Thinking Strategically

Abstract

Health system leaders continue to be driven by changes in consumer behavior, demographics, reimbursement models, organizational initiatives, market consolidation, competition, and regulatory guidelines. In response, leaders in academic health systems need to marshal the very best of their raw processing power and discernment (i.e., intelligence) to recognize the immediate and future effects of their actions. Furthermore, leaders must manage “polarity thinking” in cases where complex issues are not problems that have definitive solutions, but rather contain interdependent, often opposing elements that must each be optimized at a point in time toward a strategic end. And as clinician leaders are increasingly called upon to become health system thought leaders, one of the most critical skill sets to be effective in this environment is thinking strategically. Thinking strategically is a skill business leaders use to effectively and proactively respond to the increased rate of environmental change.