Digitization has changed almost every sphere of life and the world at large. Healthcare is also no exception. The new evolving paradigm of healthcare demands implementation of new and effective leadership style.
Being an ever-changing industry, there have been a ton of new laws and regulations being implemented for a few years now which has affected the entire scenario of this industry from its infrastructure to customer satisfaction.
Becoming a successful and effective leader in Healthcare arena is becoming complex.
In order to successfully handle a team including diverse professionals from diverse fields, the new-age leader must pursue some special skills and characteristics.
Qualities required for an Effective Digital Leadership:
1. Breaking the stereotype and embracing the transformation
To become effective as a leader in the digital age, one should be courageous and excited enough to break the stereotypical myths in the organization and adopt the digital disruptions and implement the progressive insights for a better future of the organization.
2. Embracing Cultural Revolution
It is not only the business model that is going to be affected by the digital disruptions; the cultural environment is also going to be impacted in a vast way. Provided the leaders should also be up to date with new approach towards customer experience. With the changing customer expectations, the leaders must be able to bring in new work ethics and cultures.
3. Strong Communication Skill
However, in order to initiate the change or the transformative measure, the leader must have a strong communication skill. He/she must be able to identify the key messages for niche audience and acquire the zeal to convey the message to the concerned person, board of directors, shareholders, and community leaders with confidence and authority.
4. Be Accountable to Hold Accountable:
An effective leader should be able to hold himself accountable for any mistake at first place, so that he can hold his employees accountable for the same. Mistakes are inevitable to happen. And in order to get the best out of the mistake, the leader must be able to teach the employees to see their mistakes as a chance to foster and growth.
To make that happen, first, the leader must be able to make the proper positioning of the employees. A proper team building skill can definitely be proved fruitful. He must be able to implement the ‘right person for the right post’ for a successful future.
Second, a leader must have the ability to display the real image of success and excellence with goals and intelligent systematic strategic approach to fulfil those goals.
Third, the leader should be able to create a culture of continuous development and learning by rejuvenating the core competencies of the employees. This should be done by various training programs in the organization, orientation, human resource department, and performance management and evaluation programs.
However, to hold the employees of the organization accountable, they should be communicated about the expectations clearly by the leader.
It takes time, effort and support to adapt to a new environment with modernized technology or business model. An effective leader would do the same.
5. Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement with Transparency
An urge to continuous development would definitely make a difference in the ever-changing and evolving healthcare scenario. Transparency in every levels of medical and healthcare is increasing with newer digital innovations making it easier for the patients and their relatives to keep themselves updated about all the data or record related to the patient. So the ability to coping with the never-stopping change must be regarded as a special trait for an effective leadership style.
6. Foster Learning and Mentoring
“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” — Peter Drucker, the Austria-born American management consultant quoted so truly.
A leader, who never stops learning, or improving himself, becomes successful in the long run of his leadership. An effective leader always continues to improve his skillsets while mentoring the employees. Mentoring is one of the most required skills for leaders in order to make the employees future-ready.
Since, technology has become an inextricable part of any business; these traits in a leader have become indispensable. The new era leaders should be lifetime learner, nimble enough to harness the digital disruptions; they should preach and built trust between the client and the organization itself; and perceive all these traits while continuously maintaining a human-centered philosophy.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”, the famous American author John Maxwell’s these words bear the true essence of the concept of a perfect leader, indeed.