3 minute read
From the Executive Editor
The Queen’s Leadership Lessons for Case Managers
Catherine M. Mullahy
With the arrival of Fall, there are several occasions to commemorate or at least recognize. We recognize and celebrate Case Management Week, which occurs from October 9–15, 2022. While the official celebration of Case Management Week will have passed when this issue is published, we hope that case managers celebrate what they do every day, not just 1 week a year.
We recently witnessed the end of the 70-year reign of a truly remarkable woman. Queen Elizabeth II has died, and even though she ascended into her position by virtue of her birth, she still needed to overcome many of the challenges that faced most women in that era. She has been widely recognized as a world leader, and we are left to wonder how she and other individuals of that generation become leaders. “One thing [the Queen] will be remembered fondly for in terms of leadership lessons is her willingness to listen,” Wendy L. Patrick, a lecturer in business law at San Diego State University, said via email. “Many who worked with her described her as open-minded and forward-thinking, being receptive to hearing an opposing viewpoint and unafraid to change her mind.” “The most significant leadership lesson I think we [can] take from [her is] that leaders provide a sense of values, vision, and direction for the country, organization, etc.,” Andy Cohen, a professor of management at the University of Denver,” said via email: “…In her approach to work, the late Queen Elizabeth embodied passion and resiliency with a clear sense of duty…” Lisa DeFrankCole, a director and professor of West Virginia University’s leadership studies program, said via email. There is great wisdom in Queen Elizabeth’s reign. If we dare to adopt the Queen’s lessons of listening carefully; providing a sense of values, vision, and direction; and performing our jobs with passion, resiliency, and a clear sense of duty, we will make progress in becoming case management leaders.
Leadership shouldn’t be about being aggressive or jockeying for position; it is a collaborative process where individuals always seek the best possible outcome. Some of the more desirable characteristics and leadership qualities for case managers include:
Speaking with authority and with pride and passion for your role
Educating other members of your team (eg, physicians, nurses, insurers) about your patients’ needs and be willing to work toward win-win scenarios.
Keep learning; don’t just think of learning as a way to obtain or maintain your professional designation but rather as a way to be a more-informed, current, and valued case manager.
Stepping outside your “comfort zone”; learning begins when you explore what you don’t know!
For those of you are new to a leadership role in your organization and who might be struggling to balance your newer responsibilities, the following leadership qualities might be helpful or require a bit of “fine tuning”:
Listening—know what your patients and staff understand and what you would like them to understand.
Communicate your vision including your goals. Too often staff don’t understand your goals. There is a saying (attributed to Lewis Carroll in “Alice in Wonderland”): “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” This is also true for some case managers who seem to be task oriented and extremely busy but never really identify goals for their intervention. The question then becomes: How do you know you’re successful when you haven’t identified what success is? • Listen to patients’ individual goals and help them achieve these goals • Teach and mentor newer case managers or provide resources for them to acquire new skills • Celebrate often when work is successful; praising folks when they are improving is a better tactic than criticism. • Praise your team for working hard even if the desired results weren’t achieved
For case managers who are seeking recognition and, perhaps, continues on page 39
