5 Cultural Truths of Effective Hospital Leaders

Being a hospital leader is more difficult than ever in today’s changing healthcare environment.  It can be easy to stray off course when trying to deal with regulatory pressures and financial constraints.  It is vital for leadership to remember that they are responsible for one of the most precious and fragile elements of their entire enterprise, organizational culture. Here are 5 cultural truths effective hospital leaders must adhere to in order to survive:  

1.  You set the tone for your organization / department

If you find yourself telling others that your employees are doing a bad job, understand this is a direct reflection of your leadership. It cannot be understated that leaders are directly responsible for the health of their employee culture.

Instead of complaining about people being lazy, gossips or drama queens, ask yourself what you can do to change the environment. The vast majority of people want to do a good job. Perhaps there are things getting in the way of their full potential. Be empowering, not demoralizing.

2.  There is a balance between staying in touch and accepting you don’t know what’s happening on the front lines.

The higher up in the organization they are, the less in touch leaders can be with the front line team members. That is an unavoidable fact. The key is to understand this without completely withdrawing from the day-to-day functions of your organization.

Leaders should understand their limitations, and entrust their subordinates to do their jobs, but not isolate themselves completely. They need to remain visible, not just to their direct reports, but to all levels of the organization. Going out to where the action is taking place is paramount to good leadership.

3.  Focus on the good of the entire organization, rather than personal gain.

In large organizations, there are often multiple layers of parallel leadership. Each of these silos tends to look out for their best interests, particularly in these tough economic times. It is crucial for hospital leaders to plan alongside one another with the vision of the entire enterprise in focus.

Whether intentional or due to a lack of communication, gains in one area that have a negative impact in another result in sub-par organizational performance and potentially lasting resentment. It is up to leadership to keep the focus on the mission of the entire healthcare system and to facilitate collaboration.

4.  Don’t be intimidating.

Nothing good can come from an environment where leadership operates under the practice of fear and intimidation. I could write an entire blog post just on this point (maybe I will). Bullying your employees into submission isn’t just disrespectful, it’s not smart.

By creating a culture of fear, you ensure that front-line employees will not bring potential problems to light until it’s too late. In healthcare, we call that a medical error. In essence, by capitalizing on power-trips and egos, intimidating leaders can cause patient harm. 

5.  Never lose sight of your customer.

This leads me to my last point, as a hospital leader you must NEVER lose sight of your customer – the patient.  If it takes getting up and walking the halls of the hospital, maintaining a part-time practice or calling on your own experiences as a patient, DO IT! Remember that healthcare is about taking the best possible care of patients. When leadership embraces this truth, it sets the tone for the entire organization.