The healthcare industry no longer seeks healthcare executives who are merely “qualified” to move into new or newly vacant C-suite positions. Instead, hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers and medical groups want C-suite executive and board leaders who meet the standards of exceptional leadership.
The Evolving Healthcare C-Suite: Trends, Predictions and Strategic Advice (www.inveniaspartners.com), a new white paper from InveniasPartners, outlines the traits that hiring organizations look for in healthcare C-suite executive and board candidates. This article focuses on the first eight of these traits.
Discover how you measure up to the standards of exceptional leadership by posing the following self-assessment questions:
Proactivity: Are you proactive or reactive? Do you tend to think three steps ahead of colleagues and competitors? Are you able to anticipate, analyze, evaluate and synthesize clinical, financial, and operational challenges before you produce an impact?
Challenge: When was the last time you demonstrated highly proactive leadership behavior? What was the outcome?
Flexibility: Are you are flexible leader? How well do you adapt to new or difficult leadership situations? How do you tend to adjust to unexpected challenges related to cost, quality, efficiency, competition or regulation?
Challenge: Describe a situation where leadership flexibility generated positive results.
Communication: Do employees, clinicians, managers and executives understand and embrace what you say? Do you listen as much or more than you speak? Are you willing to understand others’ needs and concerns? Do you ask plenty of provocative questions?
Challenge: Describe a situation where you shared new information, listened to the opinions of others and engaged in dialogue and conversation.
Respect: Do you treat others with respect? Do you show the same level of respect to colleagues, competitors, hourly employees, consumers and patients? Do you regularly engage people- employees, managers, executives and clinicians- in polite conversation, asking questions about work, family and personal interests? How well have you earned the respect to others?
Challenge: Describe how you show others respect on a daily basis. What do you tend to do without a fail?
Enthusiasm: How do you demonstrate optimism and enthusiasm for projects, programs and people? How does your attitude help engage employees, managers, executives and clinicians? How do you create excitement over healthcare challenges like value-based reimbursement, performance management, clinical integration, population health or patient and consumer engagement?
Challenge: How have you demonstrated enthusiasm and excitement for a recent operational, financial or clinical challenge- for example, meaningful use, ICD-10 or EHR security? What was the outcome?
Open-Mindedness: Do you consider all options and points of view before making a decision and leading others in the best possible direction? D you create channels that make it easy for people- employees, managers, executives, clinicians and community leaders- to share their ideas and opinions?
Challenge: Describe a situation where you solicited feedback considered multiple options before announcing your decision. What was the outcome?
Resourcefulness: How well do you tend to use available clinical, financial and operational resources? If existing resources are absent or inadequate, how well are you able to mobilize the required human and financial assets?
Challenge: Describe a situation where you had to assemble resources to launch or complete a project or program. What was your strategy? What was the outcome?
Rewarding: How do you acknowledge and appreciate the efforts and contributions of others- from the thoracic surgeon and C-Suite colleague, to the case manger and admissions clerk? Do you rely on a range of communication channels- print, online, face-to-face and group presentation- to say “thank you” for a job well done?
Challenge: Describe a recent situation where you extended recognition, respect and praise to an individual or team. What was the outcome? How did recognition and reward translate into higher performance?
Curt Lucas is President and CEO, a Chicago-based healthcare C-Suite and board executive recruitment, assessment and talent management advisory services firm serving hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, medical groups, and payers. To download the white paper and for more information, go to http://www.inveniaspartners.com.