David Johnston is a leadership coach and advisor with twenty years of experience in senior healthcare executive roles, from Operations Director through Chief Executive Officer. He led across hospital systems and regional health authorities, navigating the intersection of complex organizational change, board relationships, and decision-making where every choice carries human weight.
During those two decades, he noticed a pattern that matters. The executives who sustained high performance weren't the ones working hardest. They operated from a different rhythm. They structured their attention differently. They maintained their relationships differently. They approached decisions at a different pace. Most importantly, they did this consciously, not by accident or personality.
That observation led to coaching. He began working one-on-one with sitting CEOs across healthcare, government, and related sectors, testing what he'd learned against the reality of their current challenges. Over hundreds of coaching conversations, a framework emerged. He calls it Cadence.
CEO Cadence is not a productivity system. It's a map of the psychological and relational interior of the CEO role—grounded in what actually works when the stakes are real and the pressure is constant. David distilled twenty years of observation into a book launching in April 2026, and continues to work with a small roster of leaders who want to go deeper than a workshop or a book alone.
Executive coaching is not a service David offers at scale. He works with a small number of clients at a time, and he's selective about fit. Most engagements run six to twelve months. Most clients are referred.
If you're considering working together, the application process is the right starting point. It's not a sales call. It's a conversation to understand what you're facing, what success would mean, and whether the engagement makes sense for both of you.