Question

how would you describe the complexity of the healthcare industry in terms of Workforce, environment, and social expectations? how would a health leader successfully navigate this complexity

Answer 1

The healthcare industry workforce is highly complex due to the fact that is comprised of many types of professionals such as doctors, nurses, dietitians, administrators, physical therapists, radiologists, and a host of others. The healthcare industry environment is highly complex due to the fact that it is comprised of administrative environments, surgical environments, therapeutic environments, industrial environments, as well as business environments that involve the Board of Directors of hospitals etc. The social expectations of the healthcare industry are complex due to the fact that there are differing expectations from parents, patients, government, stakeholders, researchers, educators, etc. A health leader would successfully navigate this complexity by adapting their leadership methodologies based upon the complexities that they encounter, as well as to have contingency plans in place in order to handle different issues that may arise from these differing areas of healthcare industry complexity.

The healthcare system is plagued with increasing cost and poor quality outcomes a major contributing factor for these issues is that outdated leadership practices such as leader-centricity, linear thinking and poor readiness for innovation are being used in healthcare organization.

Complexity leadership theory provides a new framework with which healthcare leader may practice leadership. Complexity leadership theory conceptualize leaderahip as a continual process that stems from collaboration, complex system thinking and innovation mindset.