What are leadership skills in healthcare?

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published November 30, 2021

Leaders in the health care industry play an important role in ensuring that the members of their health care team deliver high-quality medical care to their patients. Whether you're in an administrator role, management position or are a senior practitioner, using your leadership skills can improve your workplace and lead to better patient outcomes. Learning about leadership in health care can help you identify the habits and qualities of effective leaders so you can apply them at work. In this article, we discuss what health care leadership is and list 12 characteristics of effective leadership in health care.

What is health care leadership?

Health care leadership is when a member of a health care organization relies on their professional skills and qualities to direct their team to achieve an outcome. Leadership in health care can come from any team member, meaning anyone can demonstrate leadership regardless of whether they're in a supervisory position. In health care, leadership is important for ensuring all members of the medical team understand their roles and work together to reach their goals. Leaders use skills like analytical thinking to assess complex situations and develop effective strategies for resolving them.

Related: What Is Health Care Management?

12 characteristics of effective leadership in health care

Here are some traits and habits of effective leaders in health care:

1. Take mentorship roles

Leaders often take an interest in guiding and supporting others, especially those who are new to the industry or their workplace. As mentors, leaders work directly with junior members of their team to support them in gaining the skills needed to excel in their roles. Being a mentor allows you to work with individuals by role modeling expected behaviors, answering questions and providing encouragement as they transition into their jobs. Good mentorship requires you to work with your mentee to understand their needs, assess their strengths and weaknesses and practice effective communication skills so you can assist with their development.

2. Seek opportunities for professional development

One important habit of leaders in health care is their commitment to finding opportunities for growth. Leaders who seek professional development opportunities demonstrate their initiative and dedication to their careers. Professional development opportunities can include training events, conferences or continuing education. Other health care experts may look to join professional organizations to access more development opportunities. By dedicating yourself to your development, you show your commitment to professional excellence and can gain new skills that benefit your team.

3. Promote opportunities for others

In addition to seeking opportunities for your own development, also look to create learning opportunities for others. If you're in a formal leadership position, you might conduct regular training sessions or implement other development options for those you supervise. For example, having monthly training sessions promotes team growth and ensures everyone participates in professional development. Inviting guest speakers or developing a tuition reimbursement system for employees who continue their education can also encourage development. Making opportunities for others shows your interest in seeing the members of your team grow, gain skills and apply their abilities in the workplace.

Related: 23 Leadership Characteristics To Be a Good Leader

4. Prioritize communication

Good leaders know how to communicate effectively with the members of their team. Communication involves your ability to express your ideas and feelings clearly so that those around you can understand your goals and perspective. It also includes your ability to understand the needs, objectives and attitudes of those around you. Leaders use their communication skills to work effectively with their team members, patients and other professionals within their organizations. For example, if you're a senior physician, your role may include coordinating with your facility's administrative team. Communicating well across departments ensures all members work toward facility goals.

5. Lead by example

Leading by example means embodying the qualities you want your team members to emulate. It involves demonstrating good values and habits like effective time management, ethical practice, integrity and communication. Showing your team members your expectations by actively applying them during your workday can encourage them to adopt good workplace practices. Team members may also appreciate your ability to meet the same expectations you set for them. When you lead by example, it establishes a precedent of positive workplace involvement. It can also help you develop strong working relationships with the members of your team.

6. Maintain a high standard of ethics

Ethical practice is essential in the health care industry. Meeting a high ethical standard ensures that you meet the medical needs of your patients, protecting their health, the reputation of your facility and your professional abilities. In an administrator role, adhering to ethics can involve managing budgets effectively and ensuring that your facility has the staff it needs to support its patients. Administrators stay up to date on the most recent industry laws and regulations so they can ensure their facility complies with all legal expectations. Leaders can earn the respect and trust of their team by following ethical guidelines.

7. Use active listening

Active listening means giving your full attention to a speaker. Using active listening is an important communication skill because it helps you focus on what the other person says while showing them you're engaged in the conversation. Some active listening skills include limiting distractions, using verbal and nonverbal affirmations and summarizing the speaker's words to show comprehension. You can limit distractions by meeting in private with a speaker, silencing your phone or closing your office door. Using cues like nodding, smiling and making eye contact can show the speaker that you're fully engaged when they speak.

Related: 12 Health Care Leadership Jobs (With Duties and Salaries)

8. Demonstrate self-confidence

It's important for leaders to show self-confidence in their work. Leaders who understand their strengths and know how to apply them may feel more confident in their decision-making. When leaders believe in their abilities and commit to using their skills to achieve goals in the workplace, it may inspire the members of their teams to follow their example. Confidence in the workplace means understanding your competencies and your limitations. It allows you to make decisions, such as when developing effective plans or delegating tasks to the right members of your team.

9. Know when to delegate

Effective leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of their team members and can delegate tasks to those best suited for the job. When leaders assign tasks effectively, it allows their team to perform to the best of its abilities. Good delegation means that each member of the team cooperates toward a shared goal. Each person on the team has the chance to use their best skills to contribute to their workplace. Not only does delegation allow leaders to focus on other tasks, but it also shows confidence and trust in your team's performance capabilities, which can make them feel valued.

10. Practice effective problem-solving

Leaders use their skills and abilities to solve problems in the workplace. In health care, leaders make decisions that dictate the types of services their facility offers and they apply their analytical skills to solving health problems for their clients. Leaders use their problem-solving skills to assess challenges, analyze data, develop strategies and implement solutions. Health care administrators solve problems such as how to manage a budget effectively, while practitioners solve problems related to providing care to their patients.

Related: 10 Traits of Highly Effective Leaders (And How To Develop Them)

11. Show compassion for others

The ability to demonstrate empathy and compassion is important in health care leadership. Medical practitioners frequently work with patients experiencing challenging health conditions. These patients may experience anxiety, uncertainty and frustration over their health, so effective medical practitioners can support their emotional needs by showing compassion. Leading with empathy helps health care professionals meet the needs of their patients and team members. Through their compassion, health care leaders develop meaningful relationships with those around them, which supports their facility in accomplishing its goals.

12. Demonstrate self-discipline

Self-discipline is the ability to stay motivated and focused on a task or goal despite challenges. In health care, self-discipline may mean staying on task even when facing distractions, pursuing development and training opportunities in your free time and finding strategies to minimize the impact of burnout. Physicians use their self-discipline to preserve through challenges so that they can continue to serve their patients as effectively as possible. Administrators need self-discipline to manage facility goals and plan strategies for reaching them.