LAUSR

In the context that leadership matters and that leadership competencies differ from those needed to practice medicine or conduct research, developing leadership competencies for physicians is important. Indeed, effective leadership is needed ubiquitously in healthcare, both at the executive level and at the bedside, e.g., leading clinical teams and problem-solving on the ward. Various leadership models have been proposed, most converging on common attributes – as described by Kouzes and Posner – of envisioning a new and better future state, inspiring others around this shared vision, empowering others to effect the vision, modeling the expected behaviors, and engaging others by appealing to shared values. Attention to creating an organizational culture that is informed by the 7 classic virtues – trust, compassion, courage, justice, wisdom, temperance, and hope – can also unleash discretionary effort in the organization to achieve high performance. Healthcare-specific leadership competencies include technical expertise, not only in one’s clinical/scientific arena in order to garner colleagues’ respect, but also regarding operations, strategic thinking, finance, human resources, and information technology. Also, knowledge of the regulatory and legislative environments of healthcare is critical, as is being a problem-solver and life-long learner. Perhaps most important to leadership in healthcare, as in all sectors, is having emotional intelligence. A spectrum of leadership styles has been described, and effective leaders are facile in deploying each style in a situationally appropriate way. Overall, leadership competencies can be developed and leadership development programs are signature features of leading healthcare organizations.