Talent management and physician leadership training is essential for preparing tomorrow's physician leaders

Purpose – Physicians are commonly promoted into administrative and managerial roles in US hospitals on the basis of clinical expertise and often lack the skills, training or inclination to lead. Several studies have sought to identify factors associated with effective physician leadership, yet we know little about how physician leaders themselves construe their roles. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Phenomenological interviews were performed with 25 physicians at three organizational levels with physicians affiliated or employed by four hospitals within one health care organization in the USA between August and September 2010. A rigorous comparative methodology of data collection and analysis was employed, including the construction of analytic codes for the data and its categorization based on emergent ideas and themes that are not preconceived and logically deduced hypotheses, which is characteristic of grounded theory. Findings – These interviews reveal differences in how part- vs full-time physician leaders understand and value leadership roles vs clinical roles, claim leadership status, and identify as physician leaders on individual, relational and organizational basis. Research limitations/implications – Although the physicians in the sample were affiliated with four community hospitals, all of them were part of a single not-for-profit health care system in one geographical locale. Practical implications – These findings may be of interest to hospital administrators and boards seeking deeper commitment and higher performance from physician leaders, as well as assist physicians in transitioning into a leadership role. Social implications – This work points to a broader and more fundamental need – a modified mindset about the nature and value of physician leadership. Originality/value – This study is unique in the exploration of the nature of physician leadership from the perspective of the physician on an individual, peer and organizational level in the creation of their own leadership identity.

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Competencies physicians need to lead – a Canadian case

Leadership in Health Services ◽

10.1108/lhs-06-2017-0037 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 195-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Scott Comber ◽

Kyle Clayton Crawford ◽

Lisette Wilson

Keyword(s):

Financial Literacy ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Leadership Skills ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Current Form ◽

Content Type ◽

Business Skills ◽

Canadian Physician ◽

Physician Leaders ◽

Systems Transformation

Purpose Emerging evidence correlates increased physician leadership effectiveness with improved patient and healthcare system outcomes. To maximize this benefit, it is critical to understand current physician leadership needs. The purpose of this study is to understand, through physicians’ self-reporting, their own and others’ most effective and weakest leadership skills in relation to the LEADS leadership capabilities framework. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed 209 Canadian physician leaders about their perceptions of their own and other physicians’ leadership abilities. Thematic analysis was used, and the results were coded deductively into the five LEADS categories, and new categories emerging from inductive coding were added. Findings The authors found that leaders need more skills in the areas of Engage Others and Lead Self, and an emergent category of Business Skills, which includes financial competency, budgeting, facilitation, etc. Further, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions and Systems Transformation are skills least reported as needed in both self and others. Originality/value The authors conclude that LEADS, in its current form, has a gap in the competencies prescribed, namely, “Business Skills”. They recommend the development of a more comprehensive LEADS framework that includes such skills as financial literacy/competency, budgeting, facilitation, etc. The authors also found that certain dimensions of LEADS are being overlooked by physicians in terms of importance (Systems Transformation, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions), and this warrants greater investigation into the reasons why these skills are not as important as the others (Engage Others and Lead Self).

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Preparing the Right Physicians to be Exceptional Leaders in the 21st Century

Preparing Physicians to Lead in the 21st Century - Advances in Medical Education, Research, and Ethics ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7576-4.ch004 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 56-70

Author(s):

Kenneth R. Cohen ◽

Kenneth Hanover

Keyword(s):

Leadership Styles ◽

Leadership Training ◽

Return On Investment ◽

Training Programs ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Alternative Strategies ◽

Physician Leaders ◽

The Right ◽

Formal Leadership

This chapter describes evidence-based strategies found to most effectively maximize the Return On Investment (ROI) of physicians' formal leadership training programs. Recognizing that no two prospective physician leaders are exactly the same, formal leadership training programs cannot be most effective if these do not allow for organizational and situational differences as well as critical differences among physicians' demonstrated personalities and leadership styles. When selecting prospective physician leaders, the authors advocate for an individualized process which requires “Diagnosis Before Treatment,” “Three Dimensional Screening,” and the application of “More Effective Alternative Strategies” in order to avoid committing the “12 Deadly Sins.”

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Effective physician leaders: an appreciative inquiry into their qualities, capabilities and learning approaches

BMJ Leader ◽

10.1136/leader-2017-000050 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 95-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mairi Savage ◽

Marie Höjriis Storkholm ◽

Pamela Mazzocato ◽

Carl Savage

Keyword(s):

Leadership Development ◽

Appreciative Inquiry ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Learning Approaches ◽

Semistructured Interview ◽

Work Experiences ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Scientific Approach ◽

Physician Leaders ◽

Learning And Change

PurposeThe aim of this study was to explore the qualities and capabilities effective physician leaders attribute to their success in leading change and how they developed these.MethodThe authors interviewed 20 emerging and senior leaders using a semistructured interview guide informed by appreciative inquiry. Data were subjected to an inductive qualitative content analysis to identify themes related to qualities, capabilities and learning approaches.ResultsThe qualities identified were clarity of purpose to improve care, endurance, a positive outlook and authenticity. They were considered innate or developed during participants’ upbringing. Capabilities were to ground management in medicine, engage others, catalyse systems by acting on interdependencies and employ a scientific approach to understand problems and measure progress. Capabilities were developed through cross-pollination from a diversity of work experiences, reflection, when education was integrated with practice and when their organisational environment nurtured ambition and learning.ConclusionsThis study reframes current leadership thinking by empirically identifying qualities, capabilities, and learning approaches that can contribute to effective physician leadership. Instead of merely adapting leadership development programmes from other domains, this study suggests there are capabilities unique to effective physician leadership: ground management in medicine and employ a scientific approach to problem identification and solution development. The authors outline practical implications for individuals and organisations to support leader development as a cohesive organisational strategy for learning and change.

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Power and physician leadership

BMJ Leader ◽

10.1136/leader-2019-000139 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 92-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anurag Saxena ◽

Diane Meschino ◽

Lara Hazelton ◽

Ming-Ka Chan ◽

David A Benrimoh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Interprofessional Education ◽

Meaning Making ◽

Well Being ◽

Power Bases ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Abuse Of Power ◽

Inappropriate Use ◽

Physician Leaders ◽

Study Power ◽

The Impact

Power and leadership are intimately related. While physician leadership is widely discussed in healthcare, power has received less attention. Formal organisational leadership by physicians is increasingly common even though the evidence for the effectiveness of physician leadership is still evolving. There is an expectation of leadership by all physicians for resource stewardship. The impact of power on interprofessional education and practice needs further study. Power also shapes the profession’s attempts to address physician and learner well-being with its implications for patient care. Unfortunately, the profession is not exempt from inappropriate use of power. These observations led the authors to explore the concept and impact of power in physician leadership. Drawing from a range of conceptualisations including structuralist (French and Raven), feminist (Allen) and poststructuralist (Foucault) conceptualisations of power, we explore how power is acquired and exercised in healthcare systems and enacted in leadership praxis by individual physician leaders (PL). Judicious use of power will benefit from consideration and application of a range of concepts including liminality, power mediation, power distance, inter-related use of power bases, intergroup and shared leadership, inclusive leadership, empowerment, transformational leadership and discourse for meaning-making. Avoiding abuse of power requires moral courage, and those who seek to become accountable leaders may benefit from adaptive reflection. Reframing ‘followers’ as ‘constituents or citizens’ is one way to interrupt discourses and narratives that reinforce traditional power imbalances. Applying these concepts can enhance creativity, cocreation and citizenship-strengthening commitment to improved healthcare. PLs can contribute greatly in this regard to further transform healthcare.

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Can complexity science inform physician leadership development?

Leadership in Health Services ◽

10.1108/lhs-12-2015-0042 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 251-263 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Colleen Marie Grady

Keyword(s):

Complex System ◽

Health Care ◽

Leadership Development ◽

Patient Outcomes ◽

Health Care Organizations ◽

Complexity Science ◽

Primary Role ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Content Type ◽

Physician Leaders

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe research that examined physician leadership development using complexity science principles. Design/methodology/approach Intensive interviewing of 21 participants and document review provided data regarding physician leadership development in health-care organizations using five principles of complexity science (connectivity, interdependence, feedback, exploration-of-the-space-of-possibilities and co-evolution), which were grouped in three areas of inquiry (relationships between agents, patterns of behaviour and enabling functions). Findings Physician leaders are viewed as critical in the transformation of healthcare and in improving patient outcomes, and yet significant challenges exist that limit their development. Leadership in health care continues to be associated with traditional, linear models, which are incongruent with the behaviour of a complex system, such as health care. Physician leadership development remains a low priority for most health-care organizations, although physicians admit to being limited in their capacity to lead. This research was based on five principles of complexity science and used grounded theory methodology to understand how the behaviours of a complex system can provide data regarding leadership development for physicians. The study demonstrated that there is a strong association between physician leadership and patient outcomes and that organizations play a primary role in supporting the development of physician leaders. Findings indicate that a physician’s relationship with their patient and their capacity for innovation can be extended as catalytic behaviours in a complex system. The findings also identified limiting factors that impact physicians who choose to lead, such as reimbursement models that do not place value on leadership and medical education that provides minimal opportunity for leadership skill development. Practical Implications This research provides practical applications for physician leadership development and emphasizes that it is incumbent upon physicians and organizations to focus attention on this to achieve improved patient and organizational outcomes. Originality/value This study pairing complexity science and physician leadership represents a unique way to view the development of physician leaders within the context of the complex system that is health care.

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Case Study of Physician Leaders in Quality and Patient Safety, and the Development of a Physician Leadership Network

Healthcare Quarterly ◽

10.12927/hcq.2010.21969 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 13 (sp) ◽

pp. 68-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Chris Hayes ◽

Vandad Yousefi ◽

Tamara Wallington ◽

Amir Ginzburg

Keyword(s):

Patient Safety ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Physician Leaders ◽

Quality And Patient Safety

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Evaluating a physician leadership development program – a mixed methods approach

Journal of Health Organization and Management ◽

10.1108/jhom-11-2014-0187 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 390-407 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Cheryl Throgmorton ◽

Trey Mitchell ◽

Tom Morley ◽

Marijo Snyder

Keyword(s):

Leadership Development ◽

Leadership Programs ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Program Outcomes ◽

Content Type ◽

Evaluation Strategy ◽

Physician Leaders ◽

Four Levels Of Evaluation ◽

Four Levels ◽

Levels Of Evaluation

Purpose – With the extent of change in healthcare today, organizations need strong physician leaders. To compensate for the lack of physician leadership education, many organizations are sending physicians to external leadership programs or developing in-house leadership programs targeted specifically to physicians. The purpose of this paper is to outline the evaluation strategy and outcomes of the inaugural year of a Physician Leadership Academy (PLA) developed and implemented at a Michigan-based regional healthcare system. Design/methodology/approach – The authors applied the theoretical framework of Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation and used surveys, observations, activity tracking, and interviews to evaluate the program outcomes. The authors applied grounded theory techniques to the interview data. Findings – The program met targeted outcomes across all four levels of evaluation. Interview themes focused on the significance of increasing self-awareness, building relationships, applying new skills, and building confidence. Research limitations/implications – While only one example, this study illustrates the importance of developing the evaluation strategy as part of the program design. Qualitative research methods, often lacking from learning evaluation design, uncover rich themes of impact. The study supports how a PLA program can enhance physician learning, engagement, and relationship building throughout and after the program. Physician leaders’ partnership with organization development and learning professionals yield results with impact to individuals, groups, and the organization. Originality/value – Few studies provide an in-depth review of evaluation methods and outcomes of physician leadership development programs. Healthcare organizations seeking to develop similar in-house programs may benefit applying the evaluation strategy outlined in this study.

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Larsen & Toubro strides out strategically on talent management

Human Resource Management International Digest ◽

10.1108/hrmid-06-2015-0095 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 5-8

Author(s):

Sunita Panda ◽

Chandan Kumar Sahoo

Keyword(s):

Leadership Development ◽

Leadership Training ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Talent Management ◽

Competitive Environment ◽

Social Implications ◽

Rural India ◽

Content Type ◽

Practical Implications ◽

Management And Leadership

Purpose – Describes how, in a highly competitive environment, Larsen & Toubro attracts and retains its talent in a strategic way. Design/methodology/approach – Researches the firm’s various talent-management and leadership-training strategies. Findings – Reveals that 360-degree talent management is necessary to empower employees and to develop leadership capacities. Practical implications – Presents a framework for talent management and leadership development in a manufacturing business which can be recast to suit different organizational set-ups. Social implications – Explains that the company recruits many of its workers from rural India. Employees are recruited for their potential as much as for their existing skills. Originality/value – Describes a new dimension of talent management being practiced and its success in a manufacturing business.

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Developing physician leaders: why, whether, and how good?

Canadian Journal of Physician Leadership ◽

10.37964/cr24734 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 85-88

Author(s):

James K Stoller

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Leadership Development ◽

Clinical Training ◽

Medical Training ◽

Leadership Competencies ◽

Hospital Performance ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Physician Leadership ◽

Leadership Development Programs ◽

Physician Leaders

The challenges of providing high-quality, seamless access, and value in health care require great leadership; these needs are compounded by crises like the coronavirus pandemic. In the context that physicians often lead both in titled and informal leadership roles and that evidence associates effective hospital performance with physician leadership, leadership skills are widely needed by doctors. Yet, leadership competencies are not traditionally taught in medical school or during graduate medical training. Furthermore, some aspects of clinical training may conspire against physicians’ developing optimal leadership traits. The tension between need and preparation highlights the imperative to develop physicians’ leadership competencies. Increasingly, physician leadership development programs are being offered, e.g., by some health care organizations, professional societies, business schools, and consulting firms. Still, many unanswered questions beyond the “why” surround such programs: what is the best way to develop physician leaders and are such programs effective? This article considers the rationale for developing physician leaders as well as some leadership handicaps that physicians face by virtue of their clinical training. Attention then turns to considering the evidence regarding the effectiveness of such programs and framing remaining questions for further study.

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