hospital impact

Mr. Welch's famously hard-headed approach fits few people's personalities. It's hard to argue with his principles, but it's important, as a leader, to adopt a tone or style that's natural to oneself. There are many quiet leaders. My experience as a consultant to CEO's is that most of them are modest, careful, thoughtful people who, though ambitious, are usually ambitious for other people, too.

As for hospitals, isn't it true that all hospitals have just about the same vision: a) promote good health, b) heal the sick, c) do no harm, d) comfort the afflicted and dying? My question as a strategic planner is, what's wrong with many institutions having the same vision? Is it a problem that the race for differentiation (or egocentrism) we're all striving to be something new--which distracts us from our common purpose.

We are consultant specializing in strategic facility planning, and almost always find that hospitals do not have a clear vision (when it's really so simple), which makes these very long-term decisions so difficult. Which is to say that I agree with Mr. Welch, even if his own personal conduct is (if what's reported is true) is less than affirming.

My other observation is that good leaders take their own role as leader very seriously. So, thanks for posting these ideas and opening up the conversation.

Derrick, great observations and comments.

I have also definitely seen the "quiet leader" be tremendously effectively. And you are right - leadership style is very personal, and it has to be very natural.

Interesting connection about strategic planning - for hospitals as well as for leaders, we probably spend too much time trying to be too much instead of just embracing what we really are. And then just going after that.

Nonetheless, I believe the role and purpose of hospitals is slowing changing, see my recent posts on "What business are hospitals really in?"

I also wanted to post these because too often we've thought of hospital leaders more as hospital "administrators." We don't need any more administrators, we need leaders.

As a blogger on HIStalk I constantly try to educate C-level readers of the blog about how IT will affect health care and its future daily operating style if they chose to be a truly digital institution. Since knowledge about the IT development world is slow to reach health care it is vitally important that early knowledge acquisition be in place so that when a large request for funds is ready for review the right questions can be asked to insure the funding needed is being appropriately spent. One of the roadblocks in this process is the large number of silos that exist in most health care institutions. One way to start to break these silos is to develop teams consisting of department members with the most knowledge of the expected purchase request.

Technology will continue to affect health care and its future greatly. A leader is someone who has the judgement and diplomacy to bring about changes in those who are set in their ways.