We have a longstanding tradition in health care of promoting individuals who have good clinical or job skills into management positions and hope that they can learn “on the job” the necessary management and leadership skills to be successful. Not a great practice but a reality in many health care delivery organizations. When we do invest in leadership and management development, the focus is usually on the “how” or the training/development process rather than on the more critical question “What skills and knowledge does a manager or team leader need to develop in order to be successful?” This talk will focus on four competencies and the underlying skills that core leaders (department managers, functional leaders, team leaders, clinical leaders, managers) need to develop. Dr. Paul Batalden once said that everyone has two jobs: do the work and improve the work. Building on that idea, managers and leaders need to develop tactical management skills and competencies to manage and improve their departments/functional areas and specific leadership skills that support team development and shape team culture.

This session is intended for anyone aspiring to be a manager or leader in health care as well as current managers, functional leaders, team leaders, clinical leaders, and senior executives in hospitals and health care delivery organizations. The aim of this session is to thank viewers for their tireless work through the pandemic and as we begin to emerge from the pandemic and look to the future, help viewers think about the specific leadership and management skills that managers and leaders need to develop in order to increase their effectiveness.