Adaptive leadership in medicine

The March/April 2010 issue (Vol 36 Issue 2) of the Physician Executive (the Journal of Medical Management published by the American College of Physician Executives) has a nice article titled, "Medicine Needs Adaptive Leadership." The author, Jean-Marc C. Haeusler, MD, MBA, writes about the different forms of leadership that are often seen in the health care setting.

How often do you think about leadership? Are you effective in solving complex problems and mobilizing people to address difficult issues?

Physicians are technical experts, but we are not trained very well in mobilizing and motivating people to change their ways. Perhaps this is why physicians often struggle to convince their patients to comply with medication therapy. Maybe this is why doctors struggle to convince patients to receive certain vaccinations. After all, we're good at learning facts and communicating them, but are we persuasive speakers? Do we know how to effectively foster social learning and systemic improvement within our organizations? Or, are we so independent that our only leadership is to exercise authority to enact technical change?

Do you want to invest in your career and learn how to improve your leadership skills? I'd encourage you to consider joining the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) and attending one of their meetings. The Fall Institute is coming up in October.