Leadership Report: Authentic Leadership in a Pandemic Context

This report examines the application of the authentic leadership model within the context of domiciliary care, a sector providing health and social care services. It begins with an introduction to the importance of leadership in organizations, particularly in healthcare settings, and then delves into the authentic leadership model, its core principles, and its relevance to the challenges faced by domiciliary care providers. The report explores the application of authentic leadership to change management processes and highlights the importance of transformational leadership in motivating employees and addressing the problems faced by patients. It also considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on leadership, including the struggles related to personal protective equipment (PPE) and the implementation of safety measures. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of authentic leadership in ensuring the effective operation of domiciliary care organizations, especially during times of crisis, and the need for leaders to adapt and prioritize the well-being of both employees and patients. The report references several sources to support its findings.

Application of the
authentic leadership
model

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Application of ‘authentic
leadership' model to a change process .......................................................................................1
Application of leadership skills under Covid-19.........................................................................3
Struggle to PPE and offer care ....................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
RERFRENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
In an organization, a leader is important who understand the needs of their employees and
provide them the right suggestions that can help to increase the organizational productivity and
profitability. If leaders are not able to perform their roles and responsibilities then it will be
challenging for the industry to operate their business continuously (Wergeland, 2015). The repost
is based on a case study of Domiciliary care that is large size health and social care institution
providing different types of health care services to customers and make them happy. This report
will help to consider leadership theories and model which are uses to solve the problems and
attaining higher profitability. Moreover, the impacts of Pandemic (Covid-19) on the business
organization are also considered.
Application of ‘authentic leadership model to a change process
The meaning of Domiciliary care is to provide social and health care services to people
who still live in their homes and required additional support with activities. This is important for
the organization to understand what their customers want and how they can be satisfied so the
kind of products and services being provided to them and increase profitability. This type of
organization are providing different health care services to their patients which can help to
increase life stability of people. In organization number of employees are working who all are
managing by a leader effectively. The leader of such an organization identifies what their
patients want and provides the training to staff which can help to operate a business and increase
performance.
Authentic leadership that encourages others to follow
Authentic leadership is defined as a new theory of leadership that involves core ideas of
leadership, thoughts, and effective services that are provided by a leader to their employees that
make them happy and satisfied. This is important for all health and social care industry to
understand what their patients want and how they can be healthy after getting services that help
to maintain higher performance and profitability. The main purpose of authentic leadership is to
create self-awareness, identification of problems, providing an optimum solution that can help to
increase performance and profitability. Authentic leadership involves the highest integrity,
fairness, solution of problems, and others which supports running a business and increases the
satisfaction level. These authentic leaders of domiciliary care are having different qualities such
1

as integrity, lead with heart, lead with vision, consistency, transparency, self-awareness, and
focus on long-term goals which can help to operate an organization effectively by managing all
functions and activities in a changing environment. This type of leadership is adopted by leaders
who are working in domiciliary care that encourages people to follow them and build their
personal development as leaders are enough capable to handle each situation and problem which
occurs at the time of working (Salmi, 2019). In current environment (Covid-19), authentic
leaders are struggling with PPE, social distancing, hand sanitizer and limited number of people in
organization which is very difficult to maintain. In this, they needs to carry heavy clothes, not
allowed to collect the people and using hand sanitizing for the purpose of maintaining safety. By
taking all preventive measure, leaders are keeping safety and running their business effectively
by retaining staff. This create the cost of organization and it is creating problem in managing all
equipment.
Role of transformational leadership in health care organization
Transformational leadership can be explained as the leadership approach that mainly uses
to bring changes by team and individuals by analysing performance and formulate planning. This
is important for the organization to understand the needs of their patients and provide the kind of
health care services. For example, Helping Hands best domiciliary health and social care
organization in the UK that provides a variety of health care services to customers at their homes
as they want which can help to increase the performance and profitability (Salmi 2018). The
leaders of health care understand the problems of their patients and bring changes so that better
quality of services can be provided to them and manage the higher performance in the industry.
The role of transformational leadership in health and social care are as defined:
Transformational leadership has potential to motivate followers: The health care
organizations are focusing on motivating the employees by meeting with their basic needs such
as they uses Maslow's hierarchy that covers physiological needs, safety, security, self esteem,
and self actualisation that attracts the number of people and make them satisfied (Challis, Darton
and Stewart, 2018). The leaders of following the all safety measures such as proper sanitizing,
PPE, and following the social distancing the provides the safety and taking the all right action. It
has been seen that many people or families are selecting domiciliary care as it provides home
care services to their patients by maintaining one-to-one personal attention. The care services are
providing for 24/7 hours that can help to make happy people.
2

Understanding the problem:The role of transformational leadership is to find out the
problems which are about business and collect the number of ideas by sharing with employees
that make them feel good. In health and social care organization, a transformational leader is
playing important roles by analysing the environment and understanding problem which is
running in the business. This can help to introduce new ideas and thoughts which can help to
manage the workings (About transformational leadership, 2020).
Bring the changes – Changes are important for all organization as it helps to introduce
something new and attractive that can help to operate and continue all activities so that higher
profitability can be maintained. The transformation leader of Domiciliary care inspires positive
changes in people who follow them. These leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and
passionate who are involves in the change management process that can help to provide a good
quality of health care services to their customers and attain a positive brand image.
High level of engagement between leader and follower – Transformational leadership
highly depends on the high level of engagement between leader and followers. In Health and
social organization, transformational leaders use an autocratic management style, in which
engagement goes in only one direction that can help to complete the workings and develop good
performance (Rubery 2015).
Strategic thinker – Another role of a transformational leader in domiciliary care is
strategic thinker where management thinks deeply regarding problems which are facing by
employees and other people who are getting services from them. The leaders are responsible for
formulating the effective plans and strategies that are used to solve the problems and manage all
performance efficaciously.
Application of leadership skills under Covid-19
As the whole world is facing from Pandemic (Covid-19) which is a serious problem,
affected all business organizations, health care organizations, schools, education hubs, and others
badly. Due to this Pandemic number of death cases is increasing and many may are under
infected from this virus. Herein, people are demanding the best vaccine and proper treatment but
WTO is not able to provide yet. As a leader of a Domiciliary care organization, there is a need
for skilled and experienced managers who can implement the good quality of care services in
their organization and make efforts to provide safety to people. There is a need to have good
knowledge of how people will be satisfied and provide good health care services to their patients
3

which can help to maintain good performance. As a leader and manager, different types of
quality care services implemented in the organization under the Covid-19 are as explained:
Providing health care service by using all precaution – The government of all country
has formulated different legislations and laws to maintain distance between people where
management are forced to maintain a gap between managers and employees effectively. As
management, all safety measures and precautions are implemented in an organization that is
providing safety and good health care services (Pollock, 2020).
Proper training is provided – In health and social care organizations, the number of
employees are working who are providing treatment such as medicine, regular check-up, and
others. Herein, managers are responsible to provide training to working staff as to how to treat
patients and affected people under Covid-19. The Pandemic has required a proper health system
to change much faster than normal.
Quality improvement - In chosen domiciliary care, many staff has experienced training
in quality improvement and patient safety methods which uses to support the design of new
systems and accelerate learning regarding new and adapted practices. Herein, management is
using different measures and actions to maintain safety standards and develop their team by
providing training.
Service shifts have affected the whole care – Covid-19 is serious Pandemic which is
facing by all organization concerning health care. As a manager of Domiciliary care changes to
health promotion and support vulnerable people in the community by taking all precautions and
safety measures.
Social distancing – In health care organization management has followed the social
distancing measures in all public areas which is most important in recent times as it helps to
provide safety from spreading the virus.
Hand sanitising station – In Health and social care organization number of hand
sanitising station are installed for patients and care takers and doctors which can supports to
provide the safety and good health of people (Gardiner, 2015).
Struggle to PPE and offer care
As the environment is changing in the global environment many diseases are occurring
where it is important to people to focus on their health and take all safety measures which can
help to provide them safety and healthy life. The management or leaders of chosen health care
4

organizations are using personal protective equipment (PPE) due to Pandemic where they
struggle with this in case of providing care services. In this, leaders are required to wear
protective clothing, helmets, goggles, gloves, and any other garments which are designed to
protect the wearer's body from infection. To carry all this equipment is difficult but it provides
safety so it is mandatory for management and employees to wear who are providing care services
to people and injected people. Herein, a transformational leadership approach is used by
managers which helps to bring the changes in their activities and take all safety measures to
operate the business.
CONCLUSION
From the case study, it has concluded that a leader is an important person in all
organization who identify the problems and get an optimum solution which can help to maintain
higher performance. The authentic leader is good in health and social care organization as its
focus on the health of people and creates the self-awareness in all practices so that all activities
can be completed effectively. In Covid-19 many problems are facing by managers where it is
required to take safety measures and follow regulations which cab help to provide quality care
services. This is important for organization and management to understand the needs and wants
of their employees then bring the changes which can help to operate the business and attain the
higher performance in changing environment. To provide the good health and care services is
good choice for companies as it provide good treatment and manage the services.
5

RERFRENCES
Books and journals
Challis, D., Darton, R. and Stewart, K. eds., 2018. Community care, secondary health care and
care management. Routledge.
Gardiner, L., 2015. The scale of minimum wage underpayment in social care. London:
Resolution Foundation.
Pollock, K. and et. al., 2020. What do family caregivers want from domiciliary care for relatives
living with dementia? a qualitative study. Ageing and Society.
Rubery, J. and et. al., 2015. “It's All About Time”: Time as contested terrain in the management
and experience of domiciliary care work in England. Human Resource
Management.54(5). pp.753-772.
Salmi, R. and et. al., 2019. Oral health assessment in domiciliary care service planning of older
people. Special Care in Dentistry.39(5). pp.485-490.
Salmi, R. and et. al., 2018. Knowledge, perceived skills and activities of nursing staff to support
oral home care among older domiciliary care clients. Scandinavian Journal of Caring
Sciences.32(4). pp.1342-1347.
Wergeland and et. al., 2015. Predictors for nursing home admission and death among
community-dwelling people 70 years and older who receive domiciliary care. Dementia
and geriatric cognitive disorders extra.5(3). pp.320-329.
Online
About transformational leadership. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transformational-leadership-2795313>
6