It has been said that strong leadership is required to steer a healthcare organization through difficult times. However, what does strong leadership entail? What are the necessary skills and traits of a leader who can successfully manage a healthcare organization during challenging times? And how can coaching help to develop these skills and traits in leaders?

This article will consider leadership coaching in healthcare and its importance after thinking about all that is required of a leader in such a demanding environment as that of a healthcare setting.

Strong Leadership Traits

Strong healthcare leadership requires several different skills and traits. First and foremost, a strong leader must be able to make tough decisions. They must be able to weigh up the pros and cons of each decision and make the best choice for the organization as a whole.

It is the leader that takes overall responsibility for what is decided. They need to have sound judgment and have gained the confidence and trust of their colleagues in respect of always doing the right thing. There will be difficult decisions to be made and they will need to be faced daily in such a role. Sometimes there are no right and wrong answers and decisions always have to take into account the amount of budget available.

Effective Communication

Leaders also need to be good communicators. They need to be able to clearly articulate their vision for the organization and rally others to support that vision.

Giving presentations is something that a leader will have to become good at if they have not learned public speaking already. This can be to a room full of staff or a small group around a boardroom table of fellow executives or healthcare leaders from different sections of care and responsibility. It is necessary to be able to communicate with all levels of an organization, from the bottom up.

Furthermore, strong leaders in healthcare must be able to build consensus and promote collaboration among different stakeholders.

Coping With Change

And finally, healthcare leaders must be able to effectively manage change. Things are constantly evolving in healthcare due to new technologies, treatments, and drugs. The demand for healthcare forever increases as different diseases are discovered and effective treatment plans are developed.

Change is a constant in healthcare and strong leaders need to be able to navigate it effectively. They need to be able to anticipate change and plan for it accordingly. It should become second nature to deal with anything that occurs and in the best way possible with the resources to hand.

Another point about change is that as a leader you not only have to cope well with it yourself but also encourage others to warm to it too. You have to champion the idea your organization is requiring you to and in a sense sell it to them. It can often be a leader’s job to implement change and to make it happen smoothly.

Coaching Can Help

All of these skills and traits can be developed through coaching. A good coach will help leaders to identify their strengths and weaknesses and work with them to develop an improvement plan. Leaders who have undergone coaching often report increased confidence, improved communication skills, and better decision-making ability.

With coaching, you are learning from experience that it would take you some time to acquire. The process of learning can be accelerated through this process, which can only benefit the healthcare organization that you work for, its employees, and the patients being cared for by it at different times.

If you are a healthcare leader who is looking to improve your skills and traits, consider working with a coach. A coach can help you to identify your areas requiring improvement and work with you to develop a plan for success.