The most successful healthcare leaders in the next two years will leave the traditional organizational structures and models in the past in favor of extreme nimbleness, stronger soft skills and optimization of digital technology.
Becker's Healthcare connected with 77 leaders from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. who shared the qualities and skill sets that will become more important in the next few years. Here are 10 areas of focus:
1. AI and data analytics: Health system leaders will increasingly rely on AI and data analytics to support decision-making, optimize operations, and drive strategic initiatives, making these skills essential for navigating the evolving, data-driven landscape.
"We are constantly facing financial headwinds and rapidly evolving technological advances including artificial intelligence," said Christine Larson, RN, BSN, vice president of clinical operations in the North Wisconsin region for Advocate Aurora Health. "Healthcare leaders that can accurately read, evaluate, interpret and act upon rapidly evolving information streams to drive consensus-driven decisions by engaging key stakeholders (physicians, senior leaders, community leaders, etc.) will be critical to the success of any healthcare leadership team.
2. Change management and innovation: Leaders must possess strong change management and innovation capabilities to guide their organizations through rapid transformations and foster a culture of adaptability, ensuring the seamless adoption of new technologies and strategies.
"Leadership roles with expertise in change management and fostering innovation will be important. These leaders will help guide the organization through transformational initiatives, ensuring that the team stays aligned and motivated while adopting new processes and technologies," Ben Goodstein, vice president and chief ambulatory officer of Dayton (Ohio) Children's Hospital.
3. Value-based care: As reimbursement models move away from fee-for-service, leadership teams need to focus on value-based care strategies that prioritize patient outcomes, cost efficiency, and quality metrics across the care continuum.
"As reimbursement models continue to shift away from fee-for-service towards value-based care, we will need leaders who deeply understand these new models and can implement them effectively. This includes expertise in population health management, care coordination, and outcomes-based quality metrics," said Ebrahim Barkoudah, MD, system chief and regional chief medical officer of Baystate Health in Springfield, Mass.
4. Communication across generations: Effective communication strategies that bridge generational gaps will be critical for engaging a diverse workforce, addressing varied expectations, and ensuring that all team members feel heard, valued, and motivated.
"We're prioritizing the development of managers who are creative problem solvers with strong communication skills that foster trust and ensure employees not only feel heard, but valued. The ability to create personalized approaches to meet the varied needs of individuals will be critical," said Alexa B. Kimball, president and CEO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
5. Health equity: Leaders are prioritizing health equity initiatives to address disparities in care, ensuring inclusive environments that reflect the communities they serve and align with evolving social and regulatory expectations.
"Over the next two years, our leadership team will continue to evolve with a sharp focus on health equity as a strategic priority," said Andreia de Lima, MD, chief medical officer of Cayuga Health System in Ithaca, N.Y. "We recognize the need for equitable access to care for all populations, particularly underserved communities, and this will drive much of our decision-making. To reflect the diversity of our patient population, we plan to foster a leadership team that not only has clinical expertise but also brings cultural competency and an understanding of social determinants of health to the forefront."
6. Extreme nimbleness: Nimble leadership will be a key trait as health systems face rapid changes, requiring leaders to adapt quickly, make data-informed decisions on the fly, and stay agile in response to shifting industry demands.
"Flexibility in leadership and decision-making will be paramount. Leaders who can adapt quickly to changes in reimbursement, regulatory requirements, and market pressures will be crucial to the organization's success," said Bill Pack, CFO of Conway (Ark.) Regional Health System.
7. Empathy: Demonstrating empathy is becoming a leadership cornerstone, as leaders need to cultivate supportive environments, enhance patient and staff engagement, and build a culture centered on compassion and understanding.
"We are creating a culture focused on well-being that promotes all aspects of health including physical and mental health. Skills such as demonstrating empathy, effectively communicating, and keeping kindness and compassion at the heart of our health care delivery will be critical," said Andy Anderson, MD, chief medical officer and chief quality officer for RWJBarnabas Health in West Orange, N.J.
8. Transparency: Transparency is vital for building trust among patients, employees, and communities, as health system leaders strive to maintain open communication and accountability in a rapidly changing and highly scrutinized industry.
"The skills that will become more important include project scoping, more accurate project estimating, change management, and transparent communication," said Matt Enright, director of data analytics at Delaware Health Information Network in Dover. "The speed of change in healthcare continues to accelerate; it is my responsibility to adapt my leadership approach to accommodate the speed of change and set my team up for success."
9. Bucking tradition: Successful leaders will be those who challenge traditional hierarchies and embrace new, cross-disciplinary approaches that prioritize collaboration, creativity, and flexibility over maintaining outdated structures.
"I envision traditionally siloed roles becoming less common over time. Leadership roles within healthcare are often tied to physical boundaries (i.e., individual hospitals, clinics, etc.)," said Darryl Elmouchi, MD, COO of Corewell Health in Grand Rapids and Southfield, Mich. "There are so many benefits to creating roles with more overlap that allow health systems to efficiently and effectively share best practices. When we have cohesive teams spanning across multiple sites of care, it's a better experience for our teams and our patients."
10. Partnership oriented: Healthcare is a team sport, and leaders are increasingly forging mutually beneficial relationships with competitors, cross-country counterparts, community organizations and non-healthcare entities to solve big challenges and provide more access to care.
"In the future, successful leaders will need to recognize the complexities of the individual and the environment in which they live. Siloed or condition-specific approaches must be replaced by multidisciplinary strategies that cross the continuum and involve the community. Leaders will need to collaborate like never before, and with partners that they may not have considered in the past," said Matthew Ducsik, associate vice president of Providence Clinical Institutes at Providence in Renton, Wash.
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