Who are the Healthcare Leaders?

Amidst the pandemic, who should be considered as healthcare leaders?

Healthcare Outsourcing is the largest and fastest-growing industry on the planet. 

In the United States, healthcare companies makes up 18% of its GDP by the end of 2019 alone. And they spend more than the world’s average on healthcare. 

Its value and function are even more crucial amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. That is why all eyes are set not only on the industry. But the people who lead it, as well.

Whatever sector you belong to, leadership always matters. The direction where the company sails will depend on the captain’s vision.

Especially in the healthcare industry since they play an important role in society. Without it, the risks of diseases, malnutrition, and pregnancy will skyrocket. All can become deadly without the guidance of doctors and nurses.

Hence, institutions that are part of the industry needs skilled leaders who must spearhead innovation and raise customer’s trust

But what is it that makes an effective healthcare  leader? And what characteristics should you have to be one? 

Characteristic of a leader

Good leaders lead. Great leaders make a difference.

Do you consider yourself a healthcare leader? Here are a few characteristics a you should have:

1. Leaders envision a desired future

Having a vision for the team means you have goals in mind you want to meet. It also signifies that you understand where the business is heading. And what purpose your group serves in attaining its goals.

Vision acts as a guide to every decision. And when leaders espouse a powerful vision that other people agree with. They will do everything in their ability to be a part of it. And they will be more motivated to work for it.

This is especially important in a fast-paced industry like healthcare. 

Everyone needs to be on the page. Each team member must understand what is the goal of their work. Whether it’s the betterment of the whole healthcare industry or personal growth. The leader must bestow the inspiration to his members through his vision.

To say it simply, having a vision helps to inspire people.

2. Leaders foster innovation and change

Many factors are now redefining the value of “healthcare” to people. Such as the rising costs of services and emerging technologies. 

The contemporary healthcare industry is now undergoing continual change. Some are even restructuring their business structure to adapt to these changes.

The demand for quality services is higher than ever. Today’s healthcare leaders must think of new ways to please people’s needs. 

They must lead well, provide quality services, and meet exigencies. Not only that, they have to manage their employees’ emotions.

Change begins with the people, They have to be the ones to challenge the status quo. 

Leaders must always communicate with their subordinates about changes, strategies, and improvements. Everyone must be able to contribute to developing amendments. In that way, you can ensure that they understand the whys and hows of the process changes.

3. Leaders build effective teams

Teams should share the same mission and vision. Even more so, they must know their roles in the team. That’s the secret to meet the organizational goal. And it’s the healthcare leader’s role to make sure they are all well informed. 

Nurses who assure the collection of the necessary health information about the patient, should coordinate everything with the patient’s doctors. And doctors should communicate any changes and observations to nurses. This is the basic in patient care. But what it implies is that people who know and can work with each other are more inclined to succeed.

Healthcare leaders must recognize the potential of each member and empower them to unlock it. The effectiveness of a team falls on each member’s shoulder. 

They must be able to work in unison. The healthcare leaders capability to have the team collaborate with each and everyone dictates how far it can go.

4. Leaders create positive work cultures

It’s expected that healthcare leaders can and will establish a high-quality culture. Both in behavior and values. 

They must always set a good example. Because followers model themselves after their leaders.

An always late supervising physician may inspire other physicians and nurses to be late as well.

Hence, the head of a healthcare organization or team is the most powerful agent of change. They can eliminate, change, and create culture based on their actions and principles.

Keep in mind that these are not only applicable to the healthcare sector. These are all the basics of being a leader.

Speaking of position. Do you need to have a high position to be considered a leader? What’s even the difference between a leader and a manager?

Healthcare Leaders vs Healthcare Managers

Leaders and managers, by function and role, seem so alike. But they are different in some ways:

This means that both healthcare managers and leaders rely on one another. Management functions can provide leadership while leadership activities can contribute to managing. 

Managers emphasize power and respect for rules and tradition. In healthcare, they stay abreast of changes and new laws and regulations, This is to ensure that healthcare facilities comply with those regulations. They manage the expenses of the institution, keep important records, and attend investor meetings.

In contrast, healthcare leaders usually motivate and inspire their subordinates. They empower employees to take part in transforming the organization and create changes. They help the team perform optimally, guide employees with their work and, sometimes, oversee business operations.

Who are the healthcare leaders?

As what we have established, one does not need to have a formal position of managerial authority to be a ‘leader’. But the health care sector is complex and dynamic. It experiences peculiar problems only an expert can resolve.

One of these problems is leadership.

The truth is, with the rise of COVID-19 cases. The separation between management and leadership is narrowing. 

Institutions now expect non-clinician managers to be healthcare leaders. These non-clinicians managers are usually business owners and executives who only manage the company’s day-to-day operations.

Nowadays they are expected to make healthcare related decisions. Such as procurement of new facilities, equipment and vaccines. Decisions which healthcare practitioners are usually more knowledgeable about.

On the other hand, business owners expect doctors and nurses, with no management background, to manage teams.

They are expected to manage by themselves. They are also entrusted for the evaluation of the overall and individual quality of the staff’s work.

The upside is, doctors and nurses are now more involved with many business decisions. Such as planning, managing, and organizing healthcare procedures and programs. 

This is a huge breakthrough since most business decisions come from non-clinical management. Thus, traditional managers are being replaced by clinicians.

But this is not the ideal leadership healthcare should follow. 

The approach should be similar to the concept of ‘distributed’ or ‘shared’ leadership. Where different employees engage in tasks that are ‘distributed’ across the organization.

Shared and Distributed Leadership 

According to the Harvard Business Review, shared leadership leads to better organizational performance. 

Shared leadership is more of a collaborative effort. One person is still in charge, but power and influence belong to the collective group. This could mean individuals have more autonomy over decisions. And everyone’s ideas weigh the same to everyone.

The core of shared and distributed leadership is the same. Both recognize that leadership should arise from a collective group effort. Rather than an appointed leader.

To understand this better, here are 3 basic principles of shared leadership:

• Encouraging transparency. According to a Forbes article, transparency determines an employee’s happiness. We are talking about a 93% correlation rate.
• Providing a safe environment. This means that employees should feel comfortable sharing their ideas.
• Supporting autonomy. Employees need the freedom to make some of the decisions about their work. Since, first of all, they do the work themselves.

Whether you are a small or large business, coordination is very important. A leader should have continuous communication with their team members to make it work.

How Healthcare BPO fits in?

Considering that technology is the future of healthcare. You will need leaders that are capable of leading virtually. 

That is where healthcare business process outsourcing comes in.

Healthcare BPO can help you find the right person to manage and lead a team for both clinician and non-clinician. Jobs such as:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Physicians
• Operation Leaders
• Healthcare Advisors
• Behavioral Health Technicians
• Quality Assurance Supervisor
• Operation Associate Manager
• Operation Manager
• And more

These are just some of the jobs that can make a huge difference in easing the day-to-day duties of your business. They play a vital role in terms of providing fast, efficient and high-quality patient focused care.

Healthcare Services BPO finds and trains personnel that will fit perfectly in your team. We can also build the team itself, based on your needs and demands. 

In Magellan Solutions, we help in developing leaders and professionals in the BPO setting. We can assist you in finding the best talent that can contribute in your healthcare operation. What we have is a roster of strong resources of medical professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills that you need.

Let us collaborate together to achieve your goals. Contact us now, and our team will be with you shortly. Or call us today to get your Free 60-minute business consult with us!