Leadership styles in organizations today are no longer confined to an autocratic or democratic style. Society’s changing needs, the era of globalization and the fast pace of developments in technology have dictated upon leaders to innovate and advance into a style which are attuned with the times. Healthcare organizations are no exceptions. The healthcare industry has evolved into a more dynamic market economy which is influenced by internal and external factors. These changes have paved the way to more innovative styles of leadership in healthcare organizations.
Various leadership styles have progressed to take into consideration the educational background, training, competence, motivation, experience and personal needs of the health care workers. Rubino mentions four leadership styles which may be applied in a health care setting (n.d.). The first type of leadership is the coercive style which is often used among problematic employees because it is demanding and is focused on the power of the leader. This may be applied during emergency situations to ensure that the employees follow the orders.
The second style of leadership described by Rubino that may be implemented in health care companies is the participative style which is suitable for leaders who handle a lot of followers (n.d.). Nowadays, there are many health care workers who are well-educated with extensive experience. With this in mind, it would benefit a leader to adopt the participative style because these workers can give professional advice. Furthermore, these highly qualified health care workers will be more motivated and productive if they are allowed to be part of the decision-making process. They will feel that they are valuable to the organization.
The third style of leadership is the pacesetting style. This type of leadership is appropriate for health care workers who are well-motivated and very competent because they can meet the high performance standards imposed by the leader. Research scientists and intensive care nurses can work well under this type of leadership because of their expertise.
Another style of leadership which may be adopted by leaders in health care organizations is the coaching style. The coaching style of leadership focuses on the personal development of the subordinates rather than on the tasks on hand. This type of leadership is relevant when the workers being handled are in the top echelon of the organization.
Since health care organizations are basically service institutions, it is essential that the type of leadership that they espouse be one of servant leadership. The above-mentioned leadership styles should incorporate the qualities of a servant leader. A servant leader is one who is basically driven by his desire to serve others. The qualities of a servant leader includes that of being collaborative, generous at giving credit to others, motivates and empowers his subordinates to achieve their shared objectives, and trusts and respects his people. Leaders with these qualities are valuable to health care organizations because they are able to fulfill their mission of serving the needs of the community with quality health care service.
References
Rubino, L. (n.d.). Chapter 2 - Leadership. Retrieved from samples.jbpub.com: http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763790868/90868_CH02_FINAL_WithoutCropMark.pdf
Schwartz, R. W., & Tumblin, T. F. (2002, December). The power of servant leadership to transform health care organizations for the 21st-century economy. Archives of Surgery, 137(12), 1419-1427.
