Being More Strategic - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN

If you ask any healthcare executive recruiter today about key skills that they look for in candidates, the ability to think strategically will be high on the list. That is a competency that everyone is looking for today. Figuring out a winning strategy in today’s health care environment is challenging. The pace of change is rapid. It can be difficult for nurse leaders to figure out how to respond to and anticipate future needs.

In a now classic article published in the January-February 2013 Harvard Business Review, Schoemaker, Krupp and Howland identify six essential skills to be a more strategic leader based on their research with more 20,000 executives. These skills which can be developed include the following:

1. The ability to anticipate
Effective leaders must be able to identify threats and opportunities to their organization and be very realistic about them. The current reimbursement environment is changing everything. In this new world of healthcare, many community hospitals will struggle to survive and thrive. Wise leaders take the time to read the signposts.

2. A willingness to challenge assumptions
Strategic thinkers are willing to challenge the status quo. They understand that although they may currently a provider of choice, this could radically change with a shift in reimbursement.

3. Recognize patterns and interpret the environment
Effective leaders are able to see patterns in the environment that could lead to change. Sometimes data can be ambiguous, and one needs to look at the bigger picture to assess implications.

4. Make the tough decisions in a timely way Schoemaker, Krupp and Howland point out in their article that decision making in tough times is both an art and a science. Many organizations and leaders err on the side of not moving quickly enough. When leaders wait too long to initiate change, they can end up losing opportunities and possibly market share. The authors suggest that staged commitments and smaller bets can pay off.

5. Align all the stakeholders
Strategic leaders need to find common ground with their stakeholders and ready their environments for change in advance. Truth telling to the staff about the realities of an organization is key. Two of the most effective strategies are to communicate early and often about changes in the environment.

6. Look for lessons learned
The most effective leaders are continuous learners and look for lessons learned in every situation. The ability to honestly reflect on one’s leadership decisions and actions is key to becoming a more strategic leader.
Honing your strategic thinking skills is important to your own leadership development. Spend time with leaders who do this well and ask them to explain how they reach their assessments. While it is always a possibility to be surprised by an unexpected environmental change (Ebola comes to mind), strategic thinkers generally have reflected on what is happening in their environments long before it impacts their organizations.

Read to Lead
Schoemaker, P.J.H., Krupp, S. & Howland, S. (2013). Strategic leadership: Essential Skills. Harvard Business Review. January-February 2013, p. 131-134.