Showing papers on "Leadership development published in 2021"
TL;DR: Targeted educational interventions are an effective method of leadership development in nurses and will help ensure that nurses of the future are well equipped to tackle the challenges of a burdened health-care system.
58 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive, objective, and integrative review of the leader/ship development (LD) field is presented, focusing on three bibliometric approaches: historical, document co-citation, and bibliographic coupling.
Abstract: The development of leaders and leadership is a formative research area and a considerable industry in practice. Existing reviews are often restricted in scope or by subjective inclusion of topics or documents which limits integrative implications for the leader/ship development (LD) field. We address theoretical and methodological limitations by mapping the LD field with a comprehensive, objective, and integrative review. To do so we employed three bibliometric approaches, historiography, document co-citation, bibliographic coupling, and included 2,390 primary and 78,178 secondary documents. We show patterns in the evolution of the LD field, followed by four central observations about the current state and trends in LD. To shift the science and practice of LD we develop tangible suggestions for future research within the three research directions: (1) Pursuing research within the current framing of LD, (2) Striving for frame-breaking LD research, and (3) How We Can Get There – Transforming LD Research.
57 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a new integrative model of Wellness-centered Leadership (WCL) is proposed, which includes core skills and qualities from the foremost leadership philosophies along with evidence on the relationship between leadership and physician well-being and distills them into a single framework designed to cultivate leadership behaviors that promote engagement and professional fulfillment.
Abstract: These are challenging times for physicians. Extensive changes in the practice environment have altered the nature of physicians' interactions with patients and their role in the health care delivery system. Many physicians feel as if they are "cogs in the wheel" of austere corporations that care more about productivity and finances than compassion or quality. They often do not see how the strategy and plan of their organization align with the values of the profession. Despite their expertise, they frequently do not feel they have a voice or input in the operational plan of their work unit, department, or organization. At their core, the authors believe all of these factors represent leadership issues. Many models of leadership have been proposed, and there are a number of effective philosophies and approaches. Here, the authors propose a new integrative model of Wellness-Centered Leadership (WCL). WCL includes core skills and qualities from the foremost leadership philosophies along with evidence on the relationship between leadership and physician well-being and distills them into a single framework designed to cultivate leadership behaviors that promote engagement and professional fulfillment. The 3 elements of WCL are: care about people always, cultivate individual and team relationships, and inspire change. A summary of the mindset, behaviors, and outcomes of the elements of the WCL model is presented, and the application of the elements for physician leaders is discussed. The authors believe that learning and developing the skills that advance these elements should be the aspiration of all health care leaders and a foundational focus of leadership development programs. If cultivated, the authors believe that WCL will empower individual and team performance to address the current problems faced by health care organizations as well as the iterative innovation needed to address challenges that may arise in the decades to come.
49 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored how high-quality relationships develop between next-generation leaders and family and non-family stakeholders and how they impact leadership development and found that high quality relationships develop through mutual respect, trust, early affiliation with the business, mentoring, and mutual obligation.
33 citations
01 Sep 2021
TL;DR: In leadership development programmes in healthcare, external faculty should be used to supplement in- house faculty and not be a replacement for in-house expertise and to facilitate organisational outcomes, interventions should include project work and mentoring.
Abstract: Health systems invest significant resources in leadership development for physicians and other health professionals. Competent leadership is considered vital for maintaining and improving quality and patient safety. We carried out this systematic review to synthesise new empirical evidence regarding medical leadership development programme factors which are associated with outcomes at the clinical and organisational levels. Using Ovid MEDLINE, we conducted a database search using both free text and Medical Subject Headings. We then conducted an extensive hand-search of references and of citations in known healthcare leadership development reviews. We applied the Medical Education Research Study Quality Indicator (MERSQI) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tool to determine study reliability, and synthesised results using a meta-aggregation approach. 117 studies were included in this systematic review. 28 studies met criteria for higher reliability studies. The median critical appraisal score according to the MERSQI was 8.5/18 and the median critical appraisal score according to the JBI was 3/10. There were recurring causes of low study quality scores related to study design, data analysis and reporting. There was considerable heterogeneity in intervention design and evaluation design. Programmes with internal or mixed faculty were significantly more likely to report organisational outcomes than programmes with external faculty only (p=0.049). Project work and mentoring increased the likelihood of organisational outcomes. No leadership development content area was particularly associated with organisational outcomes. In leadership development programmes in healthcare, external faculty should be used to supplement in-house faculty and not be a replacement for in-house expertise. To facilitate organisational outcomes, interventions should include project work and mentoring. Educational methods appear to be more important for organisational outcomes than specific curriculum content. Improving evaluation design will allow educators and evaluators to more effectively understand factors which are reliably associated with organisational outcomes of leadership development.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a typology of leader and leadership development learning outcomes that elucidates the multidimensional and multilevel nature of such outcomes and provides greater construct definition and precision.
Abstract: The scientific advancement of leader and leadership development has offered various conceptualizations and operationalizations of evaluation criteria. However, because the complex learning that occurs during leader and leadership development is typically ignored, current leader and leadership development evaluation criteria do not fully capture the multidimensional and temporal nature of learning which serves as a critical mediating mechanism between training and more distal outcomes. Further, evaluations of leadership programs tend to focus on individual (i.e., leader development) outcomes without consideration of collective (i.e., leadership development) outcomes. Thus, we present a comprehensive typology of leader and leadership development learning outcomes that elucidates the multidimensional and multilevel nature of such outcomes and provides greater construct definition and precision. Our purpose is to integrate multiple theoretical perspectives, generating a more precise classification to provide researchers and practitioners assistance in 1) designing and evaluating the effectiveness of leader and leadership development, and 2) clarifying the limits of generalizability of both conceptualizations and empirical research across learning outcomes.
31 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the lived experiences of Black women in higher education leadership and used phenomenology to explore how they dealt with adversity and the lived experience of black women in a higher education setting.
Abstract: This article explores adversity and the lived experiences of Black women in higher education leadership. Using phenomenology, this study specifically explores how Black women in higher education le...
31 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a set of state-of-the-science empirical studies and theory development articles representing 21st century leadership development and provide a brief overview of issues related to the leadership development field, broadly construed to include individual leader development.
Abstract: Leadership development seeks to understand, predict, and intervene effectively in addressing the questions of how individuals develop as leaders and how collections of individuals develop a capacity for leadership. These questions are attracting scholars interested in the factors and processes involved in developing leaders and leadership. Presented in the special issue is a set of state-of-the-science empirical studies and theory development articles representing 21st century leadership development. We also provide a brief overview of issues related to the leadership development field – broadly construed to include individual leader development – that are especially pertinent and where the research evidence is scarce or contradictory. These areas are theoretical foundations of leadership development, practices and methods of development and talent selection for development, accurately estimating return on investment for leadership development initiatives, the role of time in developing leaders and leadership, understanding and remedying biases and inequities in leadership development, and the role of development in mitigating the so-called dark side of leadership. Although we have learned much about leader and leadership development over the past 20 years, there is an ongoing need for more research and theory development especially with respect to identifying causally and practically relevant knowledge able to inform policy.
31 citations
TL;DR: Self-awareness is often seen as a critical component in leadership and career success, and has therefore become a feature in MBAs, leadership development, and management education as discussed by the authors, but there appears to be no consistent definition of the construct of self-awareness.
Abstract: Self-awareness is often seen as a critical component in leadership and career success, and has therefore become a feature in MBAs, leadership development, and management education. It has become a popular “buzzword” in management literature, yet when reviewing this literature, there appears to be no consistent definition of the construct. This article reports a systematic literature review, covering how the construct of self-awareness is defined and how it differs from self-consciousness and self-knowledge within the context of management education. After screening, 31 articles were included in the review, analysis of which identified there is an overlap with how self-awareness, self-consciousness, and self-knowledge are defined. Other themes from our analysis include the identification of the components of self-awareness, how to be self-aware, and the purpose of self-awareness. The contribution of our article is the provision of clarity on the construct of self-awareness and a working definition, which can be used in the fields of leadership and management development by practitioners in education and organizations, and for future research within the context of adult development and the workplace.
30 citations
TL;DR: Sims et al. as mentioned in this paper examined whether women and men who were more skilled in one leadership style (servant, transformational, transactional, or passive avoidant) were better mentors and assessed if gender influenced leadership style or mentoring.
Abstract: Correspondence Cynthia Sims, Department of Educational and Organizational Leadership, College of Education, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA. Email: cmsims@clemson.edu Abstract This study examined whether women and men who were more skilled in one leadership style—servant, transformational, transactional, or passive avoidant—were better mentors and assessed if gender influenced leadership style or mentoring. Faculty (n = 56) who were members of one of two cohorts, participated in leadership development programs focused on gender equity at a university in the southeast U.S. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and the units of analysis were individual program participants. Initial regression analysis revealed servant leadership was positively and statistically associated with mentoring and passive avoidant leadership was negatively and statistically associated with mentoring. Transformational and transactional leadership were not statistically associated with mentor competency. Gender was not found to be associated with leadership style or mentoring. Human Resource Development professionals and those who conduct gender equity and other leadership development programs should consider the benefits of servant leadership due to its gender-neutral style and synergistic ability to develop leaders as skilled mentors. DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21408
26 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors document the intellectual structure and progress of hospitality leadership research over the past sixty years by presenting a perspective and conspectus, using text mining analysis to explore topic highlights and how they have shifted over time.
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative analysis of ward managers' experience of the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted using telephone interviews with 13 ward managers from a Danish university hospital, who were interviewed three months after the first national COVID19 case was confirmed.
Abstract: Purpose: In order to provide guidance and prepare ward managers for future crisis situations similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim of this study was to reflect and learn how person-centred nursing leadership may be strengthened in such situations Background: The pandemic has forced nurse leaders to face new challenges Knowledge about their experiences may contribute to advancing leadership practices in times of future crises Methods: A qualitative directed content analysis was chosen The theoretical perspective was person-centred leadership Thirteen ward managers from a Danish university hospital were included and interviewed using telephone interviews three months after the first national COVID-19 case was confirmed Findings: The main findings of the study revealed that the ward managers often experienced a lack of timely, relevant information, involvement in decision-making and acknowledgement from the head nurse of department and the executive management This was caused by the existing organizational cultures and the traditional hierarchy of communication This meant that the ward managers' sense of own competences and leadership values and beliefs came under high pressure when they had to balance different stakeholders' needs Conclusion: When the experience of ward managers results in them being unable to lead authentically and competently in a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of engagement can occur, with serious consequences for patients, staff and the ward managers themselves Traditional organizational cultures that are hierarchical and controlling needs to be challenged and reoriented towards collaborative, inclusive and participative practices of engagement and involvement Leadership development must be an established and integrated component of organizations, so that ward managers are able to sustain person-centred ways of being and doing in times of crisis
TL;DR: The NHS leadership guide and new evidence in support of the approach along with the learning from 2020 could ensure that excellent innovations and ways of working remain while others are adapted as the crisis evolves to a the new normal.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify traits and behaviors of organization leaders that were deemed helpful by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is an exploratory qualitative study that utilized online surveys.
Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to identify traits and behaviors of organization leaders that were deemed helpful by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.,This is an exploratory qualitative study that utilized online surveys. Data from 155 participants were subjected to content analysis.,Several interrelated traits and behaviors of effective crisis leadership were identified. These were clustered into three superordinate themes – attending to the person, taking charge and showing the way forward and sustaining the spirit.,Findings from this paper can be furthered by conducting quantitative studies to validate themes and/or test a conceptual model of effective crisis leadership. Gathering data from other populations at different points in time during the COVID-19 pandemic may also be useful.,A review of leadership development programs and organization norms and values is recommended in order to ensure that they are consistent with crisis leadership competencies.,This paper helps address the gap on follower-centered perspectives about organizational leadership responses to crises and highlights the importance of care and compassion in leading employees during difficult times.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the effects of a one-day female-focused STEM-based entrepreneurship program (for brevity, they call it the OzGirlsEntrepreneurship program) on the entrepreneurial intention of secondary school female students, and found that a key factor in the development of entrepreneurial attitudes in young female students is associated with soft skills development, particularly in the areas of creative thinking, risk-taking, problem-solving, and leadership development.
Abstract: Despite dedicated effort and research in the last two decades, the entrepreneurship field is still limited by little evidence-based knowledge of the impacts of entrepreneurship programs on the entrepreneurial intention of students in pre-university levels of study. Further, gender equity continues to be an issue in the entrepreneurial sector, particularly in STEM-focused entrepreneurship. In this context, this study was designed to explore the effects of a one-day female-focused STEM-based entrepreneurship program (for brevity, we call it the OzGirlsEntrepreneurship program) on the entrepreneurial intention of secondary school female students. The study collected data from two surveys completed by 193 secondary school female students, aged 14–16 years, who participated in the OzGirlsEntrepreneurship program. This program encouraged girls to develop and implement creative computational solutions to socially relevant problems, with an Internet of Things (IoT) component using the micro:bit device. The findings reveal that a key factor in the development of entrepreneurial attitudes in young female students is associated with soft-skills development, particularly in the areas of creative thinking, risk-taking, problem-solving, and leadership development. The importance of meaningful human connections, including positive role modelling and peer to peer learning were also important factors in fostering entrepreneurial intent. With these factors in mind, our findings highlight that the OzGirlsEntrepreneurship program substantially increased the entrepreneurial intention of secondary school female students. In addition, this study offers actionable implications and recommendations to develop and deliver entrepreneurship education programs for secondary school level students.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors outline a research agenda to understand how the pandemic impacts nonprofit workers and their commitment to working in the sector Several areas for future research are identified including human resource policy, leadership development, generational differences, gender effects, nonprofit graduate education, and mission-specific work effects.
Abstract: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofit organizations face increased demands for services alongside decreased revenues and must make tough choices on how to weather these stressors Alongside these organizational changes, COVID-19 impacts nonprofit workers and could be a career shock for these individuals, potentially altering how they think of their work and career intentions, even jeopardizing their commitment to the sector Therefore, this paper outlines a research agenda to understand how the pandemic impacts nonprofit workers and their commitment to working in the sector Several areas for future research are identified including human resource policy, leadership development, generational differences, gender effects, nonprofit graduate education, and mission-specific work effects
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a model of how balanced and integrated development across spiritual, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral domains can result in a servant leader orientation for both spiritual and cognitive domains.
Abstract: In this paper, we propose a model of how balanced and integrated development across spiritual, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral domains can result in a servant leader orientation for both th...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present new insights about the intersection of time, subjective and intersubjective experience, and mindfulness that are relevant to developing embodied wisdom in leaders, and establish a framework that leadership development programs in business schools can adopt for understanding habitus and mindfulness to enable embodied wisdom to develop in leaders.
Abstract: This article brings together mindfulness and habitus theory in relation to developing wise leaders. In particular, we present new insights about the intersection of time, subjective and intersubjective experience, and mindfulness that are relevant to developing embodied wisdom in leaders. We show that temporal competence is essential for shaping habitus and developing embodied wisdom. Further, and to extend theoretical understandings of mindfulness in leadership, we argue that temporal capabilities developed through mindfulness can foster embodied wisdom by creating a specific ‘wisdom habitus’ that includes values and ethics. The system of dispositions that comprise one’s habitus is, however, largely unconscious and implicit and we discuss how mindfulness renders habitus, including ethical conation accessible to development for the bodily ability to act wisely. This article then establishes a framework that leadership development programs in business schools can adopt for understanding habitus and mindfulness to enable embodied wisdom to develop in leaders. Finally, we show that a mindfulness perspective offers valuable contributions to research on leadership.
TL;DR: In this paper, a cross-sectional analysis of survey data from 715 small-to-medium-size primary care practices in the United States participating in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's EvidenceNOW initiative was conducted.
Abstract: Although much attention has been focused on individual-level drivers of burnout in primary care settings, examining the structural and cultural factors of practice environments with no burnout could identify solutions. In this cross-sectional analysis of survey data from 715 small-to-medium-size primary care practices in the United States participating in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's EvidenceNOW initiative, we found that zero-burnout practices had higher levels of psychological safety and adaptive reserve, a measure of practice capacity for learning and development. Compared with high-burnout practices, zero-burnout practices also reported using more quality improvement strategies, more commonly were solo and clinician owned, and less commonly had participated in accountable care organizations or other demonstration projects. Efforts to prevent burnout in primary care may benefit from focusing on enhancing organization and practice culture, including promoting leadership development and fostering practice agency.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used a descriptive qualitative approach to ascertain the essence of nurse executive leadership and innovation during the COVID-19 crisis and found that communication, leadership presence, and mental toughness are three key components to promoting and providing quality care in an austere, complex, and changing health care environment.
Abstract: The COVID-19 crisis created unique and interesting challenges for health care systems and changed how health care professionals delivered care. Evidence suggests that leadership skills remain of utmost importance during crises as it is the leader who often determines the response of the follower. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to ascertain the essence of nurse executive leadership and innovation during the COVID-19 crisis. Nurse executives were recruited via personal invitations to participate in the study. Participants were asked about their current challenges of COVID-19 on health care delivery, their leadership style, and what innovative processes their teams deployed. Using a thematic analysis approach, 3 themes emerged and resonated from the interviews: the importance of communication; the need for leadership presence; and mental toughness. With any health care crisis, leadership is essential to guide followers. As demonstrated by these findings, communication, leadership presence, and mental toughness are 3 key components to promoting and providing quality care in an austere, complex, and changing health care environment. Further understanding of the roles of these key concepts may add insight into nurse leaders and leadership development.
TL;DR: The findings support the need for LDPs to be accredited, better integrated into existing systems and to put greater emphasis on institutionalization and financial sustainability from their early development.
Abstract: Leadership is a critical component of a health system and may be particularly important in Sub-Saharan Africa, where clinicians take on significant management responsibilities. However, there has been little investment in strengthening leadership in this context, and evidence is limited on what leadership capabilities are most important or how effective different leadership development models are. This scoping review design used Arksey and O'Malley's approach of identifying the question and relevant studies, selection, charting of data, summarizing of results and consultation. A comprehensive search strategy was used that included published and unpublished primary studies and reviews. Seven databases were searched, and papers written in English and French between 1979 and 2019 were included. Potential sources were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were grouped into common categories and summarized in tables; categories included conceptual approach to leadership; design of intervention; evaluation method; evidence of effectiveness; and implementation lessons. The findings were then analysed in the context of the review question and objectives. Twenty-eight studies were included in the review out of a total of 495 that were initially identified. The studies covered 23 of the 46 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The leadership development programmes (LDPs) described were diverse in their design. No consistency was found in the conceptual approaches they adopted. The evaluation methods were also heterogeneous and often of poor quality. The review showed how rapidly leadership has emerged as a topic of interest in health care in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further research on this subject is needed, in particular in strengthening the conceptual and competency frameworks for leadership in this context, which would also inform better evaluation. Our findings support the need for LDPs to be accredited, better integrated into existing systems and to put greater emphasis on institutionalization and financial sustainability from their early development.
TL;DR: Organizational support by way of providing continuous, sustainable professional leadership development, especially in the area of communication, and building self-efficacy is needed to ensure leader effectiveness, and improvement in staff and patient outcomes.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors look at business school leader development programs through the lens of adult learning and find that leader development serves as a strong focus in the mission statements of many business school programs.
Abstract: Leader development serves as a strong focus in the mission statements of many business school programs. Looking at business school leader development programs through the lens of adult learning the...
TL;DR: For most leaders, their first exposure to formal leader development training occurs in adolescence, through school, extra-curricular activities, or youth leader development programs as discussed by the authors, and the processes and challenges of leader development are different for girls than they are for boys.
Abstract: For most leaders, their first exposure to formal leader development training occurs in adolescence, through school, extra-curricular activities, or youth leader development programs. As with many adolescent experiences, the processes and challenges of leader development are different for girls than they are for boys. With increasing calls to address gender inequity worldwide, adolescent girls' leader development has become an important cross-disciplinary research topic. Though the literature on developing adolescent girls has grown substantially, it is fragmented across disciplines, with a lack of integration and theoretical framing hindering our advancement in knowledge. Therefore, there is a critical need for a comprehensive review article to guide scholars to build an integrated knowledge of how leader development occurs for adolescent girls. We searched for literature relevant to leader and leadership development designed for adolescent girls and reviewed a total of 108 academic papers (2000–2019). We identify and critique five themes in this literature that hold important implications for the leader development of adolescent girls. To advance knowledge, we offer social cognitive theory as a theoretical frame to understand adolescent girls' leader development and provide guidance on future research. Finally, we offer insights on how the processes and practices of adolescent girls' leader development could inform adult leader development.
26 Jan 2021
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore responsible leadership and crisis management in the cruise tourism sector and discuss in detail how responsible leadership, in the small island of Barbados, championed a response to support the cruise tourists sector and assist in managing the crisis.
Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore responsible leadership and crisis management Many sectors and economies have faced the stark effect of coronavirus;however, the damage done was felt more in some areas than others Cruise tourism is one such sector dramatically affected, as it ground to a screeching halt in March 2020 This has led to crisis management, as passengers, cruise-line crew, large cruise companies and governments were now faced with a new reality as countries around the world closed their borders This article aims at discussing in detail how responsible leadership, in the small island of Barbados, championed a response to support the cruise tourism sector and assist in managing the crisis Design/methodology/approach - The author conducted a literature review on the current knowledge relating leadership and crisis management Thus building a better understanding in the field and identifying gaps for making new arguments for best practices of leadership development in crisis management established in the cruise tourism sector The author gave viewpoints based on the leadership style of the Prime Minister of Barbados Findings - Responsible leadership is a style that has been best observed as one that emphasizes a commitment to the common good and provides a constructive societal impact With this approach, the leaders navigated the uncertainty surrounding the crisis and provided fresh hope to future plans Thus, the coronavirus was perceived in a positive way, producing opportunities for progress and change Research limitations/implications - By developing an understanding of traditional leadership theories, it provides a framework for the adaptation of responsible leadership approach in crisis management Moreover, the practice of responsible leadership in this COVID-19 era is shown to be crucial to crisis management and enhancing performance Limitations on viewpoint are based on the author's philosophies Practical implications - This paper provides a better understanding of the principles surrounding leadership and fashions a framework for discussing responsible leadership from a crisis management standpoint The viewpoint provides an optimistic difference in managing a crisis Social implications The paper provides a better understanding of responsible leadership as an integrated approach to governance, ethics and social responsibility The paper provides a basis to assess the intersection of the literature on leadership and crisis management Originality/value - This article contributes to the literature on responsible leadership within the context of crisis management
TL;DR: This is the first study from India that highlights leadership competency gaps amongst physicians and confirms need for MLDPs.
Abstract: Purpose: To assess medical leadership competencies of physicians in India, to analyse the competency gaps, and suggest measures for medical leadership development.Methods: A survey questionnaire wa...
TL;DR: In this article, the change in leadership over time in a Department of Surgery at the University of Southern California has been examined, showing that female representation in leadership roles increased from 2016 to 2020 at each professor rank.
Abstract: Background Female medical students outnumber males with increasing representation in the workforce. However, women remain underrepresented in surgical leadership. Suggested reasons for this discrepancy are lack of female role models, mentorship, and gender discrimination. Thus, we set out to examine the change in leadership over time in our Department. Methods Leadership data was gathered from a Department of Surgery in 2016 and 2020. Demographics including gender, age, and leadership position were compared using chi-squared testing. Results Female representation in leadership roles increased from 2016 to 2020 at each professor rank(professor 0–100%, p Conclusions Female leadership in the Department has increased since 2016. Promoting females to leadership roles provides role models for upcoming female surgeons. Resources should be allocated to promote gender equity in surgical leadership.
TL;DR: In this paper, a systematic review of prior empirical research on the impact of mindfulness interventions and practices on leaders is presented to provide conceptual clarity and highlight the importance of understanding the phenomenon and its value in the context of leadership and individual leader development.
TL;DR: In the context that leadership matters and that leadership competencies differ from those needed to practice medicine or conduct research, developing leadership competency for physicians is important.
TL;DR: In this article, a participatory intervention combining two core elements: a complex health system taught course, and an adapted communications and emotional competence process training, was presented to support leadership development and management in complex, hierarchical systems.
Abstract: Effective management and leadership are essential for everyday health system resilience, but actors charged with these roles are often underprepared and undersupported to perform them. Particular challenges have been observed in interpersonal and relational aspects of health managers' work, including communication skills, emotional competence and supportive oversight. Within the Resilient and Responsive Health Systems (RESYST) consortium in Kenya, we worked with two county health and hospital management teams to adapt a package of leadership development interventions aimed at building these skills. This article provides insights into: (1) the content and co-development of a participatory intervention combining two core elements: a complex health system taught course, and an adapted communications and emotional competence process training; and (2) the findings from a formative evaluation of this intervention which included observations of the training, individual interviews with participating managers and discussions in regular meetings with managers. Following the training, managers reported greater recognition of the importance of health system software (values, belief systems and relationships), and improved self-awareness and team communication. Managers appeared to build valued skills in active listening, giving constructive feedback, 'stepping back' from automatic reactions to challenging emotional situations and taking responsibility to communicate with emotional competence. The training also created spaces for managers to share experiences, reflect upon and nurture social competences. We draw on our findings and the literature to propose a theory of change regarding the potential of our leadership development intervention to nurture everyday health system resilience through strengthening cognitive, behavioural and contextual capacities. We recommend further development and evaluation of novel approaches such as those shared in this article to support leadership development and management in complex, hierarchical systems.