Abstract
The most complex and labor-intensive organizations can be found in the healthcare field. Given this complexity and labor intensity, it is easy to see how healthcare organizations require not only large numbers of managers to work across all aspects of the enterprise, but highly qualified and effective ones as well. A healthcare organization with the right number of qualified and experienced managers, will likely enjoy a well-run and successful operation. However, as the healthcare environment becomes increasingly unforgiving and operationally difficult, the leadership aspects of management become more important than ever. Even an organization’s excellent complement of managers and managerial skill sets can be further improved by enhancing managers’ leadership skills.
While the concepts of management and leadership are frequently conflated, the two are quite distinct even though related. Contemporary components of leadership typically include inspiring, motivating, communicating, and building trust and relationships with others. It also includes developing a clear vision of where an organization is headed as well as continuously clarifying values and purpose.
Through the articles in this supplement of Health Services Management Research, John L. Fortenberry, Jr. shows how Willis Knighton Health (WK) of Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, has created an innovative leadership development program (LDP) for managers within that system. The first article, “Leadership development programs in health care organizations: What they are and how to assemble them,” presents an overview to LDPs and the benefits that can accrue from such programs. The article also describes how the WK LDP is structured, designed, and delivered; how subject content is conveyed and quality assessment mechanisms utilized. Finally, specific steps for establishing a LDP are provided.
The second article, “The leadership expectations statement: A simple tool for enhancing leadership in health care organizations,” describes the need for healthcare organizations to clearly delineate the leadership qualities required of managers. As the elements that comprise the leadership construct are varied and plentiful, it is essential that those leadership components most aligned with a particular healthcare organization be studied and delineated. Once determined, the identified leadership elements need to be circulated widely and incorporated into a leadership expectations statement which can then serve as the basis for leadership development efforts. This article explains leadership expectations statements, provides an example from WK, and outlines the procedure for creating and implementing their use in healthcare organizations.
The third article, “Evaluating leadership development programs in healthcare organizations: A profile from practice,” describes evaluating the effectiveness of LDPs and why healthcare organizations often choose to forgo this critical activity. The article affirms the significance of the evaluative role and provides the approach used by WK when evaluating its LDP. The example provided offers an excellent starting point for any healthcare organization seeking to evaluate its own LDP.
Creating, delivering, and evaluating LDPs in healthcare organizations is critical for developing managers into competent and effective leaders. Aligning these programs with a clear leadership expectations statement ensures that managers are equipped with the leadership competencies needed to successfully navigate the complex healthcare environment.