Multi-Level Leadership in Healthcare

The concept of multi-level leadership in the healthcare systems relates to another important notion of management of different levels simultaneously, in response to the increasing health system sophistication. In this article, we will discuss the notion of multi-level leadership, its relevance to the healthcare system and the nature of cooperation in a team in a system like this.

Understanding Multi-Level Leadership

Multi- level leadership is the cooperation of leaders in different levels of an organization including organizational executive level, management level and the core staff level. This model acknowledges the fact that leadership is not the preserve of an individual or a line manager and that leadership is distributed across individuals at different organization levels.

The Need for Multi-Level Leadership

There are various characteristics in today’s healthcare sector which have contributed to the complexity including technology, patient expectations, and prevalence of diseases. In an effort to enhance health care delivery organizations seek to adopt leadership styles that can enhance care quality and system effectiveness but the conventional hierarchical leadership approaches fail to meet these needs. Multilevel leadership engagement is one organizational management practice that promotes collaboration as well as creativity because of the varied experience and knowledge that individuals have in an organization.

Role Distribution in Healthcare Teams

In the multi-level leadership model, positions are not assigned by the person’s rank but based on proficiency of the task assigned. This distribution promotes a culture of shared responsibility where:

Top Managers: Establish strategic objectives and goals that are consistent with organization objectives and goals. They have the responsibility of creating the culture required for the development of collaborative practices.