Philosophy of Healthcare Leadership
Providing care & services to those in need is an immense privilege & responsibility. The art & science of continuously delivering exceptional care demands progressive growth & constant analysis of areas of risk & improvement. Leading those who are on the frontlines of providing skilled & compassionate care is a unique honor & privilege. Through implementation & adherence to my guiding principles of ownership, clear expectations, compassion, positive deviance, & continuous learning, patient care delivery can be enhanced & staff supported in their professional journeys.
Ownership
Developing out of an intrinsic motivation of pride & engagement, ownership is taking accountability & responsibility of doing what needs to be done because you expect it of yourself. This is a before-the-fact mindset that highlights the commitment to the result, no matter the outcome. Ownership creates a sense of autonomy and mastery over the work that needs to be done.
Compassion
Compassion acknowledges the lived experience with a call to greatness. This builds on my belief that your circumstances are not preventing your success, they are just the setting you must succeed in. My job as a leader is to remove the barriers that prevent my team’s success. This can be achieved by embracing humanity, acknowledging individuality, & empowering to move beyond perceived barriers.
Clear Expectations
I believe there should be no surprises. Expectations should be clearly communicated upfront & frequently. This helps build an environment of trust & psychological safety. By ensuring that I have clearly communicated with my team, I can become the predictable factor in the unpredictable world of healthcare.
Positive Deviance
Positive deviance is the concept that action is the first step in changing attitudes & practice. As someone who practices a positive deviance mindset, I believe the knowledge & ability to solve problems lies within the team. My job as the leader is to identify those who despite the same conditions as the rest of their colleagues, are succeeding beyond expectations, & empowering them to be social proof of success for their peers.
Continuous Learning
Continuous learning is the concept of acknowledging previous experience & success, while striving for new goals & aspirations. To build this into the culture of my team, I need to support each person in discovering their own answers. This is not a laissez faire leadership methodology, “support” in this context is a verb. By enabling critical thinking & empowering my team to drive the change they want to see, each day will be better than the last.