Leading QI in Healthcare

Effective leadership in healthcare requires a unique skillset especially when applied to quality improvement. It is often complex and demanding, and requires leaders to manage uncertainty, foster cultural and behavioral change, and oversee the implementation of new processes. Leadership encompasses a range of topics including self and team reflection on personal qualities, working with others, overseeing and improving services, and developing a shared vision.*

*The Medical Leadership Competency Framework

Some Ideas to Promote Productive Teamwork

• A “Just Culture” strives for a culture of psychological safety that values learning, reporting, and fairness. In a “Just Culture” human error is recognized as unintentional and does not lead to disciplinary action.
• TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based program aimed at optimizing performance among teams of health care professionals, enabling them to respond quickly and effectively to whatever situations arise. This teamwork system can offer a powerful solution to improving collaboration and communication within your institution.
• The 5 Dynamics is an assessment tool that determines how much energy an individual uses during the different phases of a project – ideation, alignment, planning, and execution. The tool is unique because it challenges leaders to focus on how people do their work rather than what they do. The 5 Dynamics is designed to help individuals, teams, departments, and even enterprises understand their strengths and create a culture of performance and engagement.

A Sampling of Opportunities at UNC Focused on Personal Leadership Development

• Relational Leadership Institute (RLI) @ UNC is an interprofessional, intergenerational learning collaborative for leadership development spread across six trainings. The 5 Dynamics assessment is a part of the RLI curriculum.
• The Learning and Organizational Development (LOD) Department offers courses, organizational programs and consultation services centered on creating a system-wide culture of outstanding patient care and organizational effectiveness (LOD links only accessible to UNC Health employees)
• The Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development aims to support the development of UNC medical faculty members and provides leadership resources and programs to assure their academic and professional success.

Resources