Due to the amount of stress and pressure that healthcare professionals face on a daily basis, they need leaders who can inspire them to move forward and keep their morale lifted. We present you five qualities that sit at the core of impactful healthcare leadership.
1. Altruism
Altruism is the ability to hold a selfless concern for the well-being of other people. In the healthcare industry, a passion for helping people can cement the motivation of a leader and provide him with the strength to surpass any obstacle. Whether we speak about the ability to motivate an exhausted nurse as a charge nurse or allocate budget funds effectively as a hospital CEO, a healthcare leader must always think empathetically about the needs of the patients and of those of his colleagues.
2. Decisiveness
Being decisive is one of the most respected qualities among healthcare professionals. Someone able to face tough decisions with calm and self-assurance holds great healthcare leadership potential and can be trusted to assume responsibility in situations of high stress. Considering that in this industry, each decision can be life-altering, healthcare leaders must have the confidence to make smart decisions quickly. Thus, good healthcare leaders should hold the ability to analyze as fast as possible all available information and extract from it the most logical and intuitive conclusion.
3. Integrity
In the context of healthcare, irresponsibility or lack of ethics and honesty can have significant harmful effects on people’s lives. However, a healthcare leader known for his integrity will be able to set moral and ethical standards for the staff. Integrity is also the quality that enables healthcare leaders to inspire the staff when the difficulties of their profession make them become jaded. If the staff believes that behind the leader’s actions lie strong principles and values, they are less likely to lose sight of their own values and responsibilities.
4. Composure
In a high-risk industry like healthcare, decisions weight heavily. Although healthcare leaders have great responsibilities that can affect patients’ well-being, it’s important for them to be able to maintain composure in delicate times and not create additional stress in an already tense environment. A good healthcare leader can navigate the stress surrounding him without acting impulsively or irrationally. Composure is the art of managing one’s emotions and states and is important because it creates the impression of control. If the staff believes the leader is in control, they are more likely to feel at least a partial sense of relief and work more efficiently.
5. Commitment to Progress
Healthcare is a fast-evolving industry, where new solutions are implemented regularly. Someone who occupies a leadership position in this field must regularly develop strategies to incorporate and manage changes, whether these refer to tech solutions in diagnostics or treatment or new legislation. Healthcare leaders with a commitment to progress are more likely to adopt changes more quickly and to be more eager to navigate the challenges associated with change. They understand that change can strengthen healthcare practices and that rigid compliance with traditional practices can sometimes be detrimental to patients.