HA 511_Unit 6 DB_Elizabeth Patten-1
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Leadership in Healthcare
Elizabeth Patten
Department of Healthcare Administration, Park University
HA511: Leadership and Management in Healthcare Systems
Dr. Travis Manroe
November 27, 2023
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TO: Jane Doe, Chief Executive Officer
FROM:
Elizabeth Patten, Human Resources Director
DATE: November 27, 2023
SUBJECT: Leadership Development
Effective leadership is a crucial factor in the success of any organization, but even more so in healthcare. People’s lives are on the line, and patients trust healthcare staff to provide safe, high-quality care at all times. Strong leadership is critical in building a healthy, positive work culture that breeds success (Kupietzky, 2023). For this organization to be successful, it cannot merely imitate and duplicate what others are doing well. Leadership training must be developed
and implemented at the right time to the right people by the right instructors (Healey, 2018, p. 190). It is my recommendation that all healthcare leaders in this organization have an initial evaluation, followed by a needs assessment plan in the first 90 days of their position. This will be reevaluated at the one-year mark to review effectiveness and what changes may need to be made.
Critical Skills for Leaders
Leaders must have certain skills to be successful. The following skills should be included in all reviews and actively developed to build better leaders. Each skill builds upon one another to make successful leaders. Therefore, one cannot adequately be used without understanding the others.
1.
Communication – Communication is the most important skill a leader can hone. Being able to communicate clearly and efficiently is essential for relaying critical information as well as improving employee engagement. Developing a charismatic communication style helps leaders develop loyalty and inspire motivation and obedience in employees (Healey, 2018, p. 197).
2.
Culture-Building – If work culture is toxic, a leader will not be able to use the other skills effectively. Employees will not trust or engage if they feel unsafe or suspicious of their work environment. A leader must be able to facilitate culture change to improve the organizational climate employees work in. Then the following skills will be easier to implement. 3.
Trust-Building – The next critical skill is the ability to build trust. Lack of trust in leadership can negatively impact team cohesion, product or service quality, and employee motivation (Healey, 2018, p. 200). Without trust, organization dynamics can quickly erode, causing the organization to struggle functioning.
4.
Motivational and Employee Engagement – If a leader can effectively communicate and build trust, motivation and engagement will likely follow. However, this skill goes
deeper than that. A leader should be able to learn what motivates each person and
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cater (within reason) to that motivation for better productivity, efficiency, and engagement.
5.
Intrapreneurship – The final skill is intrapreneurship. This skill is a combination of the
top four skills and is used to empower and motivate staff to implement a culture of self-efficacy and decentralized structure. Building a culture where issues are solved at the lowest level empowers staff to be more creative and innovative when problems arise (Healey, 2018, p. 200).
Implications for Failing to Personalize Leadership Training
If an organization does not know where they are going, how will they get there? Without a needs assessment and analysis of training programs, an organization could waste thousands of dollars and time on ineffective programs. Additionally, useless training could demotivate employees to pay attention to and glean any useful information out of the program. A one-size-
fits-all approach is ineffective and could create a culture of stagnation. Additionally, this stagnation and lack of motivation could negatively impact patient care quality. Evaluation and Needs Assessment Process
It is my recommendation that evaluation of training and the needs assessment be analyzed, reviewed, and updated annually. This allows for enough time to implement training and analyze its effectiveness over the course of a year. As needs change, the program can be adapted to better suit the developing needs of the leaders, as well as integrate the newest research into training.
I-LEAD Research and an Exemplary Leadership Development Program
Research conducted by Richter et al. (2016) led to thought-provoking insights regarding leadership development. While transformational leadership is seen as the epitome of leadership
styles, it may not be enough to facilitate change in an organization. The authors believe that a combination of transformational and transactional leadership may be more effective, as the use of contingent rewards has been shown to be effective in motivating employees (Richter et al., 2016). This is an important consideration when motivating employees to do great work and innovate. The use of rewards should be discussed in leadership training programs so leaders can
know when they should be used and when they will only create more mistrust with employees.
A high-quality leadership program is one that is personalized to the needs of each individual and
results in successful, measurable outcomes. It should allow for flexibility and adaptation to the individual’s needs and teach critical leadership skills such as communication and how to build trust and culture. Finally, a top-tier program will lead to improved healthcare service quality and
reduced costs (Healey, 2018, p. 204).
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References
Healey, B. J. (2018). Principles of healthcare leadership. Health Administration Press.
Kupietzky, J. (2023, March 22). Why strong leadership is critical in healthcare. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/03/22/why-strong-
leadership-is-critical-in-healthcare/
Richter, A., von Thiele Schwarz, U., Lornudd, C., Lundmark, R., Mosson, R., & Hasson, H. (2015). iLead—A transformational leadership intervention to train healthcare managers’ implementation leadership. Implementation Science, 11
(108). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-016-0475-6