Strategies of Successful Leadership Teams

By Nancy Aronson and Kathleen McInerney Kane

“We’re not just running—we’re galloping!”

These were the words of a senior executive on a leadership team in healthcare. The healthcare environment is complicated and uncertain, to say the least. Leading in this arena is requiring intuitive and counter-intuitive practices. When a system is in doing mode, it is hard to imagine taking time to pause. In our recent work with a leadership team, we offered the following strategies for navigating complex, dynamic landscapes. We used them as the basis for the design of a retreat for the 30 top leaders of a regional healthcare network. We think these practices may be useful across sectors. They are derived from our experiences in the field, articles, and thought-provoking conversations with colleagues and clients