Leadership in the Literature: Updated Monthly

Want more articles? Contact the library for a literature search on any topic. Questions? Email us: library@allina.com

1. From discontinuity to transformation: Drucker’s wisdom for navigating today’s healthcare environment | 2025 | Journal of Healthcare Management
(Available in MN only, email library@allina.com for a copy outside of MN)
In 1969, Peter Drucker introduced the concept of an “age of discontinuity,” describing a world where predictable patterns of the past no longer defined the future (Drucker, 1969). Drucker foresaw a society characterized by rapid changes in technology, politics, economics, and organizational behavior. More than 50 years later, healthcare leaders find themselves confronting precisely the kinds of discontinuity Drucker described. From shifting political winds to technological disruptions, today’s healthcare delivery landscape demands the strategic adaptability and foresight that Drucker
championed.

2. Technology drives emerging roles in health care workforces | 2025 | NEJM Catalyst
Members of the NEJM Catalyst Insights Council describe many new and emerging roles in health care organizations, from the front lines to the C-suite.

3. Meeting future demands of acute care through the home hospital care model | 2025 | Journal of Healthcare Management
As healthcare leaders consider how to meet the challenges of the future, we must continue to evolve our view of what standard hospital care looks like. Home-based care for acute conditions is a promising model that can serve as the foundation for new and innovative programs that are capable of much more.

4. The effect of registered nurse staffing and skill mix on length of stay and hospital costs | 2025 | Nursing Outlook
Sepsis is a common cause of hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries, often leading to prolonged hospital stays and high costs.
Better RN staffing and skill mix can improve patient outcomes and yield significant cost savings.

5.Are you really a good listener? | 2025 | Harvard Business Review
(Available in MN only, email library@allina.com for a copy outside of MN)
Research has shown that when employees feel heard, their engagement rises and their performance improves, delivering big benefits to their firms. Yet 117 studies on workplace listening reveal that many managers aren't good listeners. Why? Because listening is mentally taxing and demands empathy and patience. This article describes the five common causes of poor listening and explains ways to counter each. The first pitfall is haste. To avoid it, set aside distraction-free time for conversations, ask clarifying questions, seek more details, and plan follow-up discussions. The second pitfall is defensiveness. When you experience this, you need to calm your emotions, buy yourself time by restating what you've heard, and get more information before responding. The third pitfall is invisibility—not showing that you're listening. So demonstrate that you are with body language and verbal cues and by summarizing what people have told you. The fourth pitfall is exhaustion, which prevents leaders from engaging productively. Setting clear boundaries and acknowledging your limits will help you address this problem. The last pitfall is inaction. The fix here is to always close the loop: Before ending a conversation, affirm what you've heard, identify next steps, and agree on a timeline for checking back in.

6. CALM amid chaos: The art of being a team leader. A toolkit to cultivate strong emergency management skills | 2025 | Canadian Family Physician
The College of Family Physicians of Canada characterizes leadership as a primary responsibility of family physicians.1 We are expected to demonstrate leadership at all levels to provide “accessible, high-quality, comprehensive, and continuous first-contact health care”1 to patients. The clinical environment often presents intense challenges for family physicians, amplified by limited resources, personnel, and specialized services. Additionally, as many family physicians work in high-acuity areas like emergency or urgent care departments, or as hospitalists, this framework is highly applicable.

Despite the need for strong leadership skills in these high-stress situations, formal leadership training was not offered during my medical education journey. This gap underscores the importance of family physicians developing their own effective stress management techniques to better support and lead teams in times of crisis.

7. Exploring the core of emotional intelligence in healthcare leadership: A concept analysis | 2025 | Journal of Advanced Nursing
Emotional intelligence in healthcare leadership contributes to better performing organisations, as emotionally capable leaders can inspire and empower their employees. Holistic management of organisational duties and people-oriented leadership is a crucial resource in healthcare organisations. Well-being and workplace resources can be vitally important for leaders to manifest emotional intelligence in their work.

Multimedia

1. Leading from within: Cultivating effective leadership and followership in health care | 2025 | NEJM Catalyst Conversation | Audio + Transcript
The integration of effective leadership practices in health care is essential for improving outcomes and fostering a collaborative environment. In this dialogue, James Mountford, Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Leader, discusses the distinction between “leading” as an action and “leadership” as a position, emphasizing that everyone can contribute to leading within their sphere, regardless of rank. The conversation explores the concept of followership and the importance of cultivating good followers who support leaders while maintaining shared values. Mountford highlights the need for clarity in leadership roles and the significance of mobilizing teams around a common vision. He argues that effective leadership is a practice that requires engagement and reflection, rather than merely theoretical training. As health care systems navigate complexities, understanding these dynamics will be crucial for enhancing service delivery and achieving better patient outcomes.

2. Reaffirming the heart of nursing | 2025 | Nursing Management Podcast | Video
For Nurses Month, Dr. Tim Porter-O'Grady joins us to talk about reaffirming the heart of nursing: a focus on humanity and caring. 

Welcome to Leadership in the Literature, a roundup of recent articles/multimedia on leading and managing from Allina Health Library Services.
 

1. What sets inspirational leaders apart? | 2025 | Harvard Business Review
   (Available in MN only, email library@allina.com for a copy outside of MN)
   When people around the world are asked to reflect on both inspiring leaders and infuriating leaders, they point to three factors that distinguish the former from the latter. Inspiring leaders are visionary: They see the big picture and offer an optimistic, meaningful view of the future. This fulfills the human need for meaning and purpose. Inspiring leaders are exemplars of desired behavior: They are calm and courageous protectors, authentically passionate, extremely competent but also humble. This fulfills the human need for protection and passion. Finally, inspiring leaders are great mentors: They empower, encourage, and are empathetic toward others, but they also challenge others to be the best version of themselves. This fulfills the human need for support and status. Each of us can develop the capacity to be inspiring in all three dimensions of leadership.
    
2. What's the role of kindness in the healthcare context? A scoping review | 2025 | BMC Health Serv Res
   The role of kindness in healthcare is receiving increased attention. Indeed, international research shows that a culture of kindness has a positive impact on healthcare organizations, healthcare staff members, and patients. Benefits include better patient outcomes, as well as a humanized work environment, which helps to prevent stress and burnout among healthcare workers. Studies across different settings suggest that healthcare managers need to foster not only technical and organizational skills, but also social skills such as empathy and kindness. The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the current research landscape regarding initiatives based on acts of kindness in healthcare organizations. We will also explore whether this is a topic of interest to academics, which countries have conducted the most research on the subject, the practical implications for healthcare management, and potential directions for future research.
    
3. Who are you as a leader? | 2025 | Harvard Business Review
   (Available in MN only, email library@allina.com for a copy outside of MN)
   Social scientists have recently developed a new appreciation for how your conception of yourself can affect your professional and personal lives. The good news is that recent research has shown that you can curate your identity in the workplace in ways that will improve your performance as a leader, the trust you're able to inspire in others, and even your overall well-being. The author discusses this research, including some of his own, and presents best practices for curating a multifaceted identity that will serve you well professionally and personally. At the center of this approach is the construction of what Ingram calls the identity map—a simple device that allows people to identify, visualize, and ultimately leverage the many interconnected elements that make up their sense of who they are. 
    
4. Driving for results: Building a partnership-driven leadership model for recruiting and retaining Black newly licensed registered nurses | 2025 | Nurse Leader
   A health care system in the Southeastern United States explored the impact of nursing education, recruitment, and strategic initiatives focusing on Black newly licensed registered nurses (BNLRNs). Strategies included recruiting from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, cultivating academic-practice partnerships, infusing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into the Nurse Residency Program curriculum, creating formal mentoring programs, and health system inclusion council initiatives. Outcomes included an increase in the number of BNLRN hires and first-year retention rates. Leadership implications are vast; understanding workforce trends will innovate the future of nursing education and support for BNLRNs.
    
5. Improving patient outcomes without breaking the bank: The rise in chronic diseases drives the use of novel therapies | 2025 | Healthcare Executive
   (Available in MN only, email library@allina.com for a copy outside of MN)
   The article focuses on the increasing prevalence of specialty drugs, with three-quarters of FDA-approved drugs in 2023 falling into this category. Topics include the rising cost of gene therapies, the challenges healthcare providers face in improving access to these expensive treatments, and creative solutions like partnerships to reduce costs and improve patient care.
    
6. Emergency department boarding reflects ongoing strains | 2025 | NEJM Catalyst
   Emergency care has been in the spotlight since patient volume in emergency departments expanded in 2020 with Covid-19 patients, then waned as other ill and injured people avoided hospitals rather than risk exposure to the virus. As the public health emergency eased, ED volumes rebounded with patients who had delayed care in prior years or whose mental health suffered during the stress and isolation of the pandemic. For a current look at emergency care, NEJM Catalyst in November 2024 surveyed its Insights Council, a global group of clinicians, clinical leaders, and executives at health care delivery organizations.
    
7. The role of artificial intelligence in supporting the core mission of nursing | 2025 | The Journal of Nursing Administration
   Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize nursing practice and care delivery by streamlining workflows, enhancing patient insights, and reducing cognitive burden. However, leaders must recognize that the adoption of AI introduces both promise and uncertainty. Nurse leaders must navigate the tension between driving innovation and addressing concerns about ethical implications, reliability, and the need to preserve high-quality, person-centered care. This article examines how leaders can thoughtfully integrate AI to support the core mission of nursing: to protect, promote, and optimize health for patients and communities.
    
8. ‘We listened and supported and depended on each other’: a qualitative study of how leadership influences implementation of QI interventions. | 2025 | BMJ Quality Safety
   There is growing recognition in the literature of the ‘Herculean’ efforts required to bring about change in healthcare processes and systems. Leadership is recognised as a critical lever for implementation of quality improvement (QI) and other complex team-level interventions; however, the processes by which leaders facilitate change are not well understood. The aim of this study is to examine ‘how’ leadership influences implementation of QI interventions.
    
9. How to develop your leadership style | 2025 | Harvard Business Review
   (Available in MN only, email library@allina.com for a copy outside of MN)
   Bosses often sense that something is missing in an employee's tool kit but can't put a finger on what it is. They say something like "You need certain important intangibles" or "You don't have enough gravitas," but they fail to provide advice or guidance. What they're talking about is leadership style. In every interaction, we send signals to others that fall into two categories: power and attractiveness. Powerful markers are associated with confidence, competence, charisma, and influence but also arrogance, abrasiveness, and intimidation. Attractiveness markers are related to agreeableness, approachability, and likability but also diffidence, lack of confidence, and submissiveness. The more consistent our signals, the more distinctive our style. This practical guide offers concrete advice for developing a dynamic and effective leadership style that draws from both types of markers for maximum impact.
    

Multimedia

1. What you're missing by focusing on the average | 2024 | TED Talks - TED@BCG (video)
   Are you looking at the right data when making big decisions? Data deconstructor Sharon Zicherman challenges our reliance on averages, showing how they can be misleading — especially in life-changing moments. By rethinking the way we interpret data, he reveals a smarter approach to assessing risk and making better choices.