Health Care Administration Capstone

HCA 6320, Health Care Administration Capstone 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

8. Summarize leadership skills for health care administrators. 8.1 Identify effective leadership style, skills, and competencies in the health care industry. 8.2 Explain key skills, traits, and competencies necessary for health care administrators. 8.3 Prioritize ongoing professional development as a primary component of effective leadership.

Required Unit Resources Article: Linking Emotional Intelligence to Successful Healthcare Leadership: The Big Five Model of Personality (ULOs 8.1, 8.2, 8.3) This article highlights the vital importance of emotional intelligence in health care leadership (6 pages). Article: The Need for Strong Clinical Leaders – Transformational and Transactional Leadership as a Framework for Resident Leadership Training (ULOs 8.1, 8.2, 8.3) This study highlights both transformational and transactional leadership styles as effective leadership styles for the clinical setting. (13 pages). Unit Lesson Lesson: Leadership for Health Care Administrators (ULOs 8.1, 8.2, 8.3) There has been a clear shift in attitudes of the workforce in health care over the last decade, and especially post-COVID-19. As such, blossoming and well-seasoned health care leaders alike must adapt and ensure optimal management that focuses on a culture of learning, mentoring, and professional development (Baker & Murphy, 2022). Leaders must practice their skills, continually develop, and seek constructive feedback to better understand the needs of their employees. In this lesson, several common leadership styles will be briefly explored, in addition to examining skills, traits, and behaviors associated with both effective and ineffective leadership.

Prevalent Leadership Styles in Health Care

The prevailing literature describes many leadership styles that have evolved over time. Consensus among experts seems to focus on several styles that seem particularly well suited for the challenges specific to the health care industry. Yet, no one leadership style has absolutely been identified as the best or most effective. Further, many experts agree that the most successful leaders will employ several different styles and effortlessly transition between several styles depending on the given situation. Leadership styles commonly practiced today include transformational, transactional, and servant leadership. Transformational Leadership Leaders who embody the transformational style are typically strategic thinkers who can inspire those they lead by focusing on each team member’s needs such that each individual is sufficiently stimulated to work towards the common goal(s) successfully (Saravo et al., 2017). The primary focus is on attaining shared values and ideas amongst the team through cultivation of relationships (Concordia University, 2022). Substantial prior research has linked transformational leaders with better outcomes such as patient satisfaction, high productivity, and enhanced performance.

UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE Leadership for Health Care Administrators

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Transactional Leadership In this style, leaders utilize their power by providing things of value to the team in exchange for their performance towards stated goals (Saravo et al., 2017). These leaders show their power when mistakes are made in an opposing manner to the positive reinforcements shown for high performance. Leaders who practice this style provide excellent structure to their employees and focus on operations and processes (Concordia University, 2022). Like transformational leadership, there is evidence that this style promotes optimal outcomes. Servant Leadership Leaders who embrace the servant style are focused on the needs of others and concentrate on the service aspect of leadership (Sonnino, 2016). Leaders who practice servant leadership encourage creative problem solving and focus on learning and professional development for their team members. Servant leaders are also focused on relationship building through stellar listening and communication abilities and promoting community amongst the team (Concordia University, 2022).

Leadership Skills and Competencies for the Health Care Administrator

There are many opinions regarding what constitutes a strong and effective leader. For example, there are twelve habits of a strong leader in the health care industry, which include the following (“12 Characteristics,” 2022).

1. Mentor others regularly 7. Excellent, active listener 2. Constantly develop professionally 8. Self-confidence evident 3. Encourage employees 9. Appropriate, regular delegation 4. Constant communication 10. Terrific problem solver 5. Lead by example 11. Empathy and compassion 6. Highest ethical standards 12. Unwavering focus on goals

Another way to look at necessary competencies for the health care administrator is to divide the required skills into domains including leadership, communication/relationship management, health care environment, social responsibility, and business competencies (International Hospital Federation, 2015).

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Strudsholm and Vollman (2021) offer a variety of traits and skills divided into different domains that include leading self, engaging others, achieving results, developing partnerships, and transforming systems. Lead Self:

• High ethical standards • Data-informed decision-making • Lifelong learning • Self-awareness • Agile and adaptable

Engage Others:

• Effective communication • Reliability and trustworthiness • Supportive • Approachable and available • Shared decision-making • Strong negotiation and mediation abilities • Positive culture

Achieve Results:

• Knowledge, expertise, and influence to build teams, collaborate, and meet organizational goals • Clear vision • Process improvement initiatives • Needs of population, community, employees, patients and develop successful business models

Develop Partnerships:

• Awareness of culture, politics, equity, diversity • Community engagement • Collaboration with other disciplines • Partnership influence to impact patients, goals, strategic initiatives

Transform Systems:

• Knowledge and evidence into practice • Systems thinking, critical thinking abilities • Innovation, creative problem solving • Advocate and mentor for change

Smith and Bhavsar (2021) state that contemporary health care leadership requires emphasis on the following:

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Feedback/Coaching Another vital skill for leaders in the health care sector includes the ability to effectively provide feedback and coach employees. At the epicenter of appropriate feedback is balance in that both the positive and negative information should be shared with an employee regularly (Hill, 2017). Key components of effective feedback should include the following objectives.

• Be objective, and keep emotions out of it. • Focus on behaviors, not the individual. • Reward positive behaviors that should be repeated. • Provide guidance on how to improve and regular feedback on progress. • Focus on strengths, and provide support to use the strengths to overcome weaknesses. • Offer feedback that is bi-directional. • Time feedback appropriately for maximum effectiveness.

Delegation According to Baker and Murphy (2022), delegation, simply put, exists when a leader shifts the assignment of a task or project to another employee. Delegation is certainly considered a primary leadership ability necessary for health care administrators. When done correctly, delegation has been shown to improve staff satisfaction and retention. However, when a leader gives another a task or duty without the ability to make involved decisions, or only transfers busy work or tasks that lack meaning, it can have the opposite effect on employees. Delegation often results in the following benefits or opportunities for the delegate (Baker & Murphy, 2022):

• Developing new skills, abilities, or exposure to a new area • Promoting self confidence • Fostering feelings of worth and appreciation • Improving alignment and commitment to organizational goals

However, Baker and Murphy explain that leaders often experience barriers to delegation:

• I’d rather just do it myself; it will be faster. • There are uncomfortable feelings because of the perceived workload that already exists for the

potential delegate. • There are trust issues. • There are feelings of insecurity that the delegate may outperform the leader. • There is a lack of understanding of the steps in the delegation process.

Finally, Baker and Murphy (2022) offer key steps in the delegation process.

Analyze the Task

Consider scope, complexity, barriers, resources necessary

Ask how will success be defined

Consider the Delegate

Think of experience and knowledge needed

Evaluate their ability to communicate and room in their

workload

Communication

Use written and verbal Convey timeframe, resources available, barriers and how to

mitigate, expected communication regarding

progress

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Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged as a frontrunner in necessary skills for an effective leader. EI, simply defined, is the ability to recognize emotions appropriately and manage them well, resulting in a strong ability to cultivate personal relationships in the workplace (Cavaness et al., 2020). EI is a set of learned skills. As such, any leader can develop, improve, and practice emotional intelligence. EI is said to include the following.

EI starts with self-awareness, or the recognition of one’s own moods and emotions and how they affect others. Self-regulation includes the ability to suppress negative impulses or moods and contemplate actions consistently. Motivation includes a passion to work that extends beyond typical rewards such as money and is reflected in organizational commitment. Empathy is the recognition of moods and emotions in others and basing interactions with others on what may be in their best interest. Social skills include a strong ability to cultivate relationships and reach people where they are (Caveness et al., 2020). Cavaness et al. further state that leaders who possess strong EI are better able to

• resolve conflict effectively, • influence and motivate others, and • enhance change management.

Leadership Pitfalls

Toxic Leadership Toxic leadership exists when the working environment is unhealthy for one reason or another. Wolor et al. (2022) explain that toxic leaders may be highly competent or technically capable, but the consequences of their actions, behaviors, or communication are detrimental to colleagues and the organization. Characteristics of toxic leadership can include fear, threats, mood swings, shouting, encouraging conflict between others, and a myriad of other negative attributes. Pizarro (2022) further describes toxic traits including abuse of power, favoritism, bullying, micromanaging, gossiping, deception/withholding information, using fear to motivate, unwilling to hear constructive feedback, and an accusatory nature when dealing with issues. Wolor et al. (2022) indicate that there are many costs associated with toxic leadership, which can include

• decreased productivity, • turnover, • lower employee satisfaction, and • legal fees.

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Pizarro (2022) offers individual tactics for managing a toxic leader:

• Accept that you cannot change the person • Be the one who changes (there is power here) • Empathize • Speak up • If all else fails, leave the organization if you were not heard

Finally, Wolor et al. (2022) explain that early detection and prompt action are necessary when a toxic leader is recognized. Further, organizational actions should include the following.

1. Hiring/Promoting: undesirable candidates should be screened for in an organized fashion and avoided.

2. Culture: establish a toxic-free, positive culture. 3. Performance evaluations: toxic behaviors must be managed. 4. Reporting: anonymous, established, and well communicated channels are needed to report toxic

behaviors.

Absenteeism Leadership Absentee leadership is a phenomenon wherein the leader is literally absent from the role. Their motivation for becoming a leader most often centers on their personal rewards or privileges, but they almost never provide actual presence or connection with their employees. What makes these leaders so detrimental to organizations (and employees) is that they are very difficult to detect, often flying under the radar for a considerable amount of time. Hallmark behaviors of absent leaders include failing to provide a sense of direction for the team, procrastination, poor communication, failure to provide coaching, failure to motivate or inspire others, and no positive reinforcements. Clearly, this type of leadership promotes conflict, dissatisfaction, and a lack of development of employees on the team. To avoid this type of leadership, a leader must simply focus on relationship building with their team, have a consistent presence, and provide communication often (Psychreg, 2021).

Leadership Development

Clearly, people are not born leaders. Instead, the many skills and competencies discussed above must be developed. As such, it is now highly desirable for health care leaders to pursue organized leadership development (Sonnino, 2016). This development can and should come in many forms including formal education, workplace training, webinars, conferences, mentorships, networking, and such. Further, it is recommended that leadership development be ongoing and occur in the early, middle, and late stages of one’s career. Sonnino suggests specific areas for ongoing leadership development:

• Finance and economics • Team building • Communication • Emotional intelligence • Conflict resolution and negotiation • Empathy, equity, cultural awareness • Insurance and reimbursement • Health care regulations • Legal issues, public policy, patient safety • Change management • Time management • Mentorship and coaching • Problem solving skills

Conclusion

One key takeaway from this lesson is the notion that one is not born a leader. Instead, virtually anyone can become a leader through a deep understanding of the behaviors, skills, and competencies necessary to lead

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people, manage the dynamic complexities of the health care industry, and a willingness to embrace lifelong learning and continual professional development. Effective leadership is crucial to ensure optimal outcomes for many key stakeholders affected by a leader. This includes patients, employees, colleagues, and other more senior leaders. At the epicenter seems to clearly be a strong ability to cultivate relationships, effective communications, a strong ability to delegate, and a passion for mentoring and coaching.

References Baker, E. L., & Murphy, S. A. (2022, July/August). Delegation: A core leadership skill. Journal of Public Health

Management and Practice, 28(4), 430–432. https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/Fulltext/2022/07000/Delegation__A_Core_Leadership_Skill.15.aspx

Cavaness, K., Picchioni, A., & Fleshman, J. W. (2020, July). Linking emotional intelligence to successful

health care leadership: The big five model of personality. Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery, 33(4), 195–203. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=mdl&AN=32624714&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Concordia University. (2022, March 30). 11 leadership styles in healthcare.

https://www.cune.edu/academics/resource-articles/leadership-styles-healthcare Hill, D. (2017, June 30). How successful leaders give honest feedback that inspires people and does not hurt

their ego. LifeHack. https://www.lifehack.org/607257/leadership-skills-how-to-give-honest-feedback- that-inspire-people

International Hospital Federation. (2015). Leadership competencies for healthcare services managers.

https://www.ache.org/-/media/ache/about- ache/leadership_competencies_healthcare_services_managers.pdf

pch.vector. (n.d.). Medical professionals watching webinar on online platform. people having virtual class flat

illustration [Illustration]. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/medical-professionals-watching- webinar-online-platform-people-having-virtual-class-flat- illustration_14625533.htm#query=health%20care%20human%20resources&position=39&from_view= search&track=ais

Pizarro, M. C. (2022, August 9). Identifying toxic leaders and how to handle them. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2022/08/09/identifying-toxic-leaders-and-how-to- handle-them/?sh=1d85ad2a226b

Psychreg. (2021, April 23). Absentee leadership: The silent killers of an organisation.

https://www.psychreg.org/absentee-leadership/ Saravo, B., Netzel, J., & Kiesewetter, J. (2017, August 25). The need for strong clinical leaders –

Transformational and transactional leadership as a framework for resident leadership training. PLoS ONE, 12(8), Article e0183019. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=asn&AN=124832584&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Smith, K., & Bhavsar, M. (2021, November). A new era of health leadership. Healthcare Management Forum,

34(6), 332–335. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=mdl&AN=34592860&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Sonnino, R. E. (2016, February 12). Health care leadership development and training: Progress and pitfalls.

Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 8(8)m 19-29. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S68068

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Strudsholm, T., & Vollman, A. R. (2021, November). Public health leadership: Competencies to guide practice. Healthcare Management Forum, 34(6), 340–345. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=mdl&AN=34601957&site=ehost-live&scope=site

12 characteristics for effective leadership in health care. (2022). Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-

advice/career-development/leadership-in-healthcare Wolor, C. W., Ardiansyah, A., Rofaida, R., Nurkhin, A., & Rababah, M. A. (2022, December 16). Impact of

toxic leadership on employee performance. Health Psychology Research, 10(4), 1–10. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=asn&AN=161702874&site=ehost-live&scope=site