LEADERS IN MEDICINE
of skills that need to be developed and honed . There are the technical skills that leaders need such as strategy , operations and financial understanding and also soft skills , such as influence , people management and negotiation . Not only would more formal training support our careers and effectiveness as leaders of clinical organizations , but they would arguably make us more effective with our patients , through more effective change management and encouragement of lifestyle changes , just as an example .
At a time of tremendous disruption in the health care industry , physician leadership is more important than ever . Physician leadership , in all parts of the health care system , is critical in this tremendous time of system change and strain . Physicians care for patients – full stop . We see excellent patient care as our north star and operate on an ethical foundation that holds patient trust and the patient-physician relationship as paramount . Not all other players in health care have the same motivation or moral compass .
Physician leadership is critical in this time of change because we bring a perspective and viewpoint to leading health care organizations that truly focuses on the well-being of our patients . We have front-line patient care experience , and as such , understand the complexities of the health care system and the needs of patients as individuals , and recognize the effects that policy or practice changes have on actual real-life patients . We operate from a foundation of science and rely on data and evidence to make well-informed decisions . For those reasons , amongst a host of others , evidence shows that physician-run hospitals have better patient outcomes . 2 We need more doctors in leadership roles throughout health care .
Physician leadership is good for health care organizations and good for patient care . I would also argue that physician leadership is good for the profession and for our peers . Effective physician leaders have more agency , more professional satisfaction and less burnout , as do their teammates . 3 At a time when burnout in health care is at a fever pitch , this concept could not be more important . Physician leadership is also a part of the answer to scope of practice creep . Physicians should be leaders of the health care team , but if we do not develop our leadership skills and take up the mantle of leadership willingly , leadership vacuums will gladly be filled by non-physician providers .
How can physicians develop leadership skills ?
Leadership skills are developed and honed over a career , and it is never too late to start or continue that journey . No matter your role in clinical or administrative roles , the lessons of leadership focused on understanding people help you be a more effective physician to your staff and your patients . In fact , leadership focused on managing , motivating and influencing people are arguably the most difficult but valuable skills to master . These skills include emotional intelligence , relationship building , conflict management , change management , persuasion and communication .
There are everyday ways in which you can develop these skills at your current place of work . It just requires you be intentional , thoughtful and strategic about it . Having help from a mentor , executive coach or peer can be invaluable for honest feedback and guidance . There are certainly other formal ways , some of which involve significant investments of time and effort . These include formal training programs , such as executive MBAs or other academic credentials . Involvement in organized medicine and medical staffs is a natural way to engage with colleagues , develop a community of peers and also find opportunities for practical and hands-on leadership development .
Fortunately , as the value and importance of physician leadership is increasingly recognized , more formalized curricula are being formed that don ’ t require you take time out of your busy practices and lives , and have relatively low opportunity cost , to invest in your own leadership potential and the value that brings to your organizations , practices , colleagues and patients . Physician leadership programs are being formed by professional associations and medical societies . The American College for Physician Leadership ( www . physicianleaders . org ) has excellent education and a certification program . My own specialty of radiology has a Radiology Leadership Institute ( www . acr . org / Practice-Management-Quality-Informatics / Radiology-Leadership-Institute ), and many other specialty societies have ones also , so check with yours . And finally , for us Kentuckians , our very own Kentucky Medical Association has an exceptional leadership program called the Kentucky Physicians Leadership Institute ( www . kyfmc . org / leadership /), that I strongly recommend for your consideration .
Formal programs are great and build an important foundation of pedagogy , however , it is important to remember that , just as in clinical practice , you need to practice and develop those skills on real-life people , in real-life situations , and in different settings and varied presentations , over many years of growth and development , to truly become an attending leader .
References
Nayar V . Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders . Harvard Business Review . 2 Aug 2013 .
2
Stoller JK , Goodall A , Baker A . Why The Best Hospitals Are Managed by Doctors . Harvard Business Review . 27 Dec 2016 .
3
More physician satisfaction , less burnout : Why leadership qualities matter . American Medical Association . https :// www . ama-assn . org / practice-management / physician-health / more-physician-satisfaction-less-burnout-why-leadership
Dr . Ding is Associate Vice President for Physician Strategy and Medical Affairs at Humana , Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Louisville and is an elected member of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees .
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