I would offer several comments regarding this list. First, like many traditional lists, this is comprehensive. One would truly have to be “Christlike” if they were competent in all of these areas. This list does not account for specific leadership roles, specific leadership challenges, or the culture of a healthcare organization or system in which one is working. Furthermore, like many of the analyses we will be introducing in this essay, some of the items on this very ambitious list actually relate not to competencies, but rather to character. Being passionate and resilient, or knowing one’s calling and being “Christlike” have much more to do with one’s character (values, ethics, motives) than with one’s knowledge, skills or abilities.
Earlier in their book, McKenna and Pugno (2006, pp. 74-75) offer a more “practical” list that is based on the practical experiences of Joseph Spalina, FACHE, FAAHC and relates specifically to leadership of clinical programs:
- Operational and clinical research expertise
- Service and technology evaluation and design
- Organizational management
- Financial and business planning, evaluation, and management
- Quality assessment process design and management
- Information systems management
- Strategic planning
- Physician relations management
- Marketing and promotions
- Facility programming and planning.
There are several important points worth noting in Spalina’s list. First, his frequent use of the term “management” (rather than “leadership”) is indicative of the movement from the large, lofty characteristics of leadership offered by MacArthur. Distinction between leadership and management. I would suggest that whether one is serving as a “leader” or “manager” in a health care system depends on the specific role this person is playing in the organization, as well as the aforementioned organizational culture in which this person is operating—those in the professional, alternative (and advocacy) cultures prefer to be called “leaders.” Those operating in the Managerial culture (as the name implies) preferred to be called “managers.” They often consider the term “leader” to be rather arrogant. It is to be used by puffed-up politicians. It is not to be used by those in health care systems, like Spalina, who are diligently operating health care programs.
This second list of competencies also is noteworthy in that it includes competencies related to the management of healthcare tasks–such as clinical research expertise, service and technology evaluation and design, information systems management, marketing and promotion, and facility programming and planning. However, the list also includes management of human relationships—such as organizational and physician relations management. Many of the items on the list (ultimately, perhaps all of them) require a blending of task and relationship management—noteworthy are operations, business planning, quality assessment process design and management–and strategic planning.
