Clinical leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: Reflections and lessons learned

Healthc Manage Forum. 2021 Nov;34(6):316-319. doi: 10.1177/08404704211044587.

Abstract

COVID-19 has, and continues to, wreak havoc worldwide, and the healthcare system has been particularly challenged with personnel shortages, resource insecurity, mixed messages, and fear to name a few. At the outset, it was thought the pandemic would be short-lived, resulting in the enactment of disaster plans in hospitals. Such autocratic approaches are not always effective in the long-term; a servant leadership approach is more conducive to engaging teams, and this dyad structure supports effective leadership during challenging times. While there is not one right approach to leading through a pandemic, lessons learned from this pandemic are applicable when, not if, the next pandemic occurs.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Humans
  • Leadership*
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • SARS-CoV-2