Leadership in Healthcare - Essay Example

Table of Contents

PART B

Leadership in Health Care

My vision is to become a medical consultant and to change the system of primary health care service by making use of my transformational leadership qualities. I foresee myself at the apex position and also changed the way primary health service is provided. I believe there are many people, who still do not even get the initial treatment due to financial stagnation or due to unavailability of such primary health care centres. Therefore I believe leadership qualities are highly required in order to get through my vision for future. I also feel that in this process I would be able to gather a team of at least 5 members who will support me through the journey. I believe support is necessary for achieving anything. If I can train and motivate my group members they will also take steps like me and will ultimately accomplish something good for the society. If people are trained at an earlier stage they will not face any problem during future, also they will learn to accept the changes. In this context I need to join a large medical consulting firm where I will be getting exposure, and knowledge about this field.

With my strong enthusiasm, commitment and resilience I will try my level best to motivate my group members towards their development and will influence them to call for a change. While doing so I also need to increase my knowledge, expertise and leadership capability in the health care sector. It can be accomplished by completing the masters in health services management or any other equivalent course.

Mind Mapping

In this context I have developed an inspirational model, which will ensure change in me and also to fulfil my dream. I have enlisted 7c’s in my mind they are:-

Change, Courage, Consistency, Clear vision, Commitment, Challenge the process and Celebrate.

My inspirational model

Goals: - Steps needed to achieve my vision

• Working in a small medical consultancy firm
• Self development
• Becoming more confident
• Developing leadership qualities
• Development of a team

Timescale

Now

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Support

Positive support comes from :-

• Friends
• Family
• Relatives
• My colleagues
• My skills and expertise
• Experience
• Leadership quality

Obstacles in the course of action: -

• Financial constraints
• Less time
• Collision between the course of action and my studies.
• Gender discrimination can act as a major setback.
• Other social limitations

However apart from the aforementioned factors from where I will get positive support, I also need further support for the future course of action. Therefore the further support required now or that might be required in the near future are presented below:-

I need to assure my family that I am always with them and they come first above anything. Hence I need to make sure that I give a reasonable amount of time to my family. Therefore I am also required to make a proper schedule as I have to accomplish multiple tasks. The tasks include my studies as well as to look after my job. I believe such situation is faced by most of the working students and can be considered as a mental dilemma between family and carrier.

Actions I need to take

• Look after a financial institution that will help me out to pursue my Master’s degree.
• From my current earnings I am required to save a substantial amount, which will be needed for my admission.
• Studying more literature about the health care sector and also research about it.
• Start looking what really happens at the large medical consultancy firm.

In the entire I also need inspiration to reach my objective successfully. Therefore the inspiring factors can be:-

• Researching about some eminent personalities who have reached the apex position starting with nil.
• Also studies related to successful women leaders will surely inspire me.
• Studies related to the leaders who have faced tough times in their life and came victorious after that will also help to motivate myself.
• Self motivation and remaining firm about my vision.
• The job profile and the money will also act as an inspiration.
• Strong will power.

Education and learning needs

This is for the development of particular professional skills and qualifications.

My relevant professional experience, qualification and skills

Diploma He RMN

Areas where I need development and also education I require

• I need a professional degree in the health care management sector
• I also need to develop my communication skills.
• Leadership capability, will power and patience also needs to be increased

Action required for attaining the aforementioned factors i.e. skills, experience and qualification

• I need to get a part time job to gain experience and to earn money which will be required for the future.
• Most importantly I also need to get through the undergraduate degree.

Action

Goal: To work for a large medical consulting firm

Time scale

Specific steps to achieve the goal

1st July 2012

Ongoing

Weakly

Weakly

Review

Paving a path towards getting a job in a large medical consulting firm as a part time employee

Studying about the health care industry and also to keep my-self updated about the current health care market.

Physically visit the large firms that offer jobs on medical consultation

Drop bio data on the websites of such firms and search for jobs on the related fields.

Every month

Action

Goal: To develop my leadership skills

Time scale

Specific steps to achieve the goal

Now

Now

Now

Ongoing till Dec 2012

Feb 2013

July 2014

Performing tasks that requires leadership qualities

Reading about eminent leaders and their autobiographies

Looking for an institute who will offer me Masters degree

Working on my under graduate program

Commencement of my master’s degree

Continuation of my masters.

The above action plan is in context with my leadership skills. I will be able to portray all my leadership skills along with this project.

Rational

My vision is developed from my own dream or what I have desired from the past to become in the future. As Napoleen hill stated that ‘cherish your vision and your dreams as they are children of our soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements’ (Maxwell, 2006, p.144). I have always wanted to serve the people who do not even get the primary health care services due to reasons such as financial instability or unavailability of the service. I believe that if I could cater to that segment they will be highly benefitted. Therefore I have chosen to serve this segment. Consequently I need to undergo various trainings and a professional course in order to become a successful medical consultant and change the system of primary health care.

Some authors also stated that if you can help people to ascertain their hidden desire & dreams, and also truthfully believing in them, then the person can help the other people to become a person they are intended to be. A leader also must possess the vision and must develop the path to achieve buy following an organized path and avoiding oppression (Feldman and Alexander, 2011, p.6). I pursued further education as soon as I completed my graduation, where I have opted for a special training to develop my self confidence, medical knowledge and also my leadership qualities. Through this training course I have also tried to develop my self confidence which is a necessity for becoming a successful leader. I will also try to change the traditional method of primary health care by applying some innovative and pioneering approach. In that case I would also like to have own team of medical consultants.

Moreover I will assess my team member’s sense of identity and try to become their role model by inspiring them. This depicts my approaches towards the transformational leadership theory.

Transformational leadership augments the morale, performance and motivation of the supporters by undertaking a range of mechanisms. As Bernard and Riggio argues that transformational leadership is in fact an extension of the transactional leadership. They have also emphasized that transformational leadership takes the leadership quality of a person to the next level (Bass and Riggio, 2006, p4). Transformational is also an important task as is shows not only the path but also provides high end opportunities for self development (Grafton, 2009, p.9). Therefore I believe that this is the most appropriate leadership style for me as I will be able to facilitate change through the process of continuous learning. Curlee and Gordon also argue that transformational leadership is very much essential for team handling. A transformational leader also set high anticipations from the team members and also helps to exhibit the appropriate behaviour. A transformational leader guides his\her team with a focused views and thoughts towards the achievement of the common goal. The elements of transformational leadership highly narrates to the required fundamentals of a group management, therefore leaders must consider this style of leadership (Curlee and Gordon, 2010, p.56). However some of the authors state that transformational style of leadership only allows a moderate control over the team members. While on the other hand Sherif, a renowned writer emphasizes on the fact that a transformational leadership is functional for both architectural as well as elementary innovations (Sherif, 2006, p.125). Moreover Brown and sofarelli states that transformational leadership authorizes to convert a proficient into a true leader and is also fretful about a holistic approach (Jasper and Jumaa, 2008, p.224).

My future role of a medical consultant by applying transformational leadership is also driven by the fact that this approach is more suitable for a female leader. Apart from that it also allows to display the core competencies (Paludi and Coates, 2011, p.34). However some authors also resist this fact as according to them there is no gender biasness in any of the leadership style. Hence I notice that there are different views for the relationship between a particular leadership style and gender. Although I am not at all concerned with this fact as there is a huge similarity between the democratic approach and the transformational approach. Both the leadership styles are very much focused on their followers (Bass and Riggio 2006, p.230-231). Even these styles support the act of followers participation in the decision making process. Consequently my values and principles towards the exhibition of a democratic leader would still remain intact within the transformational leadership style.

I have opted for a long term vision i.e. of almost a year. In between this period I have to stay highly focused towards the process of achieving the goal. Therefore in this context I have formed mind map which will ensure a change in me. I have formed a 7c’s approach in mind they are described below:-

Challenging the process

In this context should I request for change in the system of primary health care and pursue others to remain beside me.

Change

A successful change is a long term process it is a journey of 8 steps starting from formulating the goal and guiding the team to finally achieve the objective (Kotter and Cohen, 2002, p.2).

Courage

To remain focused and must be ready to face bad patches. A transformational leader is always brave and pursues followers to become the same (Khandwalla, 2004, p.132).

Clear vision and strategy

A transformational leader must have a clear vision for future (Healey and Walker, 2009, p.286). He\she must also develop a sound strategy for the achievement of the goal. Also lack of clarity of vision and strategy depicts uncertain direction (Shen, 2004, p.51).

Consistency

A transformational leader must remain consistent throughout the process of accomplishing the task (Schermerhorn, 2010, p.325).

Commitment

Commitment is the foundation of achieving the goal in a quickly. Transformational leaders are very much committed towards their follower (E. Marshall and S. Marshall, 2010, p.28).

Celebration

Celebration is responsible for generating an alarm for achievement. Hence it increases the level of confidence among leaders as well as followers.

In the process of attaining the goal my first step will be to join any medical consultation firm. From there I could start my journey towards the process of changing the primary health care system. However I would like this to be a part time venture as I need to attend my classes as well. The motive behind join such firm is to get exposure and to enhance my leadership skills. It will also help me to get familiarize with the different health issues and how to attend them.

Reference

Bass, B. M., and Riggio, R. E., Transformational Leadership. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.

Curlee, W., and Gordon, R. L., 2010. Complexity Theory and Project Management. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Feldman, H. R., and Alexander, G. R., 2011. Nursing Leadership: A Concise Encyclopaedia. 2nd ed. Berlin: Springer Publishing Company.

Grafton, K. S., 2009. Presidential Transformational Leadership Practices: Analysis of Self-perceptions and Observers at Community Colleges in Oklahoma. Michigan: ProQuest.

Healey, B. J., and Walker, K. T., 2009. Introduction to Occupational Health in Public Health Practice. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Jasper, M., and Jumaa, M., 2008. 2008. Effective Healthcare Leadership. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Khandwalla., 2004. Lifelong Creativity. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Kotter, J. P., and Cohen, D. S., 2002. The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations. Boston: Harvard Business Press.

Marshall, E., and Marshall, E. S., 2010. Transformational Leadership in Nursing: From Expert Clinician to Influential Leader. Berlin: Springer Publishing Company.

Maxwell, J., 2006. Becoming a Person of Influence. Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.

Paludi, M. A., and Coates, B. E., 2011. Women as Transformational Leaders: From Grassroots to Global Interests. California: ABC-CLIO.

Schermerhorn, J. R., 2010. Management. 11th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Shen, M. Y., 2004. How to do Business in China. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

Sherif, M. H., 2006. Managing Projects in Telecommunication Services. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.