Change is a constant in business particularly in healthcare where clinical, technology and regulatory developments challenge leaders and managers.
Change requires tactical adjustments in leadership – something healthcare leaders do better than most any other industry. They are adept adapters.
The implementation of DRGs, replacing cost-based reimbursement, the passage of the Balanced Budget Act in the late 90s and now the Affordable Care Act all required, or will require, tactical adjustments in how leaders lead.
Transformation, the kind associated with significant and ongoing deficit reduction and the shift to population health management, both of which will dramatically drive a major rethink in the healthcare business model, will require a new leadership paradigm. The leadership philosophy and approach that worked in the management of change will not work in the transformation of healthcare.
Transformational executives robustly embrace the importance of their human capital and the critical strategic importance of their human resource leaders. They support employee empowerment and they encourage creativity and innovation. Transformational executives are willing to redefine how they see leadership, moving outside the narrow confines of command-and-control of their brick-mortar, technology and workers and embrace the idea that in population health management, you will also have to lead your customers.
There are probably more than a few executives who will argue that these are false choices.
What do you think?