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You’ve likely heard leaders being described as either having or lacking “executive presence.” You might even agree that it’s important to have, yet uncertain about how to define it. If this rings true for you, know you are not alone. In a survey of more than 350 human relations (HR) professionals, 92% agreed that executive presence is an important part of leadership, but 51% of respondents also said that it’s difficult to define. 

Many leaders take a passive approach towards their own development, often waiting for their manager or someone else in the organization to offer the opportunity for professional growth. Why wait? Advocating for your own development demonstrates a core leadership attribute — proactive interest in expanding your skill set in support of your company’s success. And, one of the most proven and efficient ways to enhance your effectiveness as a leader is to partner with an experienced executive coach.

As we grapple with the chaos of the past two years, it’s become clear that strategic decision-making is an important skill for leaders in all industries. The ability to analyze situations, data, and personal experiences to reach a solution keeps leaders prepared for even the most unexpected events — like a global pandemic.

In the new post-pandemic normal, hybrid teams are the new standard. In fact, 53% of job searchers now expect to have a hybrid arrangement. For those in the health industry, finding ways to create hybrid job opportunities — and manage them — can be incredibly difficult. This is especially true for healthcare organizations as the majority of roles require in-person delivery, especially in clinical and research-oriented roles. However, for those roles that can be managed remotely, offering a flexible work schedule is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. It’s time to start building and offering hybrid work to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining top talent.

Organizations across the health ecosystem are continuing to increase their focus on strategies dedicated to population health and community well-being by transforming healthcare delivery models aligned to value-based care. Population health and health equity are inextricably linked — the goal of population health is to improve the quality of care and outcomes for a defined group of people, while the goal of health equity is to ensure that all members of a community have an equitable access to be as healthy as possible. Without systemic change, neither of these goals can be achieved.

To navigate tough workplace challenges and hard decisions, we know that soft skills, aka Emotional Intelligence (EI), often make the difference between success and failure. Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with work and with other people. In the workplace, soft skills are considered to be a complement to hard skills, which refer to a person's knowledge and occupational skills. Soft skills have more to do with who people are, rather than what they know. In fact, recent research concluded that 85% of job success stems from soft skills rather than skills and knowledge needed for the job.

It’s a problem we see all too often: someone has an amazing idea, like a program designed to improve community health while reducing overall costs or a plan to retain top talent amidst rising turnover rates, but other stakeholders just aren’t quite on board. Buy-in can be especially difficult for those new to leadership — 4 out of 5 new leaders don’t feel prepared to get buy-in for their vision. Coming up with an amazing idea to instigate change is only part of the process.

We are beginning to see a gradual shift in focus for healthcare organizations, from oversight of sick care to the provision of true health care.  As part of this shift, the role of the Chief Population Health Officer (CPO) is growing in number and importance.

With the ongoing wave of resignations sweeping the country, healthcare employees are experiencing some of the highest levels of burnout. Nearly 3 of every 10 healthcare workers have plans to leave their jobs in the near future due to burnout. Increased turnover results in lower quality patient care—making employee health and well-being absolutely vital to the well-being of patients. Research suggests that strategically investing in efforts to foster worker well-being not only improves employee health but can also bring about beneficial business outcomes such as improved job performance (including increased productivity), and lower levels of employee burnout. To capitalize on these benefits we invite you to consider the important roles that organizations, leaders, and individuals play in creating workplace health and well-being and strategies for improvements.

In the past year, record numbers of Americans have left their jobs—4.3 million people resigned in January 2022 alone—prompting what economists have dubbed The Great Resignation. Covid left workers re-evaluating their priorities, leading a lot of Americans to seek a healthier work-life balance than their current position, find a job with higher pay or better benefits, and in some cases, switch careers entirely. Industries that experienced extreme demand during the pandemic have been hit hardest by The Great Resignation, with a 3.6% increase in healthcare resignations from the previous year. The wave of resignations shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, so finding ways to decrease turnover is imperative for leadership.