The Importance of Transformational Leadership in Healthcare Organisations

The word ‘’pivot’’ has indeed earned its place in the lexicon of many healthcare organizations globally. The pandemic has tested the agility of leaders and their teams in ways that could never have been imagined previously. The silver lining is that all the rapid change that has taken place has helped build muscle memory in these organizations with regard to teamwork, learning, adapting continuously, and building resilience. The benefits of adopting a transformational leadership style have become more apparent in this climate. These benefits include conveying a sense of trust and meaningfulness and championing greater employee empowerment which has a great impact on building individual and team capacity. As mental health crises erupt in the wake of the pandemic, statistics have shown that transformational leadership can favourably impact employee well-being (Arnold & Kara, 2017).

What is Transformational Leadership?

The transformational leadership theory was pioneered in 1978 by James McGregor Burns, a political scientist, and historian. Burns had identified the leadership traits of key historical figures including Mahatma Gandhi, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F Kennedy. He noticed that a pattern emerged where a leadership style was characterised by the level of engagement with followers and their well-being rather than merely being transactional in nature.

Transformational leadership is a management style that inspires employees to take ownership of their roles and perform beyond expectations. These leaders are able to mobilize high-performing teams, raise morale and motivation, improve employee well being and cultivate empowered employees that can think outside the box and implement creative ideas. They are skilled at conflict resolution and lead by example. They are not afraid to identify the old patterns that no longer fit or work and innovate accordingly.

Healthcare organizations tend to be highly bureaucratic and gravitate towards adopting more of a transactional leadership style. This style is more focused on the short term and is characterized by decision making reserved only by Senior Management, task and reward oriented, lack of opportunities for creative thinking and employee initiative, and more of a top-down approach to problem-solving.

Hallmarks of Transformational Leadership in a Crisis

Transformational leadership includes practices such as crafting and articulating a compelling vision for the group, communicating expectations clearly, inculcating value-driven behaviour such as acting in alignment with company values even during challenging times and treating employees as individuals, and caring for their well-being. This can be particularly helpful to employees during uncertain and high-stress situations. It can also help prevent burnout which negatively affects morale and long-term productivity for not only the employee but also for the leader.

If you are a transformational leader, the lines of communication between you and your team will always be open. During a crisis situation, this becomes more important than ever. The exchange of information will become more dynamic, daily huddles and impromptu meetings will become the norm. Listen to your staff with an open mind and encourage people to share their thoughts. Actively listen to people and pay attention to their posture and other behavioural cues. Create a safe space for people to share their emotions and be vulnerable and show people that you care for their well-being. Respond in a clear and calm manner which may help to lessen their fears. Arrange for appropriate counselling and coaching to bolster employee support systems.

As a leader, you may not always have all the answers. The pandemic has shown us that even the best healthcare systems in the world have struggled to provide the care necessary and adapt daily to new demands. Leaders should also prioritize their employee and their personal self-care. You may be questioning yourself and your ability to be the role model required to inspire, motivate and guide your team to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Are you letting the fear of the unknown dictate your words and actions? Calming your racing mind and your team when things are getting difficult and inspiring trust and showing compassion at the same time when time is limited is a universal problem right now for leaders of healthcare teams. Practice self-compassion and try to maintain your focus as the situation unfolds. As you adapt to the situation, your team will adapt. Do not let the unknown define you. Try to help your team maintain a positive outlook by reframing navigating the unknown as an opportunity. Honesty and transparency which is a transformational leadership trait can help you build trust with your team. As you navigate the crisis together demonstrate your commitment and lead by example. As you join them in the trenches and face the situation together, respect and rapport will be fostered. The lessons learned can then be used to drive positive change.

Leadership Training

Innovative organisations focus on cultivating leadership skills throughout the organisation instead of solely focusing on the leaders at the very highest levels. Middle-management leaders are also pivotal to long-term success and impacting the situation at the front line in a positive manner. By developing their leadership pipeline they are also investing in long-term success.

Good leadership and professional governance can help promote an environment of support and build resilience. Training programs can help leaders become adept at transformational leadership by teaching them communication and conflict resolution skills. This investment will pay off by improving employee retention rates, facilitating the swift and effective resolution of conflict, building a more resilient workforce, and improving customer satisfaction rates. These trainings can also be viewed as essential components of workplace health promotion and therefore should receive wide support. When the pressure is on, resources are depleted and teams are under enormous strain, leaders will be sorely tested. By equipping them with the necessary skill-set and support, they will be able to rise to the challenge and help their organizations thrive in the midst of uncertainty.

The Leading High Performing Healthcare Organisations Programme

In addition to negotiating the day-to-day demands of a busy and complex organisation, healthcare delivery leaders must also be able to evaluate and understand the impact of different healthcare delivery models and major service delivery programs in specific disease areas.

The Leading High-Performing Healthcare Organisations Programme (LeHHO) explores the diverse and complex challenges that confront regional healthcare leaders. You will acquire the skills and frameworks needed to implement new processes, organisational designs, and leadership strategies within your organisation.

Register here for the March intake

Arnold, Kara: Transformational Leadership and Employee Psychological Well-Being: A Review and Directions for Future Research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2017

Article by Shailja Sharma, Executive Fellow, and Coach

Would you like to share an article? Write to us at sbscommunication@strathmore.edu