Frontiers of Health Services Management - Winter 2013 - (Page 33)

Resilient Leadership Resilient leadership is the term used by everly, Strouse, and everly (2010) to describe those leadership qualities that help others withstand crisis and adapt to, or rebound from, adversity. they note that resilient leaders succeed by building and helping others develop self-efficacy-the belief that one can effect change and make a positive difference-and confidence. they also suggest that leaders who are truly resilient excel during the most stressful times. everly, Strouse, and everly (2010) identify six behaviors exhibited by resilient leaders: * acting with integrity * communicating effectively * Harnessing the power of optimism and self-fulfilling prophecy * taking responsibility for your actions * Building a resilient culture * Using stress management as a competitive advantage i had the great fortune to serve in the US armed forces for more than 20 years. i studied and learned from some of the best leaders ever produced, sometimes through direct observation and sometimes by reading and analysis. a few of these individuals are household names; many of them are everyday leaders. My having seen the six resilience behaviors in action virtually every day of my professional life lends support to everly, Strouse, and everly's conclusions. it also helps me to readily identify leaders and organizations that do not exhibit these behaviors-they are the ones that tend to experience significant chaos during even calm, uneventful situations. all of these six behaviors can be learned, which is contrary to the point made by Spake and thompson, who indicate that "management cannot teach resilience and purpose." resilience behaviors are learned through comprehensive and repetitive training. in fact, training is cited by everly, Strouse, and everly (2010) as the second most important factor contributing to executives' immunity to stress. Ke nt R . H e lwig , FAC H E * 33 C o m m e n t a r y for their dedication by being allowed to restore their work-life balance. Balance is also an important part of the recruitment process. to build a resilient organization, we need to recruit individuals who understand balance and practice it. as Wicks and Buck state, healthcare organizations cannot afford the cost of unhealthy practitioners, for the multitude of reasons we are all aware of. another statement that warrants a challenge, made by Spake and thompson, is that the rapid, disruptive change occurring in healthcare is normal. this statement may be true if leaders and staff perceive change as truly rapid and disruptive. Most changes in healthcare, however, are not highly disruptive but instead a natural evolution of our business. they also are not very rapid, as we generally have several years in which to adopt them, especially changes mandated by the government or accreditation standards. When every member of the staff is informed about the changes taking place in the external environment and educated about their potential impact, employees are prepared and adapt naturally to the new normal state. When leaders approach change in a positive way, the staff gain the confidence needed to adapt, reducing their stress in the process. in short, optimism dictates that we all succeed, regardless of the environment.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Frontiers of Health Services Management - Winter 2013

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Winter 2013
Contents
Editorial
Riding the Dragon: Enhanching Resilient Leadership and Sensible Self-Care in the Healthcare Executive
Managing Resilience by Managing Purpose
Building Organizational and personal Resilience
Resilience: A Responsibility That Can't Be Delegated
Personal Resilience: A Gateway to Organizational Health and Progress
Response from Feature Aurthors

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Winter 2013