Most physicians spend their entire career in hospitals or private practices. Markus Weber chose a different path. He is a cardiologist who still sees patients, but he also runs two diagnostic centers in Athens and a pathology lab in London. Balancing medicine with management was not something he planned. It grew from a habit he has carried since childhood: asking why.
The Habit of Asking Why
Markus remembers his father often telling him he asked too many questions. That curiosity became the thread that tied his work together. In medicine, it meant not just treating a swollen ankle but asking why it had swollen in the first place. In business, it meant noticing patterns others ignored, and acting on them.
“Doctors are trained to see within the boundaries of what they know,” Markus explains. “Entrepreneurs have to look outside of those boundaries.”
Lessons From Two Worlds
Operating in two countries gave Markus an unusual perspective. In Greece, patients often arrive with their families, expecting collective decision-making. In the UK, patients value independence and privacy. For Markus, these differences were not challenges but reminders: leadership is about listening first, then adapting.
“You cannot treat people the same way everywhere,” he says. “What builds trust in one place may not work in another.”
Medicine and Management
Markus sees how easily doctors struggle when they step into business. Medicine teaches evidence, certainty, and risk avoidance. Entrepreneurship requires imagination, flexibility, and the courage to take risks. Balancing both demands has been his lifelong experiment.
“I still see patients,” he says. “It keeps me grounded. If I lose the patient perspective, I lose the reason for the business.”
Building Teams That Care
Between his centers and labs, Markus leads more than seventy employees. He believes leadership in healthcare cannot be reduced to efficiency or numbers. Every decision must make sense for the patient first. That principle guides how he manages his teams: he encourages feedback, questions, and new ideas, while reminding staff that trust is the true measure of success.
Lessons to Carry Forward
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Keep asking why. Curiosity is the foundation of both medicine and leadership.
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Adapt to context. What builds trust in one culture may not in another.
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Balance roles. Blending technical expertise with management expands impact.
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Protect the human side. Healthcare is not only about tests or results but also about people.
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Think long-term. Integrity and trust last longer than short-term gains.
Looking Ahead
Markus has no plans to slow down. He continues to teach, mentor, and expand his services, while still making time to sit across from patients. For him, the two tracks of his career are not in conflict but in conversation. Each informs the other, reminding him that whether in the exam room or the boardroom, leadership begins with people.
Disclaimer: To protect anonymity, some contributors’ names may be changed, but the stories and lessons are always real.
