Whether you are an administrator, clinical leader, manager, or supervisor, you can critically impact the workplace environment when you replace fear with trust and compassion. Decisions made from from integrity and respect for others create an atmosphere in which people are allowed to perform at their highest level. Happy employees extend compassion and respect to patients, families, and co-workers. Teamwork, innovation, productivity, efficiency, and synergism emerge in a trusting atmosphere. These behaviors directly influence patient satisfaction and outcomes, which, ultimately, affect reimbursement, profitability, and patient safety. Authentic leadership is not defined by an organizational chart. In fact, an old model of leadership, based on top down dictates and fear, often results in internal competition and rivalry, rather than cooperation.
