Leadership Theories in Practice
Leadership in Health Care
Leadership plays a significant role in enhancing the effectiveness of health care organizations. The type of leadership that a leader portrays determines the staff and patients’ outcomes. Although various leadership approaches can affect the success of health care facilities, evidence from research indicates that transformational and transactional strategies have the most impact.
Critical lessons are inherent in empirical studies on leadership in health care. One of the key insights from the resources selected is the impact of transformational leadership on workplace empowerment, performance, and staff satisfaction (Lin, MacLennan, Hunt, & Cox, 2015; Boamah, Laschinger, Wong, & Clarke, 2018). Another insight is the importance of blending transactional with transformational styles to improve the efficacy of leadership in health care organizations (Smith, 2015).
Mrs. Johnson is the nurse leader in a community hospital. She works with a team of dedicated nurses, and I sought to understand the source of their motivation. The leader acknowledged that she trains nurses and allows them the freedom to practice their skills. For example, she conducts a training and development program and rewards nurses for practicing the skills developed.
Transformational leadership skills have proven effective in the community hospital. For example, the hospital has experienced a significant reduction in medical errors and hospital-acquired infections since Mrs. Johnson became the hospital’s nurse leader. The transformational leadership approach has proven effective in empowering the staff and improving their level of satisfaction.
Overall, a leadership approach is critical for the success of a health care organization. However, not all styles have a positive impact. Transformational leadership is regarded as the most effective approach in all health care settings, including community hospitals.
