Leaders play a vital role in business and the qualities they possess can make or break a team. A good leader can inspire others and create positive change.
In the healthcare industry, being a leader requires a unique set of skills far beyond the mastery of your medical practice. Foundationally, healthcare leaders need to combine business competencies and clinical skills. Effective healthcare leaders, however, take their growth one step further.
Read on to see the skills that will help you stand out, make a difference, and propel your team to its fullest ability in 2021.
Practice Emotional Intelligence
One of the most important skills for healthcare leaders is emotional intelligence. Empathy is the foundation of what we as medical practitioners do! In fact, many healthcare leaders seek or are recommended to find an executive leadership coach for precisely this reason.
As we know, 2020 brought its own set of challenges to medical professionals. Facial coverings, shields, and protective gear can make it difficult to connect to another person and remove many of the crucial nonverbal cues we give one another. Leaders practicing emotional intelligence are intentional with their nonverbal cues and have learned to express in different ways to overcome these new barriers, which has an important effect on both team members and patients.
Push through this challenge in 2021 by practicing empathy with active listening. When you speak to a coworker, fully tune in to the conversation, be present, and address their concerns with care. Note their tone and gestures and encourage open dialogue.
Communicate Effectively
Verbal communication skills are taking the front seat in 2021. Now, more than ever, connecting with people through conversation is important. One way that you can create comfortability within your team is by being authentic. Taking the time to share your concerns, personal worries, and everyday thoughts can show team members that you are there with them, being challenged by similar obstacles.
Another way you can create ease and transparency in the workplace is by openly addressing fears. By naming and labeling fears, you let team members know that you are aware. This tactic is especially critical as we are going through a pandemic. Addressing your team members’ fears with empathy could prevent anger and conflict in the future.
Take Care of Yourself
While taking care of yourself may seem selfish or counterproductive, it is an important concept. To fully connect with others, we need to know and address our thoughts, tendencies, and reactions. Put this into practice by taking a moment to reflect at the beginning and end of each day.
Taking care of yourself also means staying healthy. You cannot fully care for others if you are feeling exhausted or overwhelmed. Take some time to think about your favorite activity. What brings you joy outside of work? Practice implementing this into your daily routine to reduce stress and increase productivity.
By practicing emotional intelligence, clear communication, and self-reflection, you can become a more successful leader in 2021.
About Dr. Wilkerson, PD, MBA, PCC.
Do you want to increase your impact? Do you want to increase profits under your leadership? Do you want to develop and use your abilities to the fullest to better connect with and lead others? Executive Leadership Coaching covers these bases. Dr. Jerrund Wilkerson, PD, MBA, PCC, has more than 30 years of successful executive leadership coaching in the United States and internationally.
As a licensed pharmacist, he is particularly passionate about helping develop effective leaders in the healthcare community. Dr. Wilkerson has coached and trained thousands of managers and leaders. He is a certified coach and member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team.
CLICK HERE to learn more.