Examining the differences between physician and administrative leaders at Cleveland Clinic and the implications for leadership development programming.

BACKGROUND: The healthcare industry is currently facing unprecedented challenges, and the need for effective leadership has never been higher. One way organisations might address the need for healthcare leadership is through tailored leadership development programmes, which are designed to maximise impact. This research sought to examine potential differences between physician and administrative leaders' unique needs and to use this information to inform the design of future leadership development programmes. METHODS: Survey data from a sample of international leaders who participated in cohort-based leadership development programmes at the Mandel Global Leadership and Learning Institute at Cleveland Clinic were examined to explore potential differences between physician and administrative leaders in order to cultivate future training outcomes. RESULTS: Findings demonstrate that there are significant differences in personality, motivation to lead and leadership self-efficacy between the two populations at Cleveland Clinic. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate how understanding specific traits, motivations and developmental needs of the target audience may guide the development of more effective leadership development programming. Future directions for addressing leadership development in the healthcare industry are also discussed.

Authentic leadership at the Cleveland Clinic: psychological safety in the midst of crisis.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this research was to examine the leadership experiences of senior leaders at the Cleveland Clinic during the recent COVID-19 pandemic crisis. A secondary goal was to examine lessons that could inform other healthcare organisations as they move into subsequent crisis situations. DESIGN: The authors examined publicly available podcast transcripts where interviewees shared their leadership experiences on the Cleveland Clinic Beyond Leadership Podcast. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one publicly available qualitative transcripts were examined inductively and deductively to assess how authentic leadership principles were applied to the experiences noted. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Deductively, the four leadership behaviours of authentic leadership (ie, relational transparency, internalised moral perspectives, balanced processing of information and self-awareness) were noted in the transcripts. Inductively, the participants also identified the importance of developing an organisational culture rooted in psychological safety which allowed individuals from all levels of the organisation to voice their ideas, concerns and thoughts. As part of a psychologically safe culture, it was also important to understand the influence of hierarchy in healthcare, ways to encourage employee voice and the uniqueness of leadership during crisis. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: We first offer insights about the importance of psychological safety, particularly during a crisis. Second, we offer a number of ways that other healthcare organisations might strive to build on their own approach to authentic leadership and develop an organisational culture built on psychological safety.