To adapt to disruptions, successful leaders need an innovative and engaged workforce, according to a Dec. 6 article from McKinsey.
Hospitals and health systems continue to search for and develop strategies to strengthen their respective workforces, which have been affected by burnout and labor shortages. According to the 2024 "State of Well-Being Report," 50% of healthcare workers reported feeling burned out over the past month in 2023.
Resilience is key to growth and organizational health, according to the article, which cites a McKinsey Health Institute study that found individuals with stronger resilience have higher engagement than their peers.
Resilience requires regulating thoughts and emotions and viewing change as an opportunity or challenge. Adaptability, meanwhile, involves thinking creatively about problems as they arise and approaching uncertainty with an open mind, McKinsey wrote.
Below are three tips for leaders to foster resilience and adaptability in their teams, according to McKinsey.
1. Set a North Star: Leaders can promote resilience among their teams by pointing them toward a North Star, such as shared objectives and core values, which employees can focus on during times of instability.
2. Foster a psychologically safe community: Leaders should emphasize a sense of community. Two key components of this are psychological safety and accountability, which many organizations often focus on at the expense of the other, according to McKinsey.
3. Ensure there are strong role models. Leaders within the organization should be resilient and adaptable themselves. Important skills for this include emotional flexibility, emotional regulation, and situational and self-awareness.