What is Engaged Leadership?

Those in leadership roles have resonsibilities that include engagement with their staff. Whether the direction comes from the C-Suite or department/unit leaders, a leadership style that addresses the very real felt needs of those working in healthcare will, hands down, be more effective. Better at improving retention. Much better at creating satisfied employees.

But what qualifies as engaged leadership? What elevates standard leadership methods to qualify as "engaged leadership"? First, let's establish what engaged leadership is not.

• Decision-making that consistently occurs from behind a desk, behind a closed office door
• Guidance that relies exclusively on an "on paper" view of the organization
• Direction that utilizes an in-the-past/backward-facing approach rather than a moving-forward/looking-to-the-future mindset

A genuine interest in people's lives.

The most effective leaders care about people. Period. They understand the importance of spreadsheets, strategic planning, and profit margins, but they also grasp that it's imperative to take care of the facility's greatest asset: the employees. So what does genuine care look like? It prioritizes knowing the names, faces, skills, and goals of those helping you keep the doors open. It engages employees in honest conversations. It listens to what they say. It remembers what makes them unique.

Asking for feedback and taking it seriously.

Seeking employee feedback is a two-part equation. Asking for and hearing their ideas, thoughts, and concerns is only part one. Employees will be happy to share as long as they have an assurance that leadership is willing to do more than hear and pay "lip service" to their feedback. Engaged leadership means seeking additional info, checking further into the situations mentioned, diligently trying to do something about the areas of concern, implementing their ideas, and considering their comments.

A well-established system of communication.

Communication is to engaged leadership as what water is to life. There can be no engaged leading without effective communication. One of the best ways to disengage even the best employees is to keep them in the dark. Communication must be consistent, accurate, and clear and, for the best results, should be delivered and received across several mediums to accommodate various communication style preferences.

Sincere empathy

When the going gets tough—as has undoubtedly been the case for long-term care facilities and hospitals throughout the pandemic—engaged leaders do not separate themselves from their workforce's challenges. Instead, they get more involved. They show up more often, not less. They prioritize being genuinely in the know and express sincere empathy while going the extra mile to ease burdens and initiate resolutions. An engaged leadership team will bring out the best in a healthcare facility's employees through good times and not-so-good times because engagement begets engagement.

Combining these engagement-bearing strategies will build trust, unity, and a persevering spirit. And who wouldn't like to work where those attributes flow in abundance?