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You have to have the qualities that it takes to be a good person and good leader. But then you have to have something to back that up in terms of being good at your job and serving effectively. Certainly, one of the most important competencies, I think today, is communication. And there are so many different ways in which people get their information. So it’s really a multifaceted approach, but we have to be good at communication, and we have to know what’s the best way to communicate with key stakeholders, whether you’re communicating with your staff, with your board with your physician.
And so you have to know all the different channels of communication, and you have to be able to speak effectively and in a way that people can hear you and know how they want to hear you. I think in addition, you have to be smart. You have to have basic understanding of what you need– the business acumen, the customer acumen, listening to the voice of our customers, whether you’re an inpatient or outpatient leader, whether you serve doctors. So really understanding the business of health care, how we serve our patients and families, but then also the people who serve with us.
I also think that part of being competent is just having experience. And I think that’s where in health we are at greatest risk because we often promote highly effective clinical leaders a little too early, and that’s because there’s a shortage of great leaders in health care. But just because someone has the clinical competencies doesn’t mean they have the leadership competencies. So really making sure that you take time to learn what it is to be a manager, what it is to be a leader.
How do we process payroll? How do we manage budgeting? How do we forecast our services? So really, again, understanding the business of health care, getting mentored by other leaders who have done it before. And then, of course, the ever-changing competency around technology. Technology is changing fast. It’s changing how we serve our workforce, it’s how we serve our patients. And so staying in tune to what are the tools and technologies out there that can help us. You don’t have to be a tech expert. You have to know how to use your experts whether it’s technology or others to really help you be an effective and an efficient leader.
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