Healing the Hearts of Healthcare: Leadership

26. The Critical Role of Leaders in Supporting Teams After Tragedy

In this week’s episode, Arleen delves into the profound impact of the tragic shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—an event that sent shockwaves through the healthcare industry. The overwhelming public response, marked by anger, frustration, and mistrust, has spotlighted the deep-seated challenges within our healthcare system and the need for leaders to offer continued support to team members. Arleen calls on healthcare leaders to step up during these turbulent times by supporting their teams in reclaiming their purpose. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on what is within their control: approaching care delivery with intentionality, fostering empathy and compassion, and maintaining steadiness regardless of external chaos. Arleen underscores that a leader’s primary responsibility is to create a safe psychological space where team members can perform at their best. Leadership, she reminds us, is a skill honed through practice. By role modeling compassion, offering kind words, and responding with empathy during challenging moments, leaders set the tone for their teams and demonstrate the power of conscious choice. In this episode, Arleen challenges leaders to reflect on their interactions with their teams and evaluate their leadership approach. As healthcare continues to face immense challenges, it is the actions of leaders that will empower their teams to fulfill their calling: caring for others even during challenging situations. Tune in to explore how you can embrace your leadership role and create the conditions for your team to thrive amidst the complexities in the field of healthcare.

25. Why Promoting Dignity and Respect is Important

In today’s episode, Arleen reminds leaders that every team member has a unique story which may include details you might never know or learn. Regardless of what team members go through, leaders have a duty and responsibility to treat every team member with dignity and respect. Arleen reminds leaders in this week’s podcast of the different ways they fail to show dignity and respect when interacting and communicating with team members. If you are not careful, those interactions may result in team members treating your patients and family members in a way that does not promote dignity and respect.  Arleen invites leaders to look inward, particularly regarding how they interact with team members on a daily basis. If you are going to keep people motivated to stay in the workforce, leaders must evaluate the way they interact with every team member.  You can 100% self-evaluate the way you interact and communicate with team members, especially during those high-stress periods. Learn these simple steps you need to take to ensure every single interaction is one that promotes dignity and respect.

24. Diagnosing Issues: Skill, Will or Both.

Have you ever hired someone who seemed perfect for your team, only to watch their enthusiasm fade overnight? That once-bright spark begins to flicker, leaving you questioning your decision. In today’s episode, Arleen emphasizes a crucial concept in team performance: the importance of identifying whether challenges stem from a lack of skill, will, or a combination of both. She urges leaders to take prompt action by providing support, encouragement, and guidance. Arleen also highlights the power of asking questions with genuine curiosity. This approach not only challenges your own assumptions but also helps you better understand the support your team members need to regain their confidence and drive. Arleen invites you to tune in and she shares sample questions she used to better understand where to focus your attention and support.

23. Actions Speak: Leadership Behaviors

Arleen reminds leaders that to form trustful relationships with team members, you must be genuine, authentic and consistently role model essential leadership behaviors. Arleen reminds leaders in order to influence healthcare workers to come back each day, it starts with forming trustful relationships and modeling these leadership behaviors every single time, with a goal of gaining consistency. Arleen reminds leaders that you must embrace a mindset where you seek to understand by asking questions in awe and curiosity designed to better understand the specific challenges your team members face. And that you cannot influence and motivate your team to return the next day, if you are not role modeling behaviors appropriately especially in those challenging times.   Arleen reviews the 13 behaviors highlighted in Steven M. R. Covey’s great book, The Speed of Trust. By learning these 13 important behaviors, leaders are in the best position to better understand where you need to further develop in order to support team members, so they are motivated to return the next day and do it all over again. Arleen reminds leaders that mastery is achieved through practice, starting with evaluating these 13 behaviors and your ability to consistently demonstrate them with every single team member in every situation. Arleen shares that you can be an exemplary leader who positively influences team members in every situation.

Leadership: Episode 22 - Lead Through Your Values

In this podcast, Arleen reminds leaders that if you want to be the type of leader where people follow behind you, you must learn how to lead consistently from your personal values and organizational values.  That’s right, you are a role model. Values can never just be words on the wall that people walk by. Instead, leaders must learn how to articulate each value in such a way that they understand what is expected and why it is important.  Arleen reminds leaders it’s not simply role modeling the values through your words, deeds and actions, it is also about articulating those values in a way that your team can understand. Arleen shares examples from the ICare Model in healthcare to better direct leaders on ways they can role model each of the values: Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.  Arleen reminds leaders discussing those values during interviews, orientation, onboarding and ongoing 1:1 discussions with team members to ensure they are attracting people who are a good fit for what you are trying to build. Arleen shares examples of how leaders can address performance issues through proactive coaching and redirecting people to self-reflect on those values to identify ways to improve.   You can view all the videos on Arleen’s Healing the Hearts of Healthcare YouTube channel or visit her website at www.healingtheheartshealthcare.com for additional resources. Like, Share and Subscribe!