From Engineer to Executive: How Antwan Williams, MSHA, Is Redefining Hospital Leadership and Building the Next Generation of Healthcare Innovators

Why Flexibility, Networking, and Purpose-Driven Leadership Matter More Than Ever in Healthcare

Healthcare leadership is evolving at a pace rarely seen before. As hospitals contend with shifting patient demands, workforce shortages, and the unrelenting pressure to innovate, the need for adaptable, people-focused leaders has never been more urgent. At the heart of this transformation stands Antwan Williams, MSHA—Chief Operating Officer of Orlando Health Lake Mary Hospital and co-founder of the Advancement League. Williams’s career arc, from aspiring civil engineer to C-suite hospital executive and summit organizer, offers a playbook for executives who want to lead with agility, build lasting relationships, and generate real-world impact in and beyond their organizations.

In this exclusive interview for the American Journal of Healthcare Strategy, Williams reveals what propelled his rapid rise, the unique philosophies behind his leadership, and why he believes the future of healthcare is being built by those willing to “make change in order to implement change.” For current and aspiring leaders, Williams’s story delivers actionable insight on networking, culture, and the value of being purpose-driven—even when the path ahead is anything but predictable.

How Antwan Williams “Failed Into” Healthcare—and Why That Makes Him a Better Leader

Why did Antwan Williams choose healthcare administration, and how has his unconventional journey shaped his leadership? Williams’s route wasn’t straightforward. In fact, he describes it with candor: “I failed into healthcare. I was an aspiring civil engineer, had dreams of building roadways… and I met a guy by the name of Calculus 3, and Calculus 3 kicked my behind, escorted me to the College of Business.” Rather than being deterred, Williams pivoted: he embraced mentorship, earned his MSHA from the University of Central Florida, and launched a career marked by continuous learning and resilience.

Lessons for Today’s Healthcare Leaders

Williams’s story underscores several vital truths for professionals considering or advancing in healthcare leadership:

• Failure is often a launchpad: Williams’s open admission of his early academic setbacks is a reminder that nonlinear career trajectories often create the most versatile and empathetic leaders.

• Mentorship matters: Williams credits mentors who “sparked an interest in healthcare” and encouraged him to pursue opportunities he wouldn’t have considered otherwise.

• Adaptability fuels growth: “From engineer to now hospital operator—and a lot of failure in between.” That willingness to embrace change is a recurring theme throughout Williams’s career.

His journey highlights that a willingness to pivot, seek guidance, and learn from setbacks is invaluable—not just for personal success but for the organizations and teams you lead.

The Fast Track: How to Reach the C-Suite Without 30 Years of Experience

What’s unique about Williams’s rise to COO in under a decade, and what can others learn from his trajectory? Williams’s rapid advancement is unusual in a field where most C-suite leaders have decades of experience. His answer is direct: “It’s been a willingness to learn, a willingness to travel far for those learnings… For me, it’s been that diversity in thought and that willingness to travel to get it.”

Williams’s Key Career Accelerators

1. Geographic and Intellectual Flexibility: Williams accepted early roles far from his comfort zone, working in Central Pennsylvania and later Detroit. “Not many people are willing to travel for experience to work with great people, and that was a life-changing experience for me.”

2. Deliberate Network-Building: Instead of chasing titles, Williams focused on collaborating with high-caliber peers and learning from every rung on the ladder.

3. Taking Calculated Risks: “Everyone’s situation’s different, but for me, it’s been that diversity in thought and that willingness to travel to get it and do.” This mindset enabled him to seize opportunities others might have overlooked.

Takeaway: Younger leaders shouldn’t assume senior roles are out of reach. With intentional learning, adaptability, and a broad professional network, rapid advancement is not just possible—it’s becoming more common in U.S. healthcare.

Beyond the Resume: Why Lateral Networking Is a Secret Weapon for Healthcare Leaders

What is “lateral networking,” and why does Williams believe it’s critical for career development? Williams and his co-founder Alex Massger intentionally designed the Advancement League’s Young Health Leader Summit to strip away hierarchical barriers. “We purposely cap it at between 150 and 200 people. It just makes for a different level of collaboration, different conversations, and different connections.”

How the Advancement League Reinvents Networking

Williams describes the power of lateral networking:

• “Our marketing slogan was that we’re going to scrap name badges… folks essentially write their name and their organization and skip the part about the title because we wanted to force that interaction to where folks care about each other as humans.”

• This format levels the playing field, ensuring that “the manager of HR is just as exciting to me as somebody who’s the chief HR officer.”

• The result: authentic connections that lead to real career growth—sometimes immediately, but more often as “solid investments” that pay off years down the road.

Why Lateral Networking Works:

• Builds trust across career stages

• Increases exposure to fresh perspectives

• Creates a culture of support rather than competition

Direct advice: Williams urges leaders to “not take for granted the folks that are in the audience and the folks that you are in class with or in cohort with.” The people around you today may become pivotal to your career tomorrow.

Balancing Hospital Operations and National Impact: Managing Competing Demands as COO

How does a hospital COO find time for innovation and external impact while managing daily operations? Williams is candid about the challenge: “Transparency for the folks watching—I mean, how many times did we have to reschedule this meeting? Probably approaching two hands.” Managing the opening of a new hospital, supporting staff, and leading the Advancement League means long days and constant recalibration.

Keys to Managing Competing Priorities

Williams’s approach includes:

• Relentless Flexibility: “You make time when you can and remain flexible and keep good people around you.”

• People First: Williams actively seeks out “normal people… folks that say hello and value you as a human,” prioritizing soft skills and cultural fit over technical expertise alone.

• Work-Life Reality Check: Hospital leadership is demanding—“It’s late into the evening right now. I’m sure I’m going to get a text from my wife like, ‘Hey, where are you? The girls are ready to eat.’”—but Williams emphasizes that staying mission-driven and surrounding yourself with supportive people makes the juggle possible.

Actionable insight: Hospital executives should prioritize their networks and embrace “purpose-driven work” to maintain both professional impact and personal wellbeing.

Building Culture and Trust: Lessons from the Leap to the C-Suite

What’s the biggest shift when moving from mid-level operations to executive leadership? Williams pinpoints the evolution: “Each role requires a new level of trust, a new level of seeking out individuals that are inspired by the work… so each role you kind of pull yourself out of it just a little bit.”

The C-Suite Shift: From Doer to Enabler

• Trust Over Control: As you rise, the job becomes less about personal execution and more about enabling others. Williams says, “You’ve got to put trust in others or it’s not sustainable… it’s just been another layer of trust for the folks that you work with and taking more time to select those folks.”

• Intentional Team Building: Culture is created by design, not accident. Williams recommends investing time in hiring for values alignment and soft skills, which in turn, builds a culture where innovation and collaboration thrive.

• Sustainable Impact: Williams notes that focusing on immediate results is tempting, but sustainable impact comes from “trusting others” and building systems that outlast any single leader.

Best practice: Executive leaders should embrace the discomfort of relinquishing control, focusing instead on empowering teams and sustaining culture beyond their direct influence.

Why Purpose and Perspective Drive Sustainable Success

What keeps Williams motivated to continue leading both a hospital and a national leadership organization? The answer is simple and profound: “It’s Purpose Driven… it’s the testimonials when you host a summit… and you see the impact that it has on the participants: ‘Wow, this is why I joined healthcare.’”

What Sets the Advancement League Apart

1. Deliberate Intimacy: Capped attendance and high-touch experiences encourage deep, meaningful networking—an antidote to the anonymity of mega-conferences.

2. Embedded Community Impact: Every summit includes a 24-hour Community Impact Challenge, connecting professional development with real-world service.

3. Ongoing Inspiration: Testimonials and participant stories aren’t just motivators—they’re proof of impact. “It’s been a cup filler for me outside of the hospital operator world and keeps me sharp and aware of trends, ideas, perspectives outside of the walls of the hospital.”

Practical takeaway: Sustained success comes from aligning personal mission with organizational purpose. Leaders should seek “cup-filling” roles or projects outside their day jobs to stay energized and innovative.

Actionable Advice: How to Know When to Seek New Opportunities—and How to Stand Out

How can operations leaders climb to director, AVP, or C-suite roles? Williams is explicit: “We get caught up on titles… so it’s back to where we started: being flexible, being adaptable, and just being willing to make change. In order to implement change, you have to make change.”

Williams’s Top Recommendations

• Be Flexible: Seek opportunities to stretch, even within your current role.

• Stay Creative: “Be willing to take on different opportunities even within your same role, and just stay creative.”

• Seek Perspective: “We take a lot of advice and sometimes it can be conflicting, so jot it all down—perspective.”

• Don’t Wait for Permission: The right moment to move forward “finds you” when you’ve mastered your role and start to feel unchallenged.

Final words from Williams: “Try to stay balanced. Practice meditation. Do all the things they tell you to do… Some days are higher than others, especially probably during this time—it’s all about balance.”

Event Spotlight: The Young Health Leader Summit—Atlanta, May 14-16

For those interested in connecting with innovators like Williams, the Advancement League Young Health Leader Summit will be held in Atlanta, May 14-16. Williams promises: “We’ll have amazing individuals—Scott Becker, leaders from Google, leaders from healthcare systems from across the country, and real connections… two days, high ROI, good energy, and community impact.” At publication, 150 spots remain open for registration.

Takeaway: Change-Makers Aren’t Born—They’re Made by Embracing Flexibility, Community, and Purpose

Antwan Williams, MSHA’s leadership journey is proof that adaptability, authentic networking, and purpose-driven impact are the true differentiators in healthcare today. The American Journal of Healthcare Strategy encourages every reader—whether you’re an aspiring manager or a seasoned executive—to adopt Williams’s mindset: Seek out diverse experiences, invest in genuine relationships at every level, and never underestimate the power of purposeful, people-first leadership. In a sector where the only constant is change, those who are willing to “make change in order to implement change” will shape the future.