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Leadership in Healthcare pp 45–74Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

The Role of Leaders: The Importance of Leadership

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Part of the book series: Organizational Behaviour in Healthcare ((OBHC))

Abstract

Analysing leadership is more like looking through the lens of a kaleidoscope rather than that of a microscope because with each turn it changes shape and colour and hue. And as leadership theory evolves, it embraces an ever-increasing range of concepts from behavioural to attitudinal, from social-cognitive to contingency, from social exchange to team. There is no shortage of material for those wishing to understand leaders, leadership, and organisational performance; but those seeking best practice will come away from the subject with conditions, sub-clauses and riders. It is important for the leader in any organisation to be clear about the expectations of the position they hold, expectations on the part of the organisation, and expectations on the part of the followers. They will need to understand their own strengths and weaknesses against these expectations and what they need to do to achieve the objectives in their specific organisational context. One way to gain an understanding of the answers to these questions is by personal reflection and insight. The leader of the future is a person with a high level of emotional intelligence who understands their capabilities. Leaders will also need credibility to enable followers to trust and accept the decisions of those in leadership positions and to act accordingly. And finally, leaders know their way around organisational dynamics to ensure that these decisions are successfully implemented.

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  1. Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK

    Paul Turner

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Turner, P. (2019). The Role of Leaders: The Importance of Leadership. In: Leadership in Healthcare. Organizational Behaviour in Healthcare. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04387-2_3

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