Question

In healthcare, what is the difference between a manager and a leader? What are some attributes of a leader are most important to you and why? What makes a great leader?

Answer 1

Both the manager and the leader are principally concemed with bringing efficiency to an organization. Manager and leader however, differ from each other in their focus, role and whether guidelines can be prescribed for efficient management or effective leadership or not.

Leadership is generally defined as the manner in which the leader engages with his feIlow workers in accomplishing a job. It is thus the potential to influence and direct the efforts of the coworkers towards leading and controlling. Leaders are primary enablers of performance. They support the organization to attain the health system objectives and goals. They are accountable for performance and growth. Manager in the context of nursing care can be defined as the organisation of all the support required by patients in a healthcare facility in a timely manner. A manager is responsible for carrying out the four important functions in a healthcare setting and they are planning, organizing, leading and controlling.

Traits and qualities differentiate a leader from a manager:

1.Managers manage the people but the leaders lead their followers

2.Managers react to the changes while the leaders bring changes

3.Managers communicate with the others but the leaders influence and persuade their followers

4.The managers exercise power on the people but the leaders share their powers

5.The managers achieve goals but the leaders create vision

6.The managers control risks but the leaders take risks

7.Managers use their skills but the leaders develop skills in others

Leader’s importance in healthcare:

In health care industry where the technology based changes are very high it is essential that the leaders are developed instead of managers. This is essential not only for managing the organizations but also for dealing with the issues like increasing competition and the changes in the environment. In health care organization supervision is essential for maintaining the service quality and ensuring compliance. If there is no quality and compliance then the lives of many individuals may get jeopardised. In an healthcare organisation in some critical situation comes, their is a need of a leader when he can take up an intiative to set up an example. A good leader can also be a manger where he can take up challenge of getting the work done.

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