Leadership communication styles: a descriptive analysis of health care professionals

Abstract

The study of leadership in health care is important to examine for many reasons. Health care leaders will inevitably have an impact on the lives of many people, as individuals rely on physicians and nurses during some of the most critical moments in their lives. This paper presents a broad overview of a research study conducted over the past year and highlights its general conclusions. In this study, I examined the leadership styles of health care administrators and those of physicians and nurses who chair departments. Thorough analysis yielded three clear themes: viewpoints on leadership, decision making, and relationships. Physicians' viewpoints on leadership varied; however, it was assumed that they knew they were leaders. Nurses seemed to be in a category of their own, in which it was common for them to use the term "servant leadership." Results from the hospital administrators suggested that they were always thinking "big picture leadership." Leadership is a working component of every job and it is important for people to become as educated as possible about their own communication style.