Aligning Frameworks

EVIDENCE FOR GAP IN PRACTICE 1

Evidence for Gap in Practice

Alex Vaughn Gelvezon

School of Business, Technology, and Health Care Administration

DB8610 Leadership Theory and Practice

Dr. David Braga

January, 2023

Evidence for Gap in Practice

The attributes of an influential leader may not necessarily be derived from a single source of power but result from long-term experiential learning. Leaders with a strong sense of executive presence blend authority with enthusiasm to impact persuasiveness and engagement; additionally, such individuals can inspire a high level of confidence in others (Bleich, 2020). Demonstrating confidence, reliability, and authenticity are building blocks for establishing executive presence amongst employees and leaders (Bleich, 2020). Leaders that exemplify standards of practice by minimizing variability and openly including team members as part of the schema for process improvement create competent and resourceful outcomes (Bleich, 2020). Organizational leaders can be tasked with balancing the needs of internal stakeholders and external consumers while also influencing behavior and achieving strategic objectives. A lack of executive presence, rudimentary communication skills, and competing leadership ambitions could contribute to potential gaps in engagement, which may adversely affect organizational performance. Current and future organizational leaders must commit to developing characteristics and behaviors that enrich executive presence and form mutual bonds within and across teams. Organizations wishing to overcome leadership effectiveness and employee burnout challenges must make a concerted effort to develop department managers through coaching opportunities structured around encouragement and gravitas.

Problem and Gap

CareLead Medical is experiencing the business problem of decreased elective surgeries, a slow rate of growth, and diminished outcomes across key performance indicators (KPIs), including quality, engagement, and satisfaction; correspondingly, such challenges have resulted from a gap in executive presence and power dynamics between different levels of leadership, further inhibiting organizational effectiveness. Current leaders across sectors have dealt with problems from the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply chain issues, exhaustion, employee performance, and countless other challenges impacting business outcomes (Detert et al., 2022). Organizational leaders failing to maintain an engaged workforce during times of high stress and intense situations experience drops in customer satisfaction, negative emotions, and poor outcomes (Chanana & Sangeeta, 2021). Employees who chose to resign during the COVID-19 pandemic attributed their frustrations to leaders that lack competence, balance workloads insufficiently, and miss the mark in responding to low levels of job satisfaction (Detert et al., 2022). Although the pandemic contributed to many problems between sectors, it was not the sole driver behind employee burnout, lack of engagement, and satisfaction. When negative factors surround a team, and without the support of a knowledgeable and experienced leader, satisfaction can be put at risk. Fundamentally, the capacity of an effective and adaptive leader that advocates for teams amidst times of critical decision-making is essential for sustaining organizational performance. While several specific factors have affected business operations at CareLead Medical, stakeholders should also conduct a gap analysis to address the underlying root causes.

Alignment

Developing as an influential change agent relies on practical leadership skills; even so, leaders may struggle to balance power and outcomes when confronted with internal issues and external challenges. Leaders with a knack for refining behavioral practices that incite executive presence can enhance organizational performance; at the same time, those that choose to omit essential knowledge and make hasty decisions can produce undesirable results (Kerns, 2019). The effectiveness of executive presence for nurse managers in critical situations is central to producing high-quality patient outcomes and achieving enterprise-wide goals (Mericle et al., 2023). The reputation, presence, and effectiveness of a leader are behavioral factors that should be enhanced with time; similarly, individual leaders must reduce the differences between internal (i.e., self-perceived) and external presence (i.e., how employees view the respective leader) (Kerns, 2019). Maintaining advocacy as a resilient leader means demonstrating executive presence to avoid decreased engagement and allowing satisfaction to thrive. Although the degree of responsibility differs between department managers and the general workforce, securing a professionally adept leadership team with both learned and applied experience can positively impact organizational results. Ensuring alignment is essential for leaders and decision-makers; otherwise, the potential for pursuing misaligned strategies could harm the organization. While the factors surrounding executive presence align with highly reliable leaders and support effective teams, additional evidence relating to the source of the problem must also be examined.

Problem Source

The scope and breadth of power vary between different levels of leadership; ultimately, such situations fuel a power struggle over resources, which can have downstream implications across other parts of an organization. Establishing leadership presence is beneficial for helping organizations reach higher levels of performance but also acts as a precursor for strengthening individual competitiveness; consequently, supporting strategies that mature persuasive communication styles and balancing assertiveness (Kerns, 2019). The intricacy of healthcare organizations forces leaders to traverse different power structures to achieve competing strategies; correspondingly, scope, power, and authority can determine the receptiveness and success of outcomes (Rogers et al., 2020). Effective leadership styles tread between passive assertiveness and dominance, which is why empathy and warm interpersonal connections enhance executive presence (Kerns, 2019). When it comes to influencing executive decision-making, having a leader with solid advocacy skills can help facilitate a power shift. Managing the impact of external challenges on internal stakeholders gives leaders the power to control potential outcomes. Influential leaders that persuade decision-makers to adopt alternative strategies while empathetically engaging with staff develop profound connections with the workforce. Although business problems can be multifaceted, CareLead Medical must also address common approaches to counteract the power dynamics of advocacy between senior leadership and department managers.

Project of Interest

Developing a solution before determining the root of the problem produces less-than-ideal outcomes; fundamentally, vested stakeholders must pragmatically address the gap at CareLead Medical by enhancing leadership behavior and communication skills through assessments, training, and coaching. The attributes of successful leadership practices involve composure, communication, and trust, which are essential behaviors that can be facilitated through coaching (Kerns, 2019). The Bates Executive Presence Index (EXPI) Assessment is a survey instrument that helps leaders understand how they measure across characteristics of effectiveness and leadership style; thus, offering insight into specific opportunities to redefine behavior and achieve organizational success (Kerns, 2019). Part of sustaining competitive advantage relates to leadership effectiveness and presence; behavioral skills such as problem-solving, balancing pressure, and effective communication augment leadership presence and facilitate organizational outcomes (Kerns, 2019). Pursuing an organizational project that uses the EXPI instrument and incorporating coaching activities based on the results could become beneficial strategies for improvement. Addressing the internal capacities of a leader is valuable, but understanding the perceptions of fellow employees to measure success is even more essential. While emergent leadership characteristics are intrinsic to the individual, extrinsic behaviors facilitate the scope of influence on the rest of the organization. Horizontal and vertical alignment between leaders and employees is crucial for CareLead Medical; accordingly, such characteristics help set the stage for success when investigating interventions that influence resource management and continuous quality improvement.

Reflection

Exploring the contributing factors around specific business problems is challenging, as organizations can be tasked with meeting competing objectives with limited resources across diverse teams. The bridge between power and observable outcomes is complex and relies on leadership influence, impressions, and tactics (Sharma & Sturm, 2022). Implementing interventions for development among leaders in a healthcare environment is essential for improving attitudes, strengthening communication, and enhancing clinical outcomes (Zajac et al., 2022). Employee empowerment is a positive approach that originates from motivational leaders and helps share power between individuals; correspondingly, expanding adaptability and adjusting behaviors in a genuine manner (Sharma & Sturm, 2022). Developing as an effective leader is a transformational process that takes place internally with the respective leader and externally with employees. Although leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities may seem independent of organizational outcomes, such factors are intertwined and affect one another. Respectively, this researcher has learned that power can be pivotal for leaders who may or may not be in a position of authority as such elements are shared as mutual trust and empowerment form. As problems become more complex and entangled, leaders must work creatively and proactively to balance power with organizational and stakeholder needs.

References

Bleich, M. R. (2020). Exploring executive presence: Leadership traits or skills. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 51(4), 152-154. doi: 10.3928/00220124-20200317-03

Chanana, N., & Sangeeta. (2021). Employee engagement practices during covid-19 lockdown. Journal of Public Affairs, 21(4), e2508. doi: 10.1002/pa.2508

Detert, J., Kniffin, K., & Leroy, H. (2022). Saving management from our obsession with leadership. MIT Sloan Management Review, 63(4), 1–9. Retrieved from http://library.capella.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fsaving-management-our-obsession-with-leadership%2Fdocview%2F2713605414%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D27965

Kerns, C. D. (2019). Leadership presence at work: A practice-oriented framework. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 13(3), 91–109. https://doi.org/10.33423/jmdc.v13i3.2241

Mericle, J., Haut, C., & Jones, P. (2023). Promoting nurse manager professional well-being. Journal of Nursing Administration, 53(1), 47–56. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001241

Rogers, L., Brun, A. D., Birken, S. A., Davies, C., & McAullife, E. (2020). The micropolitics of implementation: A qualitative study exploring the impact of power, authority, and influence when implementing change in healthcare teams. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 1-13. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05905-z

Sharma, P. N., & Sturm, R. E. (2022). Becoming powerful at work. Organizational Dynamics, 51(1), 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2021.100831

Zajac, S., Holladay, C. L., Tannenbaum, S., & Salas, E. (2022). Building effective healthcare team development interventions in uncertain times: Tips for success. Organizational Dynamics, 51(2), 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2020.100824