Personal Leadership Analysis Essay

Personal Leadership Analysis Essay

 

Personal Leadership Analysis

In the past and in recent times, leadership has been required in various instances, places and organizations. The implication is that individuals have to step up any times of need and when called upon to offer leadership using the desired leadership qualities. One of the sectors that need good leadership is the healthcare sector. Indeed, for the healthcare sector to achieve one of the aims of delivering high-quality healthcare, resources have to be effectively and efficiently used; this can only be achieved through good leadership (Belrhiti et al., 2018). In the past weeks, an assessment was performed on our organization, and various gaps were identified. The gaps can appropriately be addressed by a careful evaluation of leadership competencies and finding out the best way to address them. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore critical leadership competencies for health care organizations, perform a personal leadership gap analysis and develop an individual leadership plan.

Critical Leadership Competencies for Health Care Organizations

Health care organizations, like many other sectors, require various leadership competencies to succeed. Critical leadership competencies, in particular, are obtained from the Health leadership alliance competency directory. The critical leadership competencies are classified into five categories. The categories include business, health and healthcare environment, professional and social responsibility, communication and relationship management, and leadership (“International hospital Federation,” 2015). Leadership competency entails the process of inspiring individuals and organizations to excellence. Such a feat is achieved by creating a shared vision coupled with successful change management to achieve the required strategic goals and enhance successful performance.

The communication and relationship management competency refer to the ability to communicate concisely and clearly with every customer to formulate and sustain a relationship and trigger a constructive interaction with groups and individuals (“International hospital Federation,” 2015). The other competency, as already highlighted, is professional and social responsibility which refers to the alignment of organizational and personal conduct with the set professional and ethical standards. Some of these standards include committing to continuous improvement and learning, service orientation, and a sense of responsibility to the community and the patients. The health and healthcare environment competency refers to attaining an understanding of the environment and the healthcare system in with all the providers and healthcare managers operate. The final competency is business which entails an organization’s or a leader’s capability of applying business principles and systems thinking to the operations in the healthcare sector.

The importance of the Critical Competencies to Organizational Success

The critical leadership competencies discussed in the previous section are all critical to organizational success. Leadership competency plays various roles to ensure that organizations proceed. For example, through leadership, various problems can be analyzed to encourage decision-making and promote solutions (“International hospital Federation,” 2015). This ensures that organizations can solve problems that are likely to deter success hence promoting success. Leadership also helps in driving innovation and effective change processes hence promoting success. Communication and relationship management competency also help in organizational success. For example, through communication skills and engagement, various business communications such as project communication plans, business reports, presentations, and meeting agendas can be adequately prepared and delivered (“International hospital Federation,” 2015). All these communications are key in organizations towards planning necessary operations to spur the organization to success.

Professional and social responsibility also leads to organizational success. For example, through the contribution to the profession, the organization can engage in activities to advance the healthcare management profession through sharing experience and knowledge. In addition, others are developed through role modeling, coaching, advising, and mentoring (“International hospital Federation,” 2015). Therefore high potential talents are nurtured and mentored within the organization, hence leading to present and future success. Through the health and healthcare environment knowledge, organizations can focus on patient-centered health. Therefore, they can sufficiently recognize and promote the delivery of care from the patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives. In addition, organizations and their leaders can integrate the patients’ and their family’s perspectives in making decisions regarding their health and care while respecting expectations and cultural differences. Such steps spur organizational growth and success.

Business competency also helps in organizational success, especially in human resources and management. Definition of staffing roles and responsibilities leads to effective and sufficient hiring of staff (“International hospital Federation,” 2015). When enough and competent staff are hired, issues such as staff burnout and staff turnover are likely to be adequately addressed hence helping the organization to succeed. In addition, through this competency, organizations can effectively engage in relevant productivity measures, mentoring and coaching, motivation, education and training, selection and retention, incentives, performance appraisals, and scheduling. All these combine together to promote organizational success.

The Personal Leadership Gap Analysis

Leadership gap analysis is an essential activity and strategy that can be key in helping a leader to compare what industry wants in terms of leadership and what an individual possesses (Abbasi et al., 2018). The implication is that such an analysis can reveal the matches and mismatches, thereby helping an individual to make necessary adjustments and make plans to acquire the desirable skills needed to remain relevant in the phase of a changing sector. Therefore, this section presents a personal gap leadership analysis. From the personal leadership competencies evaluation, I note that some of my personal leadership competencies compare well with the critical success leadership competencies needed within the healthcare industry.

I am competent in collaboration, communication skills, team leadership, innovative thinking, and information seeking. From the star evaluation, all these competencies or skills had scores between four and five in outcome rating and between six to nine on the novice-expert scale. The top five critical success leadership competencies identified include business, health and healthcare environment, professional and social responsibility, communication and relationship management, and leadership. One of my personal competencies, collaboration, falls under the leadership competency. For organizational success, a leader has to collaborate with other leaders and staff so that they can bring on board useful thoughts and inputs that can be key for the organization.

Communication skills also align with the communication and relationship management competency, especially the aspect of demonstration of strong communication and listening skills. Communication and listening skills are key in rallying the staff together to pull in the same direction and ensure that they meet the organization’s obligations and the set goals (Barr & Dowding, 2019). The other personal leadership competency is team leadership. This competency also compares with leadership as a critical success leadership competency. This competency indicates that an individual needs to promote a top-notch level of commitment from staff by formulating and communicating relevant organizational goals and vision. Through personal leadership, I am capable of leading by example and showing other employees and staff the importance of aligning our actions with the organizational goals and objectives to spur organizational success.

The other personal competency is innovative thinking. Innovative thinking is comparable to driving innovation under leadership competency. I am have always liked thinking about innovations that can be key in improving the healthcare sector, for example, what kind of innovations can help arrest the ever-rising healthcare costs while still offering high-quality healthcare services to patients. Driving innovation requires that a healthcare organization supports improvement, creativity, and innovation through encouraging diversity of thought (Barr & Dowding, 2019). The next personal leadership competency is information seeking. I have in the past and present been an advocate for seeking sufficient information on various issues to get more insight and develop a deeper understanding of the same. This competency is also comparable with one of the critical success leadership competencies; the business competency. Information seeking is particularly comparable to the general management aspect of business competency. As part of the business competency, a successful leader or organization seeks information from a range of sources that support organizational performance.

Previously, the organizational assessment was carried out, which revealed that my organization requires various competencies and skills to bridge the identified gaps. It is also key to compare these needed skills and competencies with the skill I already possess, as revealed from the STAR analysis. From the earlier assessment and analysis, it was noted that the organization has heavily invested in new equipment, but the investment is not commensurate with the effective utilization. This gap was identified under the organization’s business operation. Another gap was identified under finance. It was noted that the budget at the organization has been high in recent times because of the expensive technological equipment purchased.

The analysis also revealed a gap in the matters dealing with customers as it was noted that there is reduced patient satisfaction and retention, which could be an indicator with some performances or processes directly related to patient services within the organization. The next gap was identified in organizational learning and growth. The assessment and analysis revealed that there is an increased employee turnover, indicating that there are reduced levels of satisfaction hence the urge to look for better working conditions.

The problem identified with the business operations of the cost of the new equipment not being commensurate with needed effective utilization needs to be solved through the business competencies. For example, planning, organizing, executing and monitoring the organization’s resources for the purposes of optimal health outcomes, cost controls, and effective quality (Barr & Dowding, 2019). Such a competency of financial management will ensure that only equipment of reasonable costs is purchased and their use maximized to avoid wastage and underutilization. The skills I already have, as revealed from the STAR assessment, are not sufficient in solving this problem. My skills include collaboration, communication skills, team leadership, innovative thinking, and information seeking. One of the skills which would have helped is financial skills; however, from the analysis, my rating on financial skills was two while the score on the novice to expert scale was three, revealing that I am still a novice in terms of financial management, hence, this is an opportunity to grow. The gap identified in finance can also be sorted in the same way.

Solving the problem of low patient satisfaction and retention can be solved through the industry competency of the health and healthcare environment, especially using the part of patient-centered care. Such a kind of care entails integrating community, families, and individual perspectives in making health care decisions and factoring in the individual and cultural expectations and differences (Barr & Dowding, 2019). It is important to note that one of the skills I already have matched this organizational need. Through the use of the possessed communication skills, I can effectively communicate with and listen to patients to understand their needs and complaints. This can help increase the levels of satisfaction and trust that the patients have with the organization.

The other organizational need arises from the increased rates of staff turnover, which has hurt the organization’s operations and finances. Therefore, this situation needs human resource management competency under business. The organization needs effective management of departmental human resource processes such as staff selection and retention. Using appropriate means, the organization can select the most suitable staff and work on retaining them by using various means such as motivation, offering a conducive working environment, and dealing with staff burnout (Barr & Dowding, 2019). One of the skills that I already possess, as revealed from the STAR analysis, is team leadership. Through team leadership, I can apply various leadership principles to guide and motivate my team members to continue offering their services at the highest possible level.

Discrepancies between the Industry Needs and Organizational Needs

As earlier highlighted, there are various healthcare industry needs as obtained from the resources and organizational needs as obtained from the organizational assessment. A keen analysis revealed that there are various discrepancies. One of the discrepancies was in organizational learning and growth. From the analysis, there was a need to work on the best strategies to retain the staff and reduce staff turnover. Even though a similar industrial need exists in the form of human resources and management, there is no clear intention of addressing staff turnover. However, all other industries and organizational needs are logical and compatible.

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Individual Leadership Plan

The STAR analysis was an eye-opener in terms of evaluating and assessing my strengths and weakness and what I need to do to boost my chances of meeting the industry and organizational needs. The table below shows a detailed individual leadership plan

Area of Weakness	Specific Action Steps	Timeline	Performance indicators and measures
Change leadership	-Attending mentorship program -participating in leadership seminars to help improve master the art of leading change. -Collaborating with other individuals to help me learn better	4 weeks	Various performance indicators and measures include: -Being able to convince individuals to buy into a change effort. -Timeously and correctly identifying a need for change. -A successful leading in the change process in our department.
Financial Skills	-Learning more about financial management skills through reading books and internet search. -make efforts to understand the organization’s financials. -practicing budget-writing and preparation	3 weeks	-Being able to discuss financial management principles.
Human resource management	-Attending relevant training to shape my organizational skills such as time management and records management. -Improving my Analytics skills to help me be able to use the latest technologies for human resource management.	4 weeks	-Being able to operate the latest technological applications for human resource management. -Creation of timelines and sticking with them.

 

How the Plan Aligns with the Industry and Organizational Needs

From the individual leadership development plan, three major areas of weakness that need improvement have been identified. The plan also has detailed specific actions to undertake, a timeline, and performance indicators. The three key areas identified include change leadership, financial skills, and human resource management. The inclusion of change leadership aligns with the industry’s need for leadership. As part of the competencies required to drive the healthcare industry forward, specific leadership skills are key, such as leading change and leadership skills and behavior (Barr & Dowding, 2019). By strengthening the identified weakness, I will be able to fit into the industry’s need of offering necessary leadership skills and behavior and lead various change efforts. This plan also aligns with the organizational needs in that the organization requires better financial management skills and practices to make it more profitable. Therefore, by strengthening my financial management skills, I will be able to fit in the organization’s operations and help move the organizations towards making more financially sound decisions when purchasing equipment.

As part of the individual leadership plan, there is a need to improve human resource management. This plan aligns with both the industry and organizational needs. At the organization, there have been increased cases of high staff turnover, implying that better practices need to be put in place to ensure that the staff has better working conditions. Therefore, by strengthening this skill through the stated specific action, I can comfortably take up a role in staff recruitment and retention. The plan also aligns with the industry needs as effective human resource management is needed as one of the business competencies to drive the sector forward.

Conclusion

Personal leadership analysis is one of the key strategies that can effectively be used in determining an individual’s key strengths and weaknesses in reference to organizational or industry leadership and goals. The implication is that the individual can come up with a plan to strengthen these areas of weakness and align more to the organizational and industry need. The STAR analysis performed identified five areas of strength and three areas of weakness. An analysis of how they align to the organizational and industry needs has also been explored.

References

Abbasi, F. K., Ali, A., & Bibi, N. (2018). Analysis of skill gap for business graduates: managerial perspective from banking industry. Education+ Training. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2017-0120.

Barr, J., & Dowding, L. (2019). Leadership in health care. Sage.

Belrhiti, Z., Giralt, A. N., & Marchal, B. (2018). Complex leadership in healthcare: a scoping review. International journal of health policy and management, 7(12), 1073. https://dx.doi.org/10.15171%2Fijhpm.2018.75.

International hospital Federation. (2015). Leadership competencies for health service managers. https://www.ache.org/-/media/ache/about-ache/leadership_competencies_healthcare_services_managers.pdf

 

Preparation
Before you create and submit your assessment, it is recommended that you complete the following:

Review materials related to the National Center for Health Care Leadership’s Healthcare Leadership Competency Model:
National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). (2017). Health leadership competency model 3.0. https://www.oha.com/Documents/NCHL%20Health%20Leadership%20Competency%20Model.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=October%202%20-%20HR%20Leadership%20Program&utm_content=October%202%20-%20HR%20Leadership%20Program+Preview+CID_8723ddd7c9948150198964a92e7f520a&utm_source=CampaignMonitor
National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). (2010). Health leadership competency model summary. https://jsmitheportfolio.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/nchl-competency_model-summary.pdf
Consider the needs of your health care organization that you identified in Assessment 1. Consider how you add value to the organization by contributing to the achievement of the internal benchmarks within your department and specific to your position of employment.
Conduct a candid self-assessment of your health care leadership competencies, using the Star Format Competency Rating Table [DOC]​. Once you have a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, you will construct an individual leadership development plan to focus upon development of critical success competencies that can help you take your organization into the future.
Search for professional, scholarly journal articles on the leadership skills and competencies needed in health care organizations today and into the future. You will need a minimum of five resources to use as support for your assessment
Instructions
This assessment has three distinct parts.

Part 1: Critical Leadership Competencies for Health Care Organizations.
In Part 1, based on the information from your resources, provide an overview of the leadership competencies required to lead health care organizations into the future.
Part 2: Personal Leadership Gap Analysis.
In Part 2, compare the competencies most needed by your organization (from your work in Assessment 1) to the skills you already possess (using the results from your STAR analysis).
Part 3: Individual Leadership Development Plan (ILDP).
In Part 3, use the information from your resources, your self-assessment, and your work in Assessment 1 to put together a cohesive individual leadership development plan (ILDP).
Read the requirements for each part carefully.

Part 1: Critical Leadership Competencies for Health Care Organizations
Related Scoring Guide Criteria

Summarize relevant critical success leadership competencies required by health care organizations.
Write coherently, concisely, logically, and with strong support from relevant professional resources, in an appropriate format, with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a health care administration professional.
Based on the resources you located, identify the top five leadership competencies needed within health care administration in order to ensure the success of health care organizations today and in the future.

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Explain why each competency is critical to organizational success.

Part 2: Personal Leadership Gap Analysis
Related Scoring Guide Criteria

Compare personal leadership competencies to the critical success leadership competencies needed within the health care industry.
Write coherently, concisely, logically, and with strong support from relevant professional resources, in an appropriate format, with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a health care administration professional.
Following completion of the STAR assessment (using the Star Format Competency Rating Table [DOC]), consider your strengths versus those areas which require additional development. Provide a gap analysis that compares industry needs (as identified in Part 1), the needs of your organization (from your organization’s strategic direction), and the results of your STAR assessment. You may wish to use the Personal Leadership Gap Analysis Template [DOC]​ to help organize your analysis narrative.

In a brief narrative, explain any discrepancies between industry needs and organizational needs. Explain how your areas of strength can offer you additional opportunities for career advancement. You may include your Gap Analysis Template as an appendix to help support you narrative, but are not required to do so.

Part 3: Individual Leadership Development Plan (ILDP)
Related Scoring Guide Criteria

Construct an individual leadership development plan that contains specific action steps, a timeline, and performance indicators and measures.
Explain how an individual leadership development plan aligns with industry and organizational needs.
Write coherently, concisely, logically, and with strong support from relevant professional resources, in an appropriate format, with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a health care administration professional.
When constructing your individual leadership development plan (ILDP) make sure you are identifying at least three specific areas of weakness you need to focus on in order to meet industry and organizational needs.

For your explanation regarding the alignment of your ILDP to industry and organizational needs address the following:

Explain the action steps you need to take to increase your competency in those areas. Be sure your action steps are specific, include a timeline, and align with the overall goal of meeting industry and organizational needs.
Create specific performance indicators and measures for each action step to clearly illustrate how you will know that you are making progress on your plan.
If it helps you organize your thoughts, you may use a table format for your ILDP, such as the Individual Leadership Development Plan Template​ [DOC]. Just be sure to provide enough detail in each section, relative to the expectations laid out in the scoring guide. You are not required to use a table format; if you prefer, you may simply write this section as a narrative.