Developing Canadian physician: the quest for leadership effectiveness

Area of Science:

• Medical leadership
• Organizational psychology
• Physician management

Background:

• Physician leadership effectiveness is crucial for healthcare systems.
• Political skill is a key determinant of leadership success.
• Understanding physicians' political skill levels is essential for developing targeted training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between physicians' roles (clinical vs. non-clinical) and their political skill levels.
• To identify specific dimensions of political skill that may differ between clinical and non-clinical physicians.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 209 Canadian physicians from 2012-2014.
• Utilized the Political Skills Inventory (PSI) to measure social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and apparent authenticity.
• Compared PSI scores between physicians in clinical and non-clinical roles.

Main Results:

• Physicians in clinical roles scored significantly lower on all four dimensions of the PSI compared to non-clinical physicians.
• The most substantial difference was observed in networking abilities.
• This suggests a potential gap in political skill development for physicians primarily engaged in clinical practice.

Conclusions:

• Physicians in clinical roles may require additional education and training in political skills to enhance their leadership effectiveness.
• Findings suggest a need for tailored leadership development programs focusing on areas like networking for physicians.
• The study's implications may extend to international healthcare settings seeking to improve physician leadership.