Why Developing Health Care Leaders Matters Now

Now more than ever, the community and primary health care sector needs effective, dynamic leadership.

Why? To understand that, we have to consider the current challenges facing the entire health system and the new government’s proposed approach to solving them. We will only be successful in ending “hallway medicine” if all sectors across the continuum are part of the solution. The community and primary care sector will be key in increasing access and reducing wait lists, keeping patients informed and engaged, and empowering front line workers.  

Operationalizing our new government's plan rests with the current and future Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Executive Directors (EDs) of Ontario’s community and primary health care sector. They’re the “on the ground” system changers, and transformation within the sector relies heavily on their strong leadership skills.

It’s an exciting challenge that our sub-sectors are rising together, to meet. A key piece of that is leadership development.

Historically, leaders in community and primary health care have worked their way up over years with the same organization. They’ve developed through informal and on-the-job learning such as peer-to-peer interactions, informal mentoring, and routine tasks and communications, which help build tacit knowledge.

Few have had the benefit of formal leadership training, which builds foundational knowledge and raises overall competency and effectiveness, particularly when it comes to strategic and systems level thinking – both of which are key to sector wide transformation.

To solve the challenges the healthcare system faces, our sectors need strong, capable leaders with practical know-how, strategic insight, and the ability to build and sustain momentum – leaders who are ready to work differently, collaborate more across the system, and find new ways to have bigger, more profound impacts.

It’s both a challenge and a tremendous opportunity. That’s why we’re so excited about LeaderShift – a cross-sector, leadership-focused collaboration across team and community-based primary care, home and community support services and mental health and addictions.
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The goal of LeaderShift is simple but powerful: to develop current and emerging health leaders, ignite system-wide collaboration, and strengthen partnerships. With the support of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, we’re investing in current and upcoming leaders in community and primary health care, building their understanding of the real strengths, challenges, and opportunities within and across the system, and helping them build the tools and skills to take us into the future confidently.

We’ve partnered with LEADS-- Canada’s gold standard in health leadership development – to offer current and emerging leaders in our sectors the opportunity to advance their careers, strengthen community partnerships, and participate in the transformation of our health care system.

Leaders in community and primary health care have a tremendous role to play in shaping the future of the health care system. LeaderShift is paving the way by developing strong, capable leaders with the skills, tools, and confidence to move their organizations – and the entire system – forward.

To find out more about health care leadership development, LEADS, and other LeaderShift activities, click here.