CLARITY. COMPASSION. CONFIDENCE.

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    • Home
    • BOOK
    • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    • TESTIMONIAL
    • RECOGNITION
    • LEADERSHIP LESSONS
    • REVIEWS
    • FORBES BLOGS
    • MEDIA
    • CONTACT
    • SOCIAL
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  • Home
  • BOOK
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  • TESTIMONIAL
  • RECOGNITION
  • LEADERSHIP LESSONS
  • REVIEWS
  • FORBES BLOGS
  • MEDIA
  • CONTACT
  • SOCIAL
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PETER D. BANKO

PETER D. BANKOPETER D. BANKOPETER D. BANKO


Nurturing High-Performing Teams for Relationships and Results: 

Lessons about Hiring and Firing from a Seasoned CEO

BOOK

Great businesses are built one hire and fire at a time.

Holding team members accountable has moved from a routine administrative task to a top-tier strategic action and a critical, high-stress issue for CEOs, particularly as they focus on operational efficiency in the AI era. How you do it matters. 

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About the author

Peter D. Banko is a seasoned CEO with over 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He has built a reputation for driving cultural and operational change in complex health organizations. A key aspect of his success, both financially and in terms of stakeholder satisfaction, is leadership development through effective team building.  This often involves managing underperformance and making tough executive decisions, including leader termination when necessary.   

Now living a distance from his micro-ranch, where he raised heritage breed Belted Galloway, Peter is fueling his creativity with spray paint art, inspired by the expressions on the Berlin Wall. Additionally, Peter enjoys mentoring young healthcare executives from his alma maters, focusing on leadership development and managing relationships and results, while also returning to teach at Cornell and Notre Dame. 

Eric Larsen, President, TowerBrook Advisors

TESTIMONIAL

"I have known Peter Banko for more than 25 years, and have observed his leadership in some of America's most complex health systems, marked by courage, humility, and heart. In The Necessary Goodbye, he distills essential lessons on employee termination and managing underperformance into a profoundly human guide."

recognition

Most Influential Person in Medicine (AR)

2011

    Leadership Lessons

    Leadership grounded in humility, relationships, and self-awareness

    Leadership grounded in humility, relationships, and self-awareness

    Leadership grounded in humility, relationships, and self-awareness

    Abstract canvas art with blue and white speckles.

    Leadership is not a quest for power; it requires a healthy balance of ego and graciousness, grounded in relationships.  

    Operational discipline and simplifying decision-making

    Leadership grounded in humility, relationships, and self-awareness

    Leadership grounded in humility, relationships, and self-awareness

    Discipline yourself to remove bureaucratic barriers and simplify decision-making across the board to eliminate the friction that slows meaningful progress. 

    Access, community- oriented care, and sustainable growth

    Leadership grounded in humility, relationships, and self-awareness

    Access, community- oriented care, and sustainable growth

    Abstract art with vertical yellow and black lines on a white canvas.

    Make mission and core values a cornerstone in everything you say and do. Be in service to others. Ensure a balanced approach to community need, engagement, quality and safety, growth, and the bottom line. 

    Enduring System & Communities

    Enduring System & Communities

    Access, community- oriented care, and sustainable growth

    Silhouette of a rider on a horse with '1776' against an American flag background.

    True stewardship reaches beyond organizational infrastructure to community impact.  Only high-performing teams can sustainably execute strategic and operational imperatives well, and with far-reaching effects.  

    Empathetic Leadership

    Enduring System & Communities

    Clarity and Compassion

    Especially when faced with organizational challenges such as financial turnarounds, leading with authenticity and empathy fosters greater trust and resilience.

    Clarity and Compassion

    Enduring System & Communities

    Clarity and Compassion

    Graffiti of a smiley face in a hoodie with hearts and stars on a green background.

    In the words of Brene Brown, "Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind." Practice kindness. Be patient. Compassion is not passive. It requires action.

    Your team will appreciate clarity and compassion with confidence. You will sleep easier at night.

    FORBES BLOGS

    What Do You Do When You Can’t Terminate A Problem Employee?

    You can’t always get what you want, not even when you’re justified in terminating someone on your team. Maybe they have connections to your board members. Maybe you’re new to your position and can’t eliminate the entire department because you need people to do the work.

    Read More

    The No. 1 Thing A Leader Must Learn: It’s Not A Popularity Contest

    The truth is, you’ve got a business to run, more than a country club to support. You always need to be able to step away from a relationship if it’s best for the organization. Will these decisions make you unpopular?

    READ MORE

    Reviews

    media

    Gridiron and Growth

    Gridiron and Growth

    Gridiron and Growth

    Co-hosts Ryan Harris and Bennie Fowler sit down with Peter Banko, the CEO of Baystate Health. Peter shares his journey as a CEO and the lessons learned along the way as a titan in the healthcare industry. He opens up about leadership development, the importance of executive decision making, and managing underperformance while building successful teams. Peter emphasizes the significance of staying on top of details, being consumer-friendly, and fostering a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. Throughout the conversation, Peter shares personal anecdotes and experiences that have shaped his leadership style, including the impact of having a supportive family and the value of self-awareness. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to be an effective CEO and how to navigate the challenges that come with leading a large organization. 

    Cedar Group

    Gridiron and Growth

    Gridiron and Growth

    Peter discusses the driving forces that win consumer loyalty in healthcare and honestly reflects on the biggest challenges in the system he just joined.  

    THINK ND

    Gridiron and Growth

    Massachusetts Hospital Association

    The latest installment of Where We’re Going will invite Notre Dame faculty and global experts to focus on healthcare and timely issues like public health and healthcare technology. Participants will be invited to join three weekly events to hear from faculty and industry practitioners and participate in discussions to enhance their understanding of the topics.  Featured Speakers:  

    • Peter D. Banko, President & Chief Executive Officer, Centura Health 
    • Jane Lee, Assistant Professor, University of Washington 
    • Dr. Bernard Nahlen, Director, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame

    Massachusetts Hospital Association

    Massachusetts Hospital Association

    Watch the one-on-one conversation with Baystate Health's Peter Banko as he discusses his career journey, insights on executive decision making during employee termination processes, his first six months with the system, and his vision for leadership development and managing underperformance in the future of healthcare. 

    Momentum

    Momentum

    coming soon... 


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    Media Inquiries

    With more than 30 years in healthcare leadership—including two decades as a CEO—Peter D. Banko is a sought-after speaker on values-driven leadership. He focuses on leadership development, team dynamics, and the complex realities of managing performance. Known for his thoughtful approach to executive decision-making, Peter addresses even the most sensitive challenges—such as employee termination—with clarity, confidence and compassion. For inquiries, please email thenecessarygoodbye@gmail.com.

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