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Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

01/06/2009

Chairman's Message 

It seems to me that, given the challenges of the coming year, we need to be focused more than ever on the development of human capital. With this thought in mind, we are introducing a new format for 2009, and we invite your comments! Each month, we will interview a healthcare thought leader on a timely subject aimed to share best practices among the Leaders For Today community.

So, as we enter 2009, Happy New Year, and good luck to all! Read on for successful management tips.

Where Have All the Leaders Gone? 

Often, when a mid- or senior-level position opens up unexpectedly, no one within the organization can fill it adequately, much less excel in the role. To the chagrin of senior leaders, it turns out the person in line for the job is woefully unprepared to assume the responsibilities and lacks the leadership qualities required. That's when the hand-wringing and worry sets in, with everyone from human resources to the CEO asking, "Where are our next leaders?"

Where, indeed? We asked Joan Vitello, currently the COO of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the CNO of Hallmark Health System in Melrose, why new folks coming up the ranks are not ready to assume leadership positions requiring the ability to build teams, effect change, and instill a sense of purpose and mission in others.

Joan, where do you think our leaders have gone?

Joan: Nurses, the majority with associate degrees, are so busy perfecting their clinical skills in school that they have no time to develop leadership competencies. Once they get to the hospital, we don't do such a good job with continuing education. And good succession plans rarely exist. Senior leadership has been good at coaching and role modeling, but not for truly letting junior people develop so that they can one day take their roles. Because so many in senior positions are retiring, we must quickly bring the new nurses along.

What do you suggest hospitals do to improve leadership skills in their organizations?

It's key for nurses to realize they are responsible for their own professional development. With today's economy, much of the burden of paying for training will be on the individual. However, there are ways around spending lots of money on learning key skills. Join professional associations and attend seminars or webinars on effective communication, coaching, and transformational leadership. Take a finance course or two, especially if you want to be in charge of a unit. And don't forget about books - there are some great ones out there.

Such as?

Twenty years later, I still refer to Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Effective People." Two more favorites are "Leadership is an Art," by Max Dupre, and Peter Block's "Stewardship." If money is tight, check these gems out of the library - you won't regret it.

What other ways can organizations help develop rising stars?

Assist individuals according to how they learn. Some need more direction than others. Some do better with classroom style learning, others prefer self paced programs. Allow those working on their skills to apply principles with feedback. A great strategy is to use a coach who can help budding leaders use new skills in real time situations.

Of course when there is a gap in leadership, bringing in an experienced interim can be invaluable. An example of this is when Heywood Hospital wanted to institute a more humanistic approach. As their interim CNO, I conducted an organization assessment and saw that people were craving meaningful work, so we developed a program based on the work of the Schwartz Center at Mass General. I've had the honor of instituting that program in three different hospitals in Massachusetts and they are still in place today.

Any last words of advice for organizations interested in cultivating new leaders?

Yes, be sure of your guiding principles - norms of behavior based on values. Be clear about your organization's values, mission and vision, and you'll be on the right track. The next generation of leaders is actually right in front of us.

Joan Vitello
An internationally renowned healthcare leader, consultant, author, speaker, educator, and researcher, Joan is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the Chief Nursing Officer of Hallmark Health System in Melrose, Massachusetts. She is the Past President of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Joan is also certified as an advanced nursing administrator, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the American Heart Association.

Joan received her PhD in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate Institute, where her dissertation research explored the leadership practices and emotional intelligence of nursing leaders. She has very recently been named a "Living Legend" by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses with the celebration slated for April of 2009. 

Management Quote

"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Conduct of Life

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