The healthcare industry changes quickly. Leaders who invest in self-development and improve their agility are more likely to keep up — and get ahead, according to an Oct. 11 article from the Buccino Leadership Institute at South Orange, N.J.-based Seton Hall University.
The author, former pharmaceutical executive Paul Fonteyne, provided six ways leaders can become skilled candidates:
1. Become the best in one or two areas. Concentrating your insights will deepen them, making you an invaluable expert.
2. Understand functions besides your own. Knowing the responsibilities of other members of your C-suite enhances your decision-making and allows you to work in the best interest of your entire enterprise.
3. Gain connections, and start before you enter the C-suite. Develop a broad network, building bridges across positions and expertise. This will ease the transition into a high-level operation.
4. Incentivize learning on your leadership team. Teach other leaders to teach themselves. The more agile your senior leadership is, the better you are primed to react in a crisis.
5. Hire employees with a high propensity for learning. Ensure your hiring managers are choosing employees who are "cross-functional" — able to work well on teams outside their scope of expertise.
6. Understand your industry's nuance. Knowing the ins and outs of your industry is essential to securing a long-term career in it. According to Mr. Fonteyne, healthcare is particularly multifaceted, and leaders should understand how their own organization fits the bigger picture. Broadening your understanding of reimbursement and physician/patient behavior will allow you to lead more knowledgeably, and thus, more confidently.