How do you guide your healthcare leadership practice?

In my experience, empowering your team to solve the why (big picture) instead of the what (task) naturally produces solution driven leaders. Leadership is a skill that everyone has no matter the background or level of expertise. Much like a seed, the skill can flourish and create fruits of its kind in the right environment. When challenges and opportunities for improvement present themselves, open the door for collaboration and discussion. Allow your team the opportunity to bring their ideas and exercise their skills by asking them “How do you think we should approach this?” After some time, they will see how their contributions help the organization as a whole, leaving them encouraged and empowered to do it at a larger scale.

I lead by example and quite literally show the team what hopsice truly means. We are in a pivotal moment within the workplace. There is a wide gap between workers of different age groups. The gap consists of great variances in work ethic and commitment to the job. What I’ve seen is the younger generations have a very different approach to their jobs. When you have this wide variance of work ethic within organizations , it becomes very challenging for leaders to bring the team together. The key to bringing everyone together is simply shown by leadership whom show the team what the expectations are. Too often leadership stays behind desks and in they are in meetings all day. Very ineffective style for todays work environment and culture.

Guiding your healthcare leadership practice requires a holistic approach that encompasses both strategic thinking and effective interpersonal skills. Lead with Vision and Purpose: Set a clear and compelling vision for your healthcare team. Communicate the organization's mission and values, and align individual goals with the overall purpose. Empower and Support Your Team: Create an environment where team members feel empowered to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Promote a Culture of Quality and Safety: In healthcare, patient safety is paramount. Establish and reinforce a culture that prioritizes quality care and safety at all levels. Lead by Example: Be a role model for your team.

I agree, emotional intelligence is something imperative for every leader to have. Recognizing that this a quality that is developed only over time and experience. Todays workplaces are full of employees wanting to go “back “ to the basics. The basics include leaders whom observe their team, and recognize when individuals are struggling. And then taking the time out of their day to approach those employees with genuine care and concern. Additionally, not recognizing and not showing appreciation to committed workers is a recipe for disaster. Coming out of a pandemic , and the current economy, are affecting all people. Leaders today must stay current challenges we all face as people first.

From the perspective of healthcare leaders, emotional intelligence is seen as a fundamental skill that influences their interactions with patients, staff, and other stakeholders, ultimately impacting the overall quality of care and organizational performance.Emotional intelligence enhances a leader's ability to influence others positively. Leaders can inspire their teams by appealing to their emotions and aligning their goals with the organization's vision. Collaboration is also improved as emotional intelligence helps leaders understand and manage different personalities and perspectives within the team.

Leadership style plays a significant role in healthcare leadership practice, as it influences how leaders interact with their teams, make decisions, and shape the organizational culture. Different leadership styles have their strengths and weaknesses, and healthcare leaders may adopt various approaches based on the situation and the needs of their teams and patients.

In my experience, lack of communication is frequently cited by staff as one of the leading causes of dissatisfaction. As a leader it is imperative that you learn to communicate effectively with your team. Identify how your staff prefer to receive communication and utilize no less than two forms of communication. Improving communication with your team instills trust and improves staff satisfaction which in turn leads to better retention.

Empathy and Consumer Centricity As a healthcare practice leader I ensure that the broader team which also includes people from non health backgrounds appreciate the importance of empathy and consumer centricity in all decisions and choices they make. Humans are a social species and connect at subconscious level with brands and enterprises that are able to display empathy and relate with them. Consumer centricity is again a must have attribute to get products achieve quick market fit and become morale boosters for every one.

"We tend to spend most of our time on changing the system, and relatively little on the profound personal changes required of us.” (Source: Mastering Leadership) Getting coaching and creating space to receive objective feedback is invaluable in continuously building leadership capability.