment often feels like employees are constantly being evaluated rather than supported in doing their jobs well. Many employees remain deeply committed to the organization’s mission, which makes the current cultural decline especially discouraging. The leadership approach increasingly feels misaligned with the organization’s stated values and the collaborative culture that previously defined the workplace. The current environment is also becoming a topic of concern among employees and within professional networks outside the organization, creating potential reputational risk in recruiting and retention.