What about the credibility of other ideas that are being offered to or generated by members of the organization? A physician leader can be of great assistance in helping other members of her healthcare system sort out the credibility of potential innovations in her organization. Is there a solid base of evidence to support the credibility of this innovative idea, practice, product, or service? This doesn’t necessarily mean that the innovation is already proven to be successful—there certainly is great value in the encouragement of exploratory and pioneering work. The innovation, however, should be linked to information that already exists regarding organizational needs, resources, and opportunities. It should also be aligned with the core intentions (mission, vision, values, and purposes) of the organization. Organizational leadership plays a major role in the successful diffusion of any innovation.
What about the even more fundamental credibility issue: are the services offered by the physician leader themselves credible, especially when this physician is operating as a servant leader? There is a crisis of leadership in mid-21st-century health care systems. And “servant leadership” has often devolved into nothing more than P.R. for the “caring” attitude of a healthcare leader who must make tough decisions regarding personnel, policies, and finances.
The concepts and strategies associated with the diffusion of innovation are directly relevant to those seeking to establish and maintain a caring health care system. An appreciation of diffusion processes is of great value in assisting the challenging processes associated with the diffusion of innovations in the VUCA-Plus world of mid-21st-century healthcare.
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