The COVID-19 pandemic has strained healthcare and public health. Many workers in these industries have felt growing frustration with leadership. They face a barrage of medical misinformation, ethical strains, and burnout. Now more than ever, authentic leadership is critical in supporting healthcare workers and advancing public health. This post will describe authentic leadership and examine how its application creates a workplace that improves collaboration, job satisfaction, and reduces burnout.
What does it mean to be an authentic leader?
Authentic Leadership Theory stipulates there are three factors that influence the development of an authentic leader: positive psychological capabilities, moral reasoning, and critical life events. 
Furthermore, authentic leaders work to establish relationships, practice self-discipline, understand purpose, and lead with heart. Most prominently, they believe that humans are the most important asset.
Authentic leadership isn’t a new concept. The desire to have a more harmonious workplace can be found in the literature as early as the 1960s. Authentic Leadership Theory developed out of a growing frustration with modern leadership. And it derived from the positive psychology movement of humanism. Arguably the greatest humanistic theory influencing authentic leadership theory is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. Leaders need to treat workers with respect, show confidence in their work, and recognize their achievements. Only then can workers truly approach self-actualization and the rewards that come with it.
Research and understanding of this topic has grown largely in response to unethical business practices. Highly publicized examples of corporate and political corruption created a higher demand for authenticity in leadership and a desire for a more ethical approach. Unethical business practices have become more recognizable in medicine, as economics has become increasingly visible at the forefront of healthcare executives’ priorities.
Authentic leadership in medicine and public health
An article in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine describes authentic leadership in medicine as having “positive implications for health-care settings, including improved patient care, job satisfaction, motivation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.” Many physician specialties and professions within healthcare, including including nursing and pharmacy, have similar central tenants when it comes to leadership. The diverse nature of multidisciplinary collaboration in patient care, however, makes a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership impossible.
Authentic leadership, especially in middle to upper-level management, would be a welcome change for public health workers. The current “detached style” of leadership will not likely be successful in the 21st century. It is critical to have leaders who are self-aware and have a firm understanding of their own life purpose. When authentic leaders rise above pressure and stressors with sound judgment, this leads to consistent behavior that is predictable. This is the type of behavior that builds trust within the workforce. Conversely, when inconsistencies exist between words and actions, work relationships can fail. Worker motivation and job satisfaction may decrease. And people may begin to search for other jobs, thus beginning a turnover cycle.
Where have all the good leaders gone?
Similar to other industries, many policies and procedures that govern health systems boil down to the almighty dollar. Many efforts to cut costs don’t always reflect optimized workflow or best practices. In healthcare, this can ultimately become a public safety concern. In medicine and public health, the first responsibilities are to do no harm and then try to prevent it. But when best practice care conflicts with economically approved care, authentic leadership becomes compromised. As healthcare providers, we know our therapeutic answers might not be economically sound for our organizations. But our goal is always the best possible outcome for the patient. Is it possible to be an authentic leader and still be true to the care management that every patient deserves?
Public health leadership is at a crossroads too. The pandemic overstretched our public health workforce. In the last two years, dozens of states saw high-level public health officials resign. This is the largest number in our country’s history. Many of those who resigned from their leadership positions cited political backlash, the belittlement of science, or violent threats as justification for leaving. Outside of leadership, a staggering 18% of healthcare workers have quit their jobs and another 19% have thought about leaving healthcare altogether. Even more alarming, 67% of healthcare workers polled during the pandemic said their leaders had made empty promises about mental health and self-care.
How can we further improve leadership?
Not surprisingly, many of the principles of good leadership in healthcare parallel the central tenants of excellent patient care. Top among them is honest communication. Frontline healthcare workers see through empty promises and recognize when they’re not valued. Leaders should also encourage collaboration, allow them to be heard, and offer flexibility. This can help maintain the delicate homeostasis in the healthcare workforce.
We can further improve leadership in medicine and public health by incorporating authentic leadership into practice. Leaders can take several steps to become more authentic:
- Show empathy and have heart – The past two years have been difficult in all industries, but none more so than healthcare. Leaders who show vulnerability and are open about their weaknesses are better able to connect with their employees.
- Think long term – Companies across all industries flourish when employees are valued and nourished in their environments. Healthcare is no exception. Leaders must support the well-being and mental health of our healthcare workforce to prevent burnout.
- Improve communication – Oftentimes, leaders may keep their team members in the dark about problem-solving in hopes of figuring out a solution. However, data shows that employees prefer open and timely communication.
A commitment to authentic leadership in healthcare and public health–including acting with integrity, professionalism, and ethics, while strengthening relationships with their employees–will help to achieve excellence in these fields.
Lisa C. Flaherty
Latest posts by Lisa C. Flaherty (see all)
Tiffany Johnson