Leadership in Healthcare: A Novel Approach. Healthcare Executives’ Traits, Styles, and Approaches

Abstract

Leadership is discipline and a set of skills regarding the ability to lead individuals toward achieving goals and in which different styles of directing, guiding, deciding, and motivating a group are recognized. Considering healthcare, a dynamic system, to face the twenty-first-century challenges brought by Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, a novel and effective leadership approach to properly manage the system and guarantee high-quality care should be considered. Hence, a new set of skills is required which includes integrity, active listening, effective communication, technological expertise, teamwork and networking, collaborative and trusted relationships, management and business, creative thinking and shared vision, as well as, confidence and awareness. Moreover, revised educational and training programs are also needed to educate future leaders in responding and adapting to diverse healthcare situations with high efficiency, time management, and flexibility. Nevertheless, innovation has also to face challenges to become successful leaders in the context of digital healthcare.