We know the typical healthcare worker craves development. All the research shows that. I’m currently writing a book on the multigenerational workplace, so I’ve been immersed in the data of what matters to people, and leadership development almost always lands in the first position. But given the headwinds our industry faces, what I care about more is what makes organizations hum—and leader development is one of the best investments we can make right now.
First off, we need it. A huge percentage of our leaders are young, inexperienced, and tasked with making life-or-death decisions in an ever-more-complex industry. But also, good leader development solves a lot of other problems. (Quint Studer talks about looking for single actions that get multiple results—and this is one of those.) Good leadership training gets a lot of bang for the buck. For example, it:
- Fixes retention issues—a well-run organization is a place people want to be (more on this a bit later)
- Improves engagement
- Reduces burnout and promotes well-being
- Makes change more successful
- Helps build your bench
- And (last but not least!) improves financial performance and patient outcomes
But here’s the caveat: To get these results, it has to be the right development. Traditional “big tent” LDIs (large group training events) are still valid…they’re just not enough. Off-the-shelf training can feel too generalized to get results, and besides, 2025 leaders don’t have the time or bandwidth for it. They’re already overwhelmed. We don’t want to put more rocks in their backpack. I’m finding that organizations that rewire how they approach development are the ones that win.
When I broached this subject in two Becker’s articles last year, I was seeing a lot of promise with client partner organizations that were rethinking their approach and developing people in more tailored, personalized ways. Now some hard results are rolling in—and they’re impressive.
In May of 2024, I spotlighted how Healthcare Plus Solutions Group®’s partner Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma (part of Ardent Health), had started training nurses early (before they are ready to step into a formal leadership role). Now, what we thought would happen has been borne out. Of the 185 charge nurses who have participated in the development sessions, only two have exited the organization and, more importantly, eleven have been promoted within. We’ve also seen direct impact on patient experience results over the past six months, with those being developed leaning in to lead efforts to improve those results.
All of this leads us to an important question: What does the leadership development of the future (which begins today!) look like? Based on our experience with Precision Leader Development™ (PLD), we’re finding that impactful development is:
• PRECISE. It drives the outcomes organizations are looking to drive. Development is not about hiring an inspirational speaker; it has to move the needle. Precision comes from diagnosis: It’s critical to ask, “How do we include leaders in identifying skill sets they aspire to improve?”
• SPECIFIC. “One-size-fits-all” doesn’t work. Training and development needs to be individualized to a leader’s needs, learning style, schedule, and so forth. Is the person more people-oriented, pace-oriented, or structure-oriented? Do they learn better by reading or by listening? Do they prefer one-on-one coaching or group settings?
• METRICS-BASED. It’s important to assess where a person is before development starts. Use their data to focus on what they need to learn. Then use their results to keep them motivated.
• DOABLE. Leader development must work with the person’s schedule. They still have to manage their day-to-day responsibilities and not get overwhelmed. (Too much development too soon can actually be a demotivator.)
The good news is that the right leader development is heavy on “practice”—meaning work that dovetails with the leader’s daily tasks. I see the formula as, roughly, 25 percent inspiration and 75 percent perspiration. Real success comes from doing the work, seeing the improvement, and being motivated to get better still. Leaders tell us all the time how much they appreciate diving into the work in these sessions versus simply leaving sessions armed with a lot of theory.
One final note: Getting leader development right means it’s always tied to the effect on clinical outcomes. All of the metrics it moves are in the service of creating organizations that provide better care to patients—it’s our ultimate goal, and it’s what matters most.
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Dan Collard is the cofounder (with Quint Studer) of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group® (HPSG). He is the coauthor (with Quint Studer) of Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired and Rewiring Leadership in Post-Acute Healthcare: Equipping Leaders to Succeed. He is currently coauthoring with Dr. Katherine A. Meese the book Genfluence: Igniting Intergenerational Impact (ACHE Learn, Winter 2025). For more information, please visit www.healthcareplussg.com.
