Leadership

I spent the last two days in the Network for Improving Addiction Treatment (NIATx) Change Leader Academy. Aside from being impressed with my fellow students, the things that stood out to me are the characteristics of a good leader, particularly a leader of organizational change. Good leaders:

• challenge the status quo
• get results that are verifiable by data
• are persistent
• are respected and have influence across the organization
• focus their teams on the current objectives
• provide accountability
• involve the right people for the task
• motivate, inspire, and empower others
• create a process for short-term wins
• communicate, communicate, communicate

As I read these over, I am challenged to think about ways to improve my skills in these areas. If you want to learn more about the NIATx approach to process improvement and organizational change, go to their website.www.niatx.net.