Leadership in healthcare, as in business, is complex and is next to impossible to be defined in a single definition. During our class discussions and readings, 'leadership' was given descriptions ranging from behavior, to influence, to processes, to abilities, to articulating, just to mention a few. And even though the material feels more bias to business professions than healthcare administration, I feel that the complexity of the profession is in par with one another. It is no secret that people have spent years studying what they believe to be good leadership characteristics, and what the best definition for this term may be. Bennis and Thomas explain "leadership" as "an individual's ability to find meaning in negative events and to learn from even the most trying circumstances" (Crucibles of Leadership pg.62). However, in an attempt to better describe leadership in the healthcare system Nordal defines as "Leadership is not just about performing a job: It's about making a difference. To serve as effective leaders, we must understand the context for our leadership roles–namely, the changing health care system and particularly, the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that President Obama signed into law last March.".
Leadership is an important topic in Healthcare because healthcare organizations, hospitals, and medical offices do not run themselves; leaders are essential for any organization. In fact, people with good leadership qualities are considered necessary in the administration field; as a result, due to the need of good leaders some universities, especially business schools, require leadership courses/programs in their core curriculum. "Business schools in the United States were quick to realize that the academic study of leadership is important for business success and academic scholarship," said OSB (Olayan School of Business) Dean George Najjar.
