Embracing relational competencies in applying the LEADS framework for health-care leaders in transformational change and the COVID-19 pandemic
ISSN: 1751-1879
Article publication date: 12 April 2023
Issue publication date: 22 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent to which the LEADS Framework guided health-care leaders through organizational change and the COVID-19 pandemic in a western Canadian province.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative exploratory inquiry assessed the extent to which health leaders applied competencies that aligned with the LEADS Framework. A purposeful sample of 22 health-care leaders participated in the study representing senior, mid-level and front-line health-care leaders in various health-care organizations to ensure diverse representation of leader competencies. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews to collect the data and used Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase approach to guide data analysis.
Findings
The analysis suggests that health-care leaders found Engaging with Others and Developing Coalitions were the most critical themes of the LEADS Framework for change management and for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings reveal that during transformational change and a crisis context, leaders embrace relational approaches to adapt and improve performance in dynamic organizations.
Practical implications
These findings have implications for a relational approach to improve teamwork and decrease emotional strain; a focus on mobilizing and sharing power with nurses; and educational programs to advance relational and self-management skills, shared leadership, communication, change management, human resource and talent development as critical learning components for current and future health-care leaders.
Originality/value
The LEADS Framework is used to examine how health-care leaders responded to transformational change in the organization while situated in a pandemic context.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The study received approval from the University of Manitoba’s Education/Nursing Research Ethics Board (ENREB) (Protocol #: E2020:064).
This funding was made possible through the University Research Grants Program, University of Manitoba. The authors are grateful to the individuals who participated in the study, and shared their time and insights.
Citation
Udod, S., Baxter, P., Gagnon, S., Charski, V. and Raja, S. (2023), "Embracing relational competencies in applying the LEADS framework for health-care leaders in transformational change and the COVID-19 pandemic", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 524-536. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-12-2022-0117
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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