By Thomas Davis, CRNA
For centuries, leaders in both the Military and civilian world have attempted to identify and define the perfect leadership style. As far back as 500BC Lao-Tzu wrote in the Tao Te Ching, “The highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware….when the task is accomplished and things have been completed, all the people say we ourselves have achieved it.” On a grassroots level, people are empowered, engaged and have the self-satisfaction of a job well done.
Leaders in both business and healthcare are modifying their management style to encourage employee engagement. As noted by Edward Hess in the Washington Post, “leaders of the most successful companies do not have a top down style of management”. Collaborative management to encourage employee engagement is the key to success regardless of the type of business to include healthcare. In reviewing leadership literature a common thread is advocating leadership through shared responsibility. Collaborative Leadership is a sharing of power which recognizes the contributions of each individual and helps them develop and perform at their highest level.
Over the past 3 decades, I have observed many styles of leadership described with many different names. Without exception, the most efficient organizations with the highest employee engagement and morale were those in which the leaders followed the principles of Serving Leadership and shared governance. Use the principles below to establish yourself as an effective manager of an engaged workgroup.
There are no unimportant jobs or people in an organization that embraces shared governance. As a manager, develop a one on one relationship with each individual. When people are respected and their views heard, they become empowered and will seek excellence. Both managers and front line workers recognize that mistakes will be made. By treating a mistake as a learning opportunity, lessons will be learned, and the organization will become stronger because each individual is allowed to take risk. The key to success is to keep the team focused on the common goal. One of the powerful actions described by Covey is “Begin with the end in mind” where the mission and vision of the organization are known and shared by all. High functioning workgroups are founded in trust, collaboration and holding one another accountable. By affirming the common goal and using mistakes as teaching moments, effective leadership can pave the way to success.
Work is accomplished through relationships and trust is the glue that holds relationships together. Trust begins with you. Begin your journey toward becoming an effective manager by looking within. What is your capacity to trust? What would happen if you approached every interaction from a baseline of trusting that you and the other person share common goals and seek common outcomes? Because you may disagree on a step in the process does not mean that your greater goals are different. In the book Trust and Betrayal in the workplace, the Reina and Reina suggest the following for developing trust in relationships:
- Share information
- Tell the truth
- Admit mistakes
- Keep confidentiality
- Give and receive feedback
- Speak with good purpose
- Take issues/concerns directly to the person involved
Effective communication is essential in healthcare for patient safety, efficient workflow and employee morale. Empowering Leadership upends the traditional top down leadership pyramid and makes each team member an equal participant in patient outcome. The best decisions are made when opinions are solicited from a broad base of individuals who have a common interest in a positive outcome. As a trained professional and leader, your insight and opinions are needed when decisions are being made however not all opinions are openly welcomed and received. Grenny suggests the following when confronted with a difficult conversation:
- Share your facts. Let the other person know what is behind your opinion.
- Tell your story. Explain how you see things and why they are seen as they are.
- Ask the other’s path. Openly solicit the other person explain why they see things as they do and listen to learn. Do not argue or confront as the other person explains their position.
- Talk tentatively. Ask “what if” or “what would it look like” questions to suggest your remedy and then listen as the other person responds.
- Encourage testing. Come to a mutual agreement on a next step with the agreement that it will be reviewed and can be tweaked.
- Being an effective manager does not require an MBA or that you were born into a family of corporate executives. Put the micromanaging aside and trust in the abilities of your team. By developing relationships, building on strengths, and communicating effectively, you too can be “the highest type of ruler” where your team achieves amazing results without your heavy hand.
Build on individual strengths to raise the collective performance of the group. Each member of your team brings different strengths to the workplace. The person with the most creative ideas is not always skilled at putting the plan into action. Teaming with others who can organize and execute the plan enables the creative genius of each individual to come to life. No individual can effectively do it all.
- Hess, Edward, April 28,2013. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/servant-leadership-a-path-to-high-performance/2013/04/26/435e58b2-a7b8-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html
- Dennis Reina and Michelle Reina, Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace.
- https://hms.harvard.edu/news/safer-patient-handoffs
- Grenny, Patterson and McMillan, Crucial conversations: tools for talking when stakes are high
Thomas Davis is an experienced leader, author, speaker and teambuilding coach.