New Leadership Traits for AMC Executives
Academic medical centers (AMCs) have long been at the forefront of healthcare innovation, research discovery, and workforce education, playing a pivotal role in the U.S....
Academic medical centers (AMCs) have long been at the forefront of healthcare innovation, research discovery, and workforce education, playing a pivotal role in the U.S. healthcare system. Maintaining that prominence while fulfilling the tripartite mission – delivering care, advancing research, and educating future providers – amidst the pressures to reduce costs and improve quality is an ever-evolving challenge. Today’s healthcare landscape is shaped by system mergers, complex payor relationships, workforce shortages, and shrinking margins. Additionally, AMCs face threats to their research and educational missions, given similar constrained financial and workforce resources but increasing demands for significant contributions to healthcare delivery. Leaders of these institutions – whether system CEOs or Deans – are tested daily by these external pressures, alongside the internal complexities of managing matrixed organizations with often competing strategic priorities.
For these leaders, a traditional set of skills remains essential:
- Visionary and Strategic Thinking: Great leaders must see the big picture, anticipate long-term challenges, and understand the downstream implications of their decisions. They must be adept at seeing through the haze of uncertainty and crafting new ways forward.
- Operational Focus: Leaders must realistically execute strategies, ensuring that the organization’s goals are ambitious and attainable and have lasting impact across the system.
- Change Leadership: Leaders must articulate the need for change, inspire buy-in, and guide teams through the operational shifts required to adapt to new strategies. Additionally, they must address resistance and ensure accountability for the changes.
- Understanding the Business of an Academic Medical Center: As executives rise through the ranks, understanding the financial drivers of healthcare systems becomes critical. Leaders must be financially savvy and able to make decisions that balance the needs of varying and often competing constituent groups.
In addition to these traditional competencies, leadership in academic medicine today requires deepening the skill set driven by recent challenges and societal shifts, including technological advances, the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing importance of diversity and inclusion in leadership. What are often called “soft skills” (e.g., the ability to connect, resonate, and communicate with a wide array of colleagues, navigate conflict, or effectively manage one’s own emotions in a highly stressful role) are more critical at the top levels of leadership than ever before.
In a broader context, researcher, economist, and leadership expert Sylvia Ann Hewlett has found that executive leadership expectations have shifted dramatically over the past decade. (See, for example, “The New Rules of Executive Presence”, a summation of ideas from her most recent book.) In her research, Hewlett notes that while confidence and decisiveness remain important traits, modern leaders are also expected to exhibit inclusiveness, respect, and authenticity. Today’s leaders must listen more than they speak, develop and maintain a wide-ranging network of constituents, and prioritize personal integrity over the more traditional markers of leadership, such as forcefulness or desired pedigree.
New Leadership Traits for Today’s AMC Executives
Traditionally, leaders in academic centers were trained to remain neutral and emotionally detached, likely reinforced by William Osler’s famous essay, “Aequanimitas”, that emphasized a “coolness of mind under all circumstances”. But today, leaders need to bring their authentic selves to the table. Sharing personal stories, embracing vulnerability, and showing up as their true selves allows leaders to build stronger, more relatable connections with their teams. Building off Hewlett’s research, we recommend the following traits for today’s AMC executives:
Listening to Understand: Listening is one of the most underutilized yet powerful tools in leadership. Particularly for leaders stepping into new roles, asking the right questions and listening to various perspectives allows for informed decision-making. By actively listening, leaders foster relationships that are crucial for influence and trust, and they avoid missing key issues or concerns that can later snowball into significant problems.
Cultivating Strong Connections: Leaders who also merge active listening with authenticity can build deep and meaningful connections. By thoughtfully listening to others and showing up as caring and genuine, executives can uncover underlying concerns and create a culture of openness. This drives trust, ensures that leaders stay connected to their teams, and prevents blind spots that could negatively impact or worse, derail key organizational initiatives.
Adaptability: In today’s tumultuous healthcare landscape, adaptability is also critical. Leaders must pivot quickly in response to both crises and long-term changes in strategy. Influential leaders remain flexible, demonstrating resilience and foresight in challenging situations, whether reacting to bad news or modifying a strategic plan.
Entrepreneurial Thinking: Today’s AMC leaders must also possess an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to explore new and sometime unique business opportunities that can advance their mission. This includes taking calculated risks, disrupting the status quo, and identifying new partnerships that drive growth and innovation while maintaining the organization’s mission.
Strong Moral Compass: Integrity is the cornerstone of effective leadership. It goes beyond merely keeping promises; it means acting with unwavering ethical values and consistently demonstrating the behavior you expect from others. Trust is earned when people see their leader “walking the talk,” particularly during challenging times. For leaders in academic medical centers, integrity is crucial as they must prioritize the needs of the broader organization over their personal interests. The allure of power and status can test any executive, especially when decisions lack clear-cut answers. A strong moral compass, rooted in integrity, helps leaders stay grounded and focused on the greater good of the health system and those it serves.
Conclusion
Academic medical centers have historically been the birthplace of groundbreaking healthcare innovations. Leading these complex institutions is a noble yet challenging endeavor. In today’s world, successful leadership requires more than just traditional skills – it demands a reexamination of how we approach leadership itself. In addition, as academic medical centers change, the skills for leaders must evolve, too. Expanding the leadership toolkit to include listening, building connections, authenticity, adaptability, and moral integrity will ensure AMC leaders are well-equipped to meet the demands of the future.
Valerie Weber, M.D., is a Principal in WittKieffer’s Academic Medicine Practice. Christy Pearson, Ph.D., is a Senior Consultant in WittKieffer’s Leadership Advisory Solution.
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