Week 1 Assignment: Health Care Leadership Article
The health care field is an industry that requires a collaborative effort amongst all employees, within the health care organization. However, at the helm of the proverbial ship, should be those in managerial positions, steering their team members to success. As a health care leader, it is their responsibility to effectively lead the organization by implementing a strategic plan that will enable employees to develop the necessary skillset, needed to be an effective team member. According to Huston (2018), “When organizations have a significant number of skilled leaders, innovation, quality, and productivity tend to flourish, and a culture is created in which employees are more likely to feel motivated, empowered, and supported.”
The Meaning of Leadership
Although the role of being a health care leader can be a daunting task, it is up to each individual to define their role and what leadership means to them. Personally, I define leadership as the ability to set the direction, tone, and vision for an organization. When one is in a leadership position, it is their duty to inspire, guide, openly communicate defined roles, empower, and respect team members and uphold ethical standards and moralistic integrity, within the workplace. To be an effective and authentic leader, one has to adopt a leadership style, that exhibits and promotes the necessary traits needed to have a successful health care organization. Authentic leaders must communicate openly with all employees, boost employee morale and empower them, promote individual value, maintain workplace engagement, improve employee interactions, minimize stagnancy, enforce and promote a positive workplace culture, be empathetic, and showcase emotional intelligence. Embodying these traits will solidify one as a true health care leader and promote growth, within the organization.
Personal Experience About Healthcare Leadership
As an aspiring health care leader, I often look to those in leadership positions, as mentors. I have been lucky to have learned a great deal from those in managerial positions, within my workplaces and have had great personal experiences, that have informed and transformed my thoughts about health care leadership. For example, there was a team member within my workplace that made our workplace culture toxic. This person spewed negativity and was very disruptive with other employees. It was our health care leader’s job to corral this person and let them know that this sort of behavior was not tolerated, within our health care organization. The leader de-escalated the situation by separating the employees and communicating directly with the problematic employee. Protocols were in place to reprimand the employee and strip them of some of their duties, for a period of time. Our leader demonstrated professionalism but never once engaged in the toxicity, that was taking place around us. I was able to see how to handle a stressful situation with grace and informed on proper leadership protocols, by an authentic leader.
Becoming an Authentic Leader
To further develop one’s leadership skillset, you must utilize development exercises, that provide insight into becoming an authentic leader. An effective exercise that helps one explore their potential as successful health care leader, is simply evaluating and correcting certain areas within oneself, that needs improving. Sitting down and writing things that must be worked on to be successful can be very beneficial to becoming an authentic leader, because it provides insight into grey areas, that need improvement. Understanding that attaining perfection as a leader is impossible but knowing improvements are necessary for effective organizational change to be implemented, is a sign of growth as a leader. Finding ways to become more self-aware, understand your persona values, utilize intrinsic and extrinsic motivators as incentives, find and develop a support team, finding balance between personal life and professional life, sticking to your roots, and inspiring and empowering those around you are all exercises that must be done, to develop an authentic leadership mentality (Braden, 2018).
Conclusion
Being a health care leader, comes with great responsibility, to effectively lead a team and organization, to success. Having the skillset needed to enhance the experience of employees, is not for the faint of heart. Adapting to a leadership style that highlights authenticity, promotes a positive workplace culture, and works closely with team members to implement effective organizational change within the facility, are all key characteristics needed to be an authentic leader.
References
Braden, M. (2018). Seven Ways To Develop Your Authentic Leadership Style. Council Post: Seven Ways To Develop Your Authentic Leadership Style
Huston, C.J. (2018). What Defines A True Leader in Healthcare?. What Defines A True Leader in Healthcare?
The health care field is an industry that requires a collaborative effort amongst all employees, within the health care organization. However, at the helm of the proverbial ship, should be those in managerial positions, steering their team members to success. As a health care leader, it is their responsibility to effectively lead the organization by implementing a strategic plan that will enable employees to develop the necessary skillset, needed to be an effective team member. According to Huston (2018), “When organizations have a significant number of skilled leaders, innovation, quality, and productivity tend to flourish, and a culture is created in which employees are more likely to feel motivated, empowered, and supported.”
The Meaning of Leadership
Although the role of being a health care leader can be a daunting task, it is up to each individual to define their role and what leadership means to them. Personally, I define leadership as the ability to set the direction, tone, and vision for an organization. When one is in a leadership position, it is their duty to inspire, guide, openly communicate defined roles, empower, and respect team members and uphold ethical standards and moralistic integrity, within the workplace. To be an effective and authentic leader, one has to adopt a leadership style, that exhibits and promotes the necessary traits needed to have a successful health care organization. Authentic leaders must communicate openly with all employees, boost employee morale and empower them, promote individual value, maintain workplace engagement, improve employee interactions, minimize stagnancy, enforce and promote a positive workplace culture, be empathetic, and showcase emotional intelligence. Embodying these traits will solidify one as a true health care leader and promote growth, within the organization.
Personal Experience About Healthcare Leadership
As an aspiring health care leader, I often look to those in leadership positions, as mentors. I have been lucky to have learned a great deal from those in managerial positions, within my workplaces and have had great personal experiences, that have informed and transformed my thoughts about health care leadership. For example, there was a team member within my workplace that made our workplace culture toxic. This person spewed negativity and was very disruptive with other employees. It was our health care leader’s job to corral this person and let them know that this sort of behavior was not tolerated, within our health care organization. The leader de-escalated the situation by separating the employees and communicating directly with the problematic employee. Protocols were in place to reprimand the employee and strip them of some of their duties, for a period of time. Our leader demonstrated professionalism but never once engaged in the toxicity, that was taking place around us. I was able to see how to handle a stressful situation with grace and informed on proper leadership protocols, by an authentic leader.
Becoming an Authentic Leader
To further develop one’s leadership skillset, you must utilize development exercises, that provide insight into becoming an authentic leader. An effective exercise that helps one explore their potential as successful health care leader, is simply evaluating and correcting certain areas within oneself, that needs improving. Sitting down and writing things that must be worked on to be successful can be very beneficial to becoming an authentic leader, because it provides insight into grey areas, that need improvement. Understanding that attaining perfection as a leader is impossible but knowing improvements are necessary for effective organizational change to be implemented, is a sign of growth as a leader. Finding ways to become more self-aware, understand your persona values, utilize intrinsic and extrinsic motivators as incentives, find and develop a support team, finding balance between personal life and professional life, sticking to your roots, and inspiring and empowering those around you are all exercises that must be done, to develop an authentic leadership mentality (Braden, 2018).
Conclusion
Being a health care leader, comes with great responsibility, to effectively lead a team and organization, to success. Having the skillset needed to enhance the experience of employees, is not for the faint of heart. Adapting to a leadership style that highlights authenticity, promotes a positive workplace culture, and works closely with team members to implement effective organizational change within the facility, are all key characteristics needed to be an authentic leader.
References
Braden, M. (2018). Seven Ways To Develop Your Authentic Leadership Style. Council Post: Seven Ways To Develop Your Authentic Leadership Style
Huston, C.J. (2018). What Defines A True Leader in Healthcare?. What Defines A True Leader in Healthcare?