Leadership skills

Posted by Winnie Melda on April 2nd, 2019

Introduction

Any laboratory requires a leadership style that can create balance between leadership and management. The topic discusses on progressive approaches to effective leadership in the clinical laboratory. In any institution growth and productivity of employees affect the total organizational performance and success. The essay investigates different potential situations and responses to varying conditions and issues being dealt with in this field. It assesses the effective leadership styles that allow leaders to translate business concepts and principles into terms that make sense to the practicing laboratory staff.  

Susan, K.,& Steven, K., (2013). Hospital Laboratory Leadership and the Dyad Model of Management Journal from Medical Sciences, experimental medicine laboratory technique., vol. 44., page 168- 171. 

              The medical director or the leader of a hospital based clinical laboratory is responsible for the quality of services provided but not all the laboratory operations. Most of the operating functions are carried out by the administration team. Application of the Dyad model of management in the clinical laboratory generates user accountability. The Dyad model of management includes the medical director in the development of the operating and capital budgets for the laboratory. It creates weekly operations meetings by the Dyad partners to discuss the quality and other concerns of the laboratory.  It allows the hospital administrators to view the laboratory through the outlook of the medical director. In the process the medical director exerts influence on over laboratory production process. This model of management is essential in the implementation process. Dyad management model comes with continuous improvement. It creates room for quality improvement and initiative developed.

               The Dyad management model encourages shared accountability and develops a common vision and shared goals. User accountability is a good method of leadership in the clinical laboratory. Leaders are responsible for the quality of work generated by the laboratory. Effective collaboration between different leaders in an organization is healthy for the performance of the clinical laboratory. The individual perspective of other people is essential for consensus building. By following the guidelines of this leadership style the leader creates a deeper understanding of the infrastructure and the financial constraints of the hospital. Sharing of responsibility allows the leader to observe the laboratory in the context of the entire health care organization. 

Alpert, J., (2010). Leadership in Academic Medicine: The American Journal of Medicine., Vol.123., No. 12. 

            Some leaders in the clinical laboratory management express the ‘General Patton’ style of leadership. The ‘General Patton’ style of leadership is a type of leadership style that requires the head of the institution to get involved in the daily running of the unit. It simply means that leaders of clinical laboratories also share in the daily clinical workload. The ‘Patton’ style requires the leader of the laboratory to play an active role in daily clinical activities. In addition to this leadership style leaders require equity, justice, communication and interpersonal relations and role modeling. A leader also requires empathy, organization and prioritization and the ability to balance work and personal life to succeed as a leader.

              The leadership style improves the productivity because the leader can quickly recognize a problem from the point of view of the faculty and staff working in the unit. The leader is also visible, approachable and intimately involved in the running of the institution. The leadership style is also disadvantageous because it is time consuming as well as physically and psychologically demanding. Leadership depends on the qualities expressed by a leader. The overall performance of the company is dependent on the ability of the leader to exercise his leadership style to achieve maximum productivity.

Daewoo, P., (1996). Gender role, decision style and leadership style Journal from Women in Management Review., Vol. 11., issue 8.,  page 13- 17. 

Researchers contribute their arguments on the nature of leadership and decision making and also their relationship to other factors. The journal studies the relationship between decision style and leadership style. There are two major categories of leadership behavior; task behavior and relationship behavior. Task behavior involves the goal setting, managing, setting time schedules, directing and scheming. On the other hand relationship behavior includes giving support, corresponding, enhancing relations, dynamic listening and giving response. There are many decision styles with varying characteristics for example directive decision style characterized by autocratic, impersonal and power oriented individuals.  Different decision styles explain why managers will tackle similar situations differently. There is also a relationship between gender role decision style and leadership styles. There are two dimensions of gender role that is, masculinity and femininity. Masculinity relates to task oriented leadership style whereas femininity relates to relationship oriented leadership style.

From the facts I can conclude that the gender role does not confine decision making and the leadership style to the two categories. It however plays a major role in decision making among most. Detailed understanding on the decision styles and how they affect the leadership styles of the clinical laboratory management is vital for clinical laboratorians. The laboratorians impact diagnosis and identify abnormalities in detail and with a lot of accuracy. Without this information decisions made by physicians will be compromised. Leaders must come up with effective strategies that require critical thinking and analysis as well as appropriate decision making.

Rosenthal, S.,& Pittinsky, T., (2006). Narcissistic leadership Journal 

Narcissistic leadership style is a type of leadership that revolves around the leader. The leader has pompous belief systems and leadership styles that are generally motivated by their needs for power and admiration instead of considerate concern for the staff and the institutions they lead. The topic on narcissism and leadership is a controversial issue. Narcissism can be advantageous as a leadership quality and also disadvantageous. Narcissists are arrogant, emotionally hypersensitive and lack empathy. They also have poor amorality and paranoia that causes them to be irrational and inflexible. On the other hand narcissists are visionaries, and they can instigate great multitudes of people. Narcissists are success oriented and will go to great lengths to ensure they achieve something. Confidence, charisma and optimism associated with narcissists are positive leadership traits.

The negative qualities out do the good qualities in narcissistic type of leadership especially in encouraging collaboration and cooperation which is vital for the productivity of the institution. Management of a clinical laboratory involves a combination of business concepts such as profit and loss theory, human resource management, and workflow among others. Narcissists consider only their own opinions that are a great limitation to the growth of the company.

Benjamin, L., & Flynn, F., (2006). Leadership style and regulatory mode: Value from fit? Journal retrieved from Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes., Vol. 100, issue 2, page 216- 230. 

The article studies the relationship between regulatory orientation and transformational leadership. Leaders affect the behavior of people and the culture of organizations through use of different styles and approaches to managing others. There are two major leadership styles that have prevailed in the past that is transactional leadership and transformational leadership. Transactional leadership involves a leader creating specific goals, monitoring progress and the potential rewards upon goal achievement. Transformational leadership, however, includes motivating others to grow and execute beyond average prospect. Transformational leadership is proving to be more effective than transactional leadership. There are other underlying factors to consider when choosing the extent of implementation of transformational leadership.  Such factors include the staff being led, infrastructure, the relations between the employer and the staff.

Application of transformation leadership rather than transactional leadership is better because transformational leadership inspires the staff whereas transactional leadership enforces and exchanges. Considering the importance of job satisfaction in the clinical laboratories it is recommended that an organization provides the groundwork for implementing the transformational leadership to enhance job satisfaction of the laboratorians.

Final analysis

There are very many leadership styles that guide the culture of an institution. Management employs four primary functions: planning, organizing, leadership and control. Most institutions will hire laboratory managers from the technical staff. Leadership skills are vital in all fields even those not related to clinical management. Not all leaders are the same; the first step to achieving leadership success is by recognizing your leadership style. The well fare of the patient is usually the highest priority, by using an effective leadership style, leaders establish a clear vision of what the organization can and should become. Laboratory leaders face many challenges like productivity and lower cost per test that causes most of them to lead by authority. Use of both authority and enthusiasm provides a good background for productivity.

References

 Alpert, J., (2010). Leadership in Academic Medicine: The American Journal of Medicine., Vol.123., No. 12. 

Benjamin, L., & Flynn, F., (2006). Leadership style and regulatory mode: Value from fit? Journal retrieved from Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes., Vol. 100, issue 2, page 216- 230. 

Daewoo, P., (1996). Gender role, decision style and leadership style Journal from Women in Management Review., Vol. 11., issue 8.,  page 13- 17. 

Rosenthal, S.,& Pittinsky, T., (2006). Narcissistic leadership Journal

Susan, K.,& Steven, K., (2013). Hospital Laboratory Leadership and the Dyad Model of Management Journal from Medical Sciences, experimental medicine laboratory technique., vol. 44., page 168- 171.

Carolyn Morgan is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in Write My Research Paper For Me services. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from custom nursing essay writing services.