Leadership Attributes and Organizational Culture in Healthcare

This essay examines the leadership attributes and behaviors essential for effective management, with a specific focus on their application within healthcare organizations. The study uses Michelle Obama as a case study to identify key leadership qualities, including compassion, respect, communication skills, motivation, honesty, time management, self-confidence, and perseverance. It explores how these attributes align with transformational leadership theory and influence organizational culture and outcomes. The essay highlights the significance of these leadership qualities in fostering a positive work environment, improving patient care, and driving overall organizational success. The analysis emphasizes the impact of leadership on employee commitment, efficient operations, and the establishment of a strong, collaborative culture, essential for growth in healthcare and other sectors. The conclusion reinforces the critical role of effective leadership in driving organizational performance and development.

Running head: LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES
LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Executive summary
The purpose of this study is to analyse and find out the leadership attributes and behaviours,
which are required for effective management, in influencing individuals, establishing
congenial culture and achieving the desired outcomes in any organization. Effective
leadership is inevitable for ensuring proper management and operation of an organization
especially in healthcare centres, which is the focus of the paper as it deals with diversified
workforce. After performing, the whole study it can be said that the effective leadership is
indispensable for not specially in the health care centres rather for any kind of organization to
ensure the growth through establishing healthy, congenial culture as well as committed
workforce.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Leadership Attributes of Obama............................................................................................3
Relation of Above Mentioned Attributes with Leadership Theory:......................................5
Influence of Abovementioned Attributes on Organizational Culture and Outcomes:...........5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Leadership is the quality, which enables a person to influence, motivate and direct
others to achieve a certain goal (Grint et al., 2016). It is the act of leading people in right
direction. In any organization and especially in healthcare centres effective leadership is an
indispensable aspect for proper management and action. In this study, Michelle Obama has
been chosen as leader for analysing and identifying the leadership attributes and behaviours
for ensuring growth and desired organizational culture. In the next section of the paper, the
important leadership attributes and behavioural patterns of the leader is discussed in respect
to different leadership theories and how these factors have been effective in influencing
culture and bringing the desired outcomes.
Discussion
Michelle Obama is a heroic figure who is well known around the world. She served as
the first lady of U.S for nine years. Apart from being a political leader, she is a lawyer,
university administrator and writer. She established herself as the role model for women and
contributed for development in education, poverty control, nutrition and physical activity.
Her capacity to motivate and encourage in performing as desired has made her a super leader
(Puls, 2014). As a leader she possesses various attributes which are discussed below.
Leadership Attributes of Obama
1. Compassion: Michelle Obama always fought for the justice and supports
humanity. She served society as well as neighbourhood communities. She
contributed immensely for the education of girl child so that may have bright
future and good career aspects. Additionally she has worked in promoting
good health to citizens which includes various services for the veterans and
through this has showed her compassion (Menns, 2015).

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2. Respect for Self and Others: Michelle always carries the grace and civility
within herself. She struggled with constant discrimination for being African-
American women in both her school and administrative position. Though she
faced disrespect from people, she did not feel dejected rather dealt them with
respect and grace (Woolley & Darling, 2017).
3. Efficient Communicator: Michelle Obama is well known for expressing her
own perception in public without hesitation. She is thoughtful and has the
ability to instil the vigour within the people and inspire them. Her delivery of
speech at Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 2008 and 2012 is
regarded as an effective speech to deliver her message.
4. Inspiring and Motivating: Michelle inspires children, youth and tries to
empower women. Her personal story evokes inspiration and motivation in
women. She inspires young people to work hard, grow, learn and develop by
providing them suitable environment (Burgess, 2016).
5. Honesty and Dedication: Michelle Obama has shown her dedication in wide
variety of areas which include reducing childhood obesity, supporting the
military families, eliminating poverty, providing justice, and working towards
women empowerment. She has made it her mission to better the lives of
everyone, which is her honest expression of beliefs (Matthews, Chaney &
Opiri, 2015).
6. Time Management: Michelle apart from being the first lady of a nation is a
wife and a mother and both these roles require efficient time management. She
has executed her responsibility well be it in domestic aspects where she is
taking care of her family or as a role model looked up by all. In all her role she
has managed the time well (Hayden, 2017).

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7. Self Confidence, Perseverance and Strong Personality: Obama has
displayed her self-confidence in every all domains starting from her DNC
inauguration speeches. She has instilled courage and self-faith among women.
She never shied away from the point that she supports which shows her strong
personality and perseverance (Toner et al., 2013).
Relation of Above Mentioned Attributes with Leadership Theory:
All the above-mentioned behavioural attributes possessed by Michelle Obama are related
to the theory propagating transformational leadership, where a leader is defined as a person
who works with members and tries to make them aware about the outcome of some specific
issues, directs, encourages them to look beyond self-interest, and allows the freedom of
choice for followers. The transformational leaders are motivating, supporting, confident,
respectful and compassionate in nature and these qualities are present in Michelle Obama.
Thus, Michelle Obama established herself as a leader who is capable of bringing
transformation (Antonakis & Robert, 2013).
Influence of Abovementioned Attributes on Organizational Culture and
Outcomes:
Organizational culture denotes the values, shared beliefs, behaviours that contribute
the establishment of unique working environment within an organization. Healthcare sectors
generally deal with a diversified workforce from various cultural background focuses on
delivering patient care (Murray et al., 2016). In such a diversified environment, the leaders
with above-mentioned qualities can bring the required change thereby ensuring control,
increasing output and building a healthy collaborative culture. The below mentioned sections
will elucidate how these attributes can be a necessary element for building effective culture
and outcome in the health care sector.

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Compassion: Compassion within the doctor and nurses make them empathetic to the patients
as well as other co-workers, which in turn ensure the good service for the patients and build
collaborative healthy culture in the organization (West et al., 2014).
Respect for Self and Others: The cultivation of self-respect and the culture of providing
respect for other people enable the people live and work with dignity which in turn can attract
and retain talent as well as the patients which in turn leads towards good culture and
improved outcomes.
Efficient Communication: The effective communication enables the people to listen
carefully and understand the requirements as well as problems of patients and people working
within the health organization, which helps to operate with reduced impediments and ensured
outcome as well as good work culture (Brock et al., 2013).
Motivation, Honesty and Dedication: The attribute of motivating, honesty and dedication
others within leaders effective to inspire the people to work hard, treat better and contribute
more to ensure the wellbeing of the patients. This will establish committed workforce and
better in service delivery (World Health Organization, 2016).
Time Management: In health organization, time management is a vital part as it deals with
the life. Carelessness can lead to death. In such critical situation, the quality of effective time
management can reduce the unwanted accidents and better service.
Self Confidence, Perseverance and Strong Personality: The confident and strong
personality with perseverance in leaders is effective to handle immense stress, act efficiently
with reduced chance of accidents, which are natural in health care centres

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Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be concluded that the leadership qualities play a
vital role in ensuring the well management of people and the smooth operation as well as
production of the organization. The leaders with the above-mentioned qualities can bring the
development in any kind of organization whether it is an healthcare or other social and profit
making organization. The leaders are inevitable to establish certain culture, motivated,
dedicated, committed workforce. Leaders are the person who can bring change in right time
and place. Thus, effective leadership become indispensable for the well performance and
development of the organization.

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References
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