True leaders inspire change within their industries. They keep morale lifted and rally team members to do great things. Some people are born with greater natural leadership capabilities, but leadership and management skills are learned and developed over time – they are not purely innate. To become an excellent leader yourself, it helps to know the qualities these people share. By familiarizing yourself with common leadership qualities, you can identify where your strengths and weaknesses may lie.
The following leadership qualities are beneficial for any leader, but they are especially helpful for leaders within the healthcare industry.
1. Passionate about helping people
Whether you’re a charge nurse or a hospital CEO, in the healthcare industry, it helps to have a passion for helping others. Altruism is at the root of healthcare; it’s present in every decision and is the very foundation of the industry. In order to have a passion for your job, you must have a passion for helping those in need.
Sharing a passion and enthusiasm for your work can help motivate employees to be more productive. When a leader has passion, they are more likely to give praise regularly.
Although passion is one of the most important characteristics a leader can have, it tends to be the exception rather than the norm in most workplaces. Passion is easy to discuss and difficult to maintain. In fact, According to the State of the American Workplace, a Gallup Inc., report, only 30 percent of the U.S. workforce is actively engaged in their work. In other words, only 30 percent of the American workforce is passionate about what they do for a living.
If you find that you’re losing your passion for helping people, try looking at your job from someone else’s perspective. After years in the healthcare industry, it can be easy to lose focus of the human element, especially if you are in an administrative role. Think about how your decisions directly or indirectly help other people.
2. Communicative and Concise
Planning is an important part of leadership, but even the greatest plans will fall apart without effective communication. If a manager cannot effectively communicate her ideas to the staff, they will not be able to follow through.
In order to communicate effectively, a leader must be precise, concise and consistent. He must keep in touch with key individuals to ensure everyone is aware of what is happening within their department.
In an industry with many regulations and compliance issues, it can be easy to overcomplicate things. Avoid offering more information than necessary as it may dilute the message. When you give too many instructions, or over-instruct, you risk making a task seem more complicated than necessary.
Always remember that effective communication is as much about listening as it is about talking. To ensure you have communicated any message, you must listen to learn whether your message was understood.
3. Committed to Their Team
Great leaders know that they would never succeed without the help of their team. As such, these leaders provide ample training opportunities to help their staff learn and grow. To succeed in the healthcare industry, a leader must be so committed to their staff that they may even take personal time to ensure things are running smoothly and employees are happy with their jobs. This may include personal career mentoring, conference attendance or recommending continuing education for employees.
4. Decisive
Decisions made in the healthcare industry can be life altering and should not be taken lightly. However, it’s crucial that anyone in a leadership role is confident enough to make decisions that are fast and logical. This is important to gain and maintain the respect of employees and peers.
Leaders faced with tough decisions can rely on the Q-CAT system of decision making. This system maintains that every decision be quick, committed, analytical and thoughtful. When faced with a tough decision, these four steps can help banish self-doubt.
5. Committed to Learning
A successful leader in the healthcare industry knows that she always has more to learn. New technologies are introduced every year and policies seem to change at the speed of light. Whether it’s an annual certification or a healthcare MBA, good leaders are always learning and growing in their careers.
Leadership isn’t necessarily something you are born with. With the right foundational management skills for individuals in healthcare, virtually anyone can be a leader. Leveraging Vital Learning’s healthcare-specific leadership development solutions, your managers can grow as professionals and have a meaningful impact on your organization.
