Developing Effective Leaders in Ambulance Services

Ambulance Leadership Forum22nd May 2013

Overview• Brief overview of leadership theory and research

(and a comment on social support).• Re-awakening of interest in (specific) leader /

manager behaviour.• Evidence from ongoing research• Brief look at interventions: SMBI and SBT• Further information and close

Theories & Approaches• Trait• Behavioural• Situational (contingency)• Holistic or ‘new wave’ approaches • Leader-Follower• Transactional – transformational• Authentic leadership

• Supported by research on value of social support

Leadership & Management• Same or different?• Some say ‘different’ but ...• Leadership roles are underpinned by management

behaviour (e.g. motivating and supporting employees)

• Managers are frequently required to lead (e.g. to instill a sense of collective identity and shared direction amongst employees).

Definition

A leader is someone who uses various behaviours and interaction styles to influence the thoughts and actions of others.

(Sims, S., Faraj, P. & Yun, S. 2009, Business Horizons, 52, pages 149-152)

Relationship –Oriented Behaviour• Behavioural theories

• Consideration• Leader-Member Exchange (LMX)

• Mutual respect, interpersonal trust, information sharing and opportunities for joint decision making

• Transformational leadership• Individualized consideration’ (delegation)• Intellectual stimulation’ (freedom of thinking)• Inspirational motivation’ (encouragement)• Idealized influence (sharing success)

• Positive relationship linked with increased employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment, lower work stress and turnover intentions, greater perceived organizational justice and improved task performance

Emerging Focus

• Identifying key leader / manager behaviours and designing organisational systems and processes to take account of them (e.g. selection, training and appraisal).

Evidence• Two Trust-based well-being audits (454 and 633

participants)

• National project focusing on hazardous situations (e.g. HART, MTFA) (486 participants)

Specific BehavioursSUPPORTIVE UNSUPPORTIVE

1.Listens 7. Criticizes effort / performance

2. Recognises a job well done 8. Quick to blame others3. Makes clear what is expected 9. Sets contradictory goals

4. Shows interest in well-being5. Makes herself / himself available6. Encourages your point of viewWhich behaviour predicts ‘perceived fairness’, ‘climate for innovation and creativity’, ‘proactive safety culture’ and ‘withdrawal from patients’?

Impact• Perceived Fairness

• Recognition• Quick to blame (-ve)• Criticizing effort (-ve)

• Innovation & Creativity• As above plus contradictory goals (-ve), clear expectations &

encouraged to put across own point of view• Safety culture

• As perceived fairness plus clear expectations• Burnout related withdrawal

• Contradictory goals (-ve)• Encouraged to put across own point of view• Availability

Specific BehavioursSUPPORTIVE UNSUPPORTIVE

Listens Criticizes your effort Recognises a job well done Quick to blame othersTreats staff fairly Sets unrealistic expectationsMakes clear what is expected Sets contradictory goalsDemonstrates interest in well-being ‘Tells’ rather than listens

Makes themselves availableEncourages your point of viewWilling to learn from othersActively encourages working togetherWhich behaviours predict capability, work engagement, well-being & resilience? ?

Impact• Capability

• Encouraged to put across own point of view• Actively encouraged to work together• Demonstrates interest in well-being

• Engagement• As above plus recognition of a job well done

• Well-being • Clear expectations• Contradictory goals (-ve)• Willingness to learn• Encouraging working together• Telling rather than listening (-ve)

• Resilience• Being available• Encouraging working together

Application• SMBI (Supportive Manager Behaviour Index)• Development of psychometric instrument• 360 assessment

• SBT• Experiential• Evidence based• Problem-solving emphasis • Realistic - real world scenarios• Robust evaluation

Scenario Based Training• To increase awareness and importance of everyday

manager behaviour

• To allow managers to reflect on their own manager behaviour

– To see/consider how supportive manager behaviour manifests/applies in specific situations

– To reinforce supportive behaviour– To look for opportunities to demonstrate supportive

manager behaviour

• To allow managers to develop a plan to action supportive behaviour in their own work situations

Thank You

For further information please contact: tony@zealsolutions.co.uk