Leadership is an integral component in all sectors as it determines whether organizational objectives will be achieved or not. For this reason there is a need to invest in effective leaders with the requisite competencies, attitudes and qualities to increase the likelihood for success. In particular, it is imperative to distinguish if competency equals effectiveness as well as the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership style. Sue Conley, a hospital COO and former CEO provides crucial insights into the healthcare leadership discourse.
Whether a Competent Leader Makes an Effective Leader
Organizations expect leaders to be competent, a quality that is associated with a sense of duty which paves the way to act on their roles accordingly. Competent leaders are in a better position for being effective at what they do since they own an organizational vison and work towards achieving them. Conley (nd) asserts that competent leaders makes things better and she likens them to human solar panels as they pull teams together illuminate the path in addition to being passionate. These characteristics which are associated with competent leaders are pivotal to the achievement of organizational goals in that they influence followers to own corporate vision.
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Competencies That Healthcare Leaders Should Possess
Healthcare leaders must possess various competencies in a bid to facilitate the delivery of high-quality, accessible, timely, safe and affordable services. One of the competencies that they ought to develop is communication so that they are in a position to build and maintain constructive relationships with both internal and external customers. The other competency is emotional intelligence so that they are sensitive to clients’ social and cultural backgrounds to improve care outcomes (Kakeman et al., 2020). Furthermore, healthcare leaders need to possess technological management competency which help them to integrate innovations that are capable of improving care outcomes. In the same way, these leaders should be great decision makers so that they are able to evaluate complex problems as a way of prioritizing tasks and solving issues. Finally, healthcare leaders need to be flexible enough to accept different points of view as long as they would improve delivery of care.
Correlation between Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Style
Emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill, meaning that the ability or inability to manage ones emotions determine if one will be effective or not. Individuals who are capable of managing their emotions so that they do not interfere with the decision-making process are considered as effective leaders. On the other hand, individuals who base their decisions on their emotions as opposed to facts are viewed as ineffective leaders. According to Chepng’eno & Ngui (2017), emotions will always be there and it is for this reason that leaders need to be adaptable enough so that they become outstanding leaders. The extent to which leaders manage their emotions determines the influence they will have on their followers as well as their ability to achieve organizational goals.
Impacts of Emotional Intelligence Components on Leadership
The five components of emotional intelligence provide a roadmap for leaders who are keen on enhancing how their deal with the emotions to increase the likelihood for success. The self-awareness component helps leaders to recognize how their emotions can affect them and others and from here, regulate them to improve outcomes (Issah, 2018). The self-management component allows leaders to manage their emotions, especially during stressful situations to pave the way of developing a positive outlook. Social awareness on the other hand, is about understanding the emotions of other people in the organization as a way of finding a middle ground through showing empathy (Issah, 2018). Relationship management component would help leaders to resolve conflicts effectively which would, in turn, allow for effective coaching, and mentoring of followers. Finally, the motivation component would allow leaders to work towards achieving organizational goals which would be a way of influencing their followers to do the same.
Blockages That Might Prevent Leaders from Obtaining Unfiltered Feedback Leadership Style
Feedback is a critical aspect in the leadership discourse as it captures successes and failures which are in turn are used to improve outcomes. However, it is possible for leaders to obtain unfiltered feedback, especially if followers perceive them to be serving selfish interests. According to Conley (nd), leaders who bully or intimidate others make it hard for followers to provide feedback since they fear repercussions. These kinds of leaders send the message that they are in charge and they are aware of what they are doing, thus paving the way for filtered feedback.
References
Chepng’eno, M., & Ngui, T. (2017). Relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership styles. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 4 (2), 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.22259/ijrhss.0402001
Conley, S. (n.d). Insights from healthcare professionals . Trevecca Nazarene University.
Issah, M. (2018). Change leadership: The role of emotional intelligence. SAGE Open , 8 (3), 34-47. doi:10.1177/2158244018800910
Kakeman, E., Liang, Z., Janati, A., Arab-Zozani, M., Mohaghegh, B., & Gholizadeh, M. (2020). Leadership and management competencies for hospital managers: A systematic review and best-fit framework synthesis. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 12 (4), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S265825
