Biography
Dr. Kandi Wiens is the co-director of the Penn Master’s in Medical Education program, co-director of the Health Professions Education certificate program, and co-academic director of the Penn Chief Learning Officer executive doctoral program. She is also a senior fellow in the Penn Medical Education master's program and the Penn Chief Learning Officer executive doctoral program.
Dr. Wiens is an executive coach, national speaker, and organizational change consultant. Her coaching practice is deeply grounded in emotional intelligence, burnout, and resiliency research and methods. She is passionate about designing and delivering coaching and learning experiences that help people live their values and perform at their best.
She holds a doctorate from the Penn Chief Learning Officer executive doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from the University of Oregon, and a B.S. in business administration from Montana State University.
- Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania, 2016
- M.B.A., University of Oregon, 1996
- B.S. (Business Administration) Montana State University, 1994
- Emotional intelligence
- Burnout
- Organizational change
- Organizational culture
Research Interests and Current Projects
Dr. Wiens’ research interests include burnout, emotional intelligence, organizational development, and culture change.
Since 2017, Kandi has served as a faculty member and leadership coach for the Police Executive Leadership Institute (PELI). She also conducts multiple research studies with senior police leaders, with the primary aim of understanding how they use their emotional intelligence to navigate stress and protect themselves from burnout. She is also working on a longitudinal study with the Los Angeles Police Department examining Command Staff experiences with stress and burnout.
Kandi is a national speaker, executive coach, and organizational change consultant. Her coaching practice is deeply grounded in emotional intelligence, burnout, and resiliency research and methods. She is passionate about designing and delivering coaching and learning experiences that help people walk in their purpose and lead with their values.
Kandi has a 26-year proven track record of working with clients to assess organizational capacity for change and implement strategic initiatives to increase the probability of implementation success. She understands the dynamics of complex changes in organizations, and coaches leaders at all levels to break through and manage inevitable barriers to project success and increase organizational effectiveness. She has designed and delivered over 2,000 leadership development programs focused on helping leaders hone and use their emotional and social intelligence to amplify their positive impact and protect themselves from burnout.
Publications
Featured Publications
- Kandi J. Wiens
Burnout Immunity: How Emotional Intelligence Can Help You Build Resilience and Heal Your Relationship with Work
Harper Collins
Falcon, S., & Wiens, K. (2022, July 6). Reeling from a Sudden Job Loss? Here's How to Start Healing Harvard Business Review.
Wiens, K., & Loper, P. (2021, October 14). Are you burned out? Or is it something else? Harvard Business Review.
Weiss, A., Quinn, S., Danley A., Wiens, K., & Mehta, J. (2021, September 24). Burnout and perceptions of stigma and help-seeking behavior among pediatric fellows. Pediatrics.
Wiens, K. (2020, November 19). Is self-sabotage burning you out? Harvard Business Review.
Wiens, K., & Rowell, D. (2018, December 31). How to embrace change using emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Review.
Wiens, K. (2017, December 21). Break the cycle of stress and distraction by using your emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Review.
McKee, A., & Wiens, K. (2017, May 11). Prevent burnout by making compassion a habit. Harvard Business Review.
Wiens, K. (2016). Leading through burnout: The influence of emotional intelligence on the ability of executive level physician leaders to cope with occupational stress and burnout. Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (220; 10158565).
Wiens, K., & McKee, A. (2016, November 23). Why some people get burned out and others don’t. Harvard Business Review.
Related News
Peter Eckel and Kandi Wiens discuss burnout in higher education
In the Media | University World News,
Peter Eckel and Kandi Wein discuss their views on why university leaders are burning out and how to reverse it in a joint op-ed
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Topics
Kandi Wiens says that burnout, especially in the workplace, “ultimately comes down to a misalignment, or sometimes referred to as a mismatch, between someone’s personality or temperament and the environment that they are in," and provides tips for addressing this problem.
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Google CEO: This mantra helps me cope with pressure at work—I learned it as a student
In the Media | CNBC
TopicsKandi Wiens says that resilient, successful people manage workplace stress by challenging negative assumptions, interrupting catastrophic thinking, and focusing on what is actually true in stressful situations rather than creating self-critical narratives.
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Kandi Wiens discusses how emotional intelligence can help individuals build resilience and heal their relationship with work, as outlined in her new book, Burnout Immunity.
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Kandi Wiens highlights that to recover from emotional exhaustion, individuals should surround themselves with positive, supportive people who boost emotional well-being, particularly during vacations.
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Why Adrian Wojnarowski left $20 million on the table by leaving ESPN: ‘Time isn’t in endless supply’
In the Media | CNBC
TopicsKandi Wiens notes that workers who are most at risk of burnout are not only those in demanding jobs but also those with genuine passion for their work, as they are more likely to become emotionally invested and overextend themselves in pursuit of their goals.
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Seeing workplace misery, they offer company
In the Media | New York Times
TopicsKandi Wiens says that employer-provided wellness services tend to backfire more than help with burnout.
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Topics
Kandi Wiens discusses how being self-sacrificing to the point of burnout in one's career can be a major block in achieving ones goals.
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This type of employee is more prone to burnout, says Ivy League stress expert—here’s why
In the Media | CNBC
TopicsKandi Wiens discusses how more engaged workers are actually more prone to burnout, and shares how setting boundaries can help combat this.
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Ivy League stress expert: This ‘underrated’ skill can help you beat burnout and be happier at work–here’s how
In the Media | CNBC
TopicsKandi Wiens discusses her new book 'Burnout Immunity', and strategies to combat burnout in the workplace.
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How Burnout Became Normal - and How to Push Back Against It
In the Media | Harvard Business Review
TopicsKandi Wiens explains the rise of burnout culture, how wide reaching its effects are, and shares strategies to combat and cope with it
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Both books publish April 23 and explore topics deeply important to their authors.
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Topics
Kandi Wiens discusses how to combat burnout, and argues that it should be reframed as an occupational problem that requires organizational change instead of a personal failing.
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Her insights emphasize the subtlety and gradual nature of burnout and outline its three primary features.
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According to a 2022 Gallup poll, teaching is among the most stressful occupations. Kandi Wiens, a researcher who studies burnout and emotional intelligence, shares some advice to help educators prioritize self-care and stress management.
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Stop Overworking After Vacation
In the Media | Harvard Business Review
TopicsKandi Wiens offers strategies to prevent overworking after a vacation, emphasizing the importance of work recovery for sustained performance and well-being.
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Topics
Three southern California school districts joined the program in 2022–23 as K–12 leaders navigate unprecedented external pressure. Founded in 1943 and until now concentrated in the Northeast, the Center helps superintendents and leaders work collaboratively to identify professional challenges, share best practices, and provide development opportunities.
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Writing in Harvard Business Review, Kandi Wiens says it’s important to watch out for self-sabotage traps