As practice shows, leadership in healthcare management is perceived as human behavior aimed at changing a group’s activities in order to achieve a common goal. Moreover, leadership is most closely associated with several management styles that allow one to “involve the right people, at the right place and at the right time” (Dunn, 2021, p. 727). Consequently, their knowledge and understanding are the way to effective medical practice in terms of implementing a positive climate in an organization and better work outcomes for teams and patients. This paper analyzes, synthesizes, and generalizes relevant information regarding three leadership styles and transformational leadership as preferred by the student that permits achieving the highest results and outstanding achievements in healthcare management.
The authoritarian leadership style is characterized by the absolutization of power and implies a complete denial of collegiality in decision-making. By being authoritative, a leader can generate and maintain energy and clarity, keeping people focused on the work at hand in a team by creating a vision and providing context (Dunn, 2021, p. 730). Managers of this style are guided primarily by discipline and strict control over the activities of subordinates, which is based mainly on power and authority. They communicate with workers only within the framework of tasks, without asking for the opinion of employees; their solution is not subject to discussion.
Participative leadership is based on listening to workers and involving them in decision-making. Research demonstrates the positive impact of this leadership style within the framework of employee nurturing and stimulating helping behaviors (Usman et al., 2021, p. 8). Team members have the right to contribute to an organization’s development. In other words, it is perceived as democratic administration since each employee’s ideas are encouraged. When employees are allowed to participate, leadership becomes easy because it helps create space for new thoughts.
Transformational leadership is a style in which managers and followers raise each other to high moral principles and motivation levels. Accordingly, a transformational leader can be identified by the influence exerted on followers; such administrators arouse supporters’ trust, respect, and admiration. For the most part, a transformational leader has a clear vision of a picture of a situation to make objective decisions. This style has an exceptionally positive impact on groups since a team under the supervision of such a leader begins to show higher performance and satisfaction results.
In practice, I often prefer to appeal to the transformational leadership style. In my opinion, compared to others, this style has a wide range of advantages that permit one to promote inclusivity, as well as inspire and motivate employees to achieve not only organizational but also individual goals. Transformational leadership in healthcare management is a productive process resulting from solving tasks and transforming an institution. I can allocate roles, structure responsibilities, rewards, and punishes as a leader. I try to interest subordinates in development, give them an understanding of the organization’s problems and involve them in the processes of solving critical issues.
In conclusion, it is necessary to state that each previously designated leadership style, such as authoritarian, participative, and transformational, is essential and significant in healthcare. Each plays a unique and critical role in a team’s direction, depending on specific conditions and circumstances. The authoritarian leadership style is characterized by individual decision-making and control of each stage of a team’s work. The participatory leadership style involves using social aspects for the participation of all employees in an organization’s management. The transformational leadership style is based on an individual approach, intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, and inspiring motivation. Managers have the right to use different leadership styles for better communication and interaction with personnel and staff motivation. In my opinion, the transformational style is the best based on my abilities and the structure of the organization.
References
Dunn, R.T. (2021). Dunn and Haimann’s Healthcare Management (11th ed.). Health Administration Press.
Usman, M., Ghani, U., Cheng, J., Farid, T., & Iqbal, S. (2021). Does participative leadership matter in employees’ outcomes during COVID-19? Role of leader behavioral integrity. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-11. Web.