Whenever I scroll through LinkedIn always see those posts about being a leader, you know the ones 7 ways to be a more emotionally intelligent leaders, 5 things to do to create psychological safety. You get the gist. To be fair I have written a couple of blogs along the same lines. But these posts got me reflecting on recent conversations I have been having with colleagues about leadership in the NHS and the relentless challenges operational leaders face.
These leadership advice lists often oversimplify what it takes to be a compassionate effective leader in a face passed, uncertain, and emotive environment that is healthcare. They never really take into account the human element that is constantly in play. The most crucial human element in all leadership encounters is the leader themselves. These lists instead of empowering leaders can make them feel inadequate or completely disengaged with the concept of compassionate inclusive leadership. Achieving what is suggested can often feel almost impossible.
Being a compassionate and inclusive leader in healthcare is vital to the delivery of high quality healthcare, current research suggests this, but that is not the whole story, we have to recognise the human factors that are at play everyday that will effect a leaders performance, and acknowledge that the performance of every member of a team, including the leader is variable.
My advice to leaders is to take this lists on how to become a better leader with a pinch of salt. If you want to improve and develop your leadership then it is essential to enrol on a leadership development programme, that starts with raising your self-awareness, helps you identify your potential strengths and weaknesses, how you currently work when you are at your best and how you might show up when you are not. Then moves on to leadership and team development theories before challenging you to make changes to your leadership and measure the results of those changes.
Real leadership development is about recognising that you are imperfect as a leader, and you will get things wrong. When you increase you self-awareness as a leader you can start to recognise what situations and conditions that may increase your risk of being less effective as a leader. It will not always prevent miss-steps but it will help you recognise what is happening sooner, therefore giving you the opportunity to course correct. A leadership development programme should also give you an opportunity to try out new approaches in your actual working environment. Leading in healthcare can be so unpredictable and often frustrating that it is vital to understand what will work in your workplace and what needs adapting, allowing you to create your own situational leadership style that works for you and your team.
I would also suggest that if you are serious about developing your leadership is to seek out a critical companion/mentor/coach. Someone you trust to provide you the support and challenge you need. This relationship could be a 1:1 or as part of a peer group. Leadership is a continuous process and you will always be challenged by it, therefore having someone or a group that can provide you with a sounding board, advice, support and challenge is essential to being the best leader you can be.
Connected Coaching 