Leadership Competency Framework Research Articles

The Institutional Leaders in Universities: A Framework for Improving Competency Assessment

This study describes the process of creating and improving a leadership competency framework within an organisation responsible for identifying potential leaders in universities. Specifically, this study assesses the leadership competency framework created in 2015 and its current relevance. Based on the focus group discussions, this study emphasises the need to refine the existing leadership competencies framework to accurately represent the current state of leadership at universities. The participants unanimously agreed to retain all clusters with minor changes. Specifically, the participants suggested that self-management should replace self-confidence to improve personal effectiveness. The leaders must have the ability to manage stress efficiently and maintain a stable state of mind. This study indicates participants understood diversity and flexibility, and leaders must adapt and use others' skills, especially in certain circumstances. The ability to adjust behaviour and ideas to environmental changes fosters inventiveness, critical thinking, and methodological challenge. In addition, the leaders must have a friendly and highly skilled demeanour. The participants also suggested introducing five additional assessment tools to evaluate the competence of future leaders. The five instruments include the 180-degree assessment, the 360-degree leadership assessment, the psychometric tests for IQ and EQ, the psychometric tests for personality, and the scenario planning analysis. The findings of this study provide an improved structure for identifying a competent leader who is exceptionally well suited to universities' unique demands.

Building Sustainable Futures: Developing a Halal Supply Chain Leadership Competency Framework

This paper presents some reflective perceptions of the current issues and the future challenges facing the Halal supply chain sector. Of particular concern is the challenge of attracting suitable talent to sustain its fast growth and developing future leaders to ensure that cross-border interactions remain culturally safe and respectful. Whilst it is agreed that much work has begun in establishing technical Halal competence within supply chains (Abd Rahman, Abd Mubin, Yusof, & Kamarulzaman, 2021; Hashim & Shariff, 2016), there remains a dearth of discussion around the design and development of a leadership framework to ensure its ongoing sustainability. In this respect, current knowledge around leadership in the Halal diaspora appears to consist of narrow definitions drawn from dominant Western-centric understandings of effective leadership (Weir, 2010). However, since these definitions are disconnected from their cultural contexts and cross-border implications, they can result in incongruities in their application, particularly in an Asian context (Harsanto & Roelfsema, 2015). The increasingly complex trading environment in this area would suggest that more focused research is needed to develop meaningful, respectful and relevant Halal sectorial leadership competency frameworks that successfully integrate the necessary socio-political values and cross-cultural complexities inherent in modern supply chains.

Registered nurses’ confidence related to undertaking a leadership role in residential aged care: A clinical leadership self-assessment survey

BackgroundThe Australian Royal Commission emphasizes the importance of registered nurse leadership in providing safe, high-quality care to older adults in Residential aged care. Nurse leadership has important ramifications for effective multidisciplinary care as well as recruitment and retention of the aged care workforce. Registered nurse leadership plays a crucial role in enhancing resident outcomes in Residential aged care, however there are limited studies examining self-perceptions of confidence and competence of nurses running Residential aged care, particularly after hours. AimTo examine registered nurse leadership via self-reported confidence and competence in Residential aged care. MethodsA cross-sectional research design with ten facilities in Western Australia was used, including a survey tool that relied on the Clinical Leadership Competency Framework. Cronbach's alpha test was used to ascertain internal reliability and replicability. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology guidelines was used to guide the study. Inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Data collection occurred over a six-month period, involving registered nurses employed by a single Residential aged care provider in Perth, Western Australia. Participants rated their leadership confidence on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (all the time). FindingsFrom a sample of 100 registered nurses working in aged care after-hours, 90% reported high levels of self-confidence. The survey results showed that those who have more than 10 years of experience reported highest confidence in managing services. Registered nurses over 50 years old self-reported highest confidence in personal qualities, managing, and improving service domains. DiscussionRegistered nurses run residential aged care, and this time of aged care reform provides an opportunity to examine associations between registered nurse leadership and resident outcomes and provide avenues for improvements in working environments and resident experiences. ConclusionThe findings have important implications for Residential aged care providers in establishing effective leadership mentoring programs to support registered nurses in improving their confidence and ability.

Leadership development through 360-degree multi-rater feedback—An experience sharing of need, approach, roll-out, and the impact

The organizational development (OD) interventions carried out by the assessment center identifying the competencies becomes effective only if the expectation of the stakeholders is met. A 360-degree multipurpose intervention is to assess and develop project director’s leadership capabilities and enable them to execute Mega Infrastructure Projects in India executed by Larsen and Toubro, the leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) players of India. Implementing such Mega Projects by maintaining time, cost, safety, and quality parameters require leadership skills of high order. To meet out this requirement implementation partner interacted with few project directors from each business verticals such as nuclear, hydel, metro, defense, special bridges and ports and harbor, to understand the role holders’ challenges and the expectations. L&T Heavy Civil Infrastructure (HCI) Leadership Competency framework was thus drafted looking into the role intensity and specific role-based challenges of the Mega Project Leaders. The questionnaires were designed to cover all dimensions and sub dimensions of 8 competencies, covering 40 behavioral Indicators. the questionnaires were hosted on the online platform to including self, supervisor, direct repartees, peers, customers, and other stakeholders. Validation to the assessment of each dimension and sub-dimensions as qualitative feedback is done with simple average scores and the range. The study found that execution leadership was the highest rated competency followed by customer engagement and talent management. The study also found that strategic orientation and decision making were rated low compared to other competencies, got validated by comments of customers as well. This is quite evident from the feedback that was taken after 9 months of the intervention. The study by using Delphi technique revealed that by providing feedback from all stakeholders supported by systematic coaching, 88% participants showed improvement in the low rated items. The study further proved that with proper feedback and coaching at an individual level with required trust and keeping development as the core agenda and without linking to any other HR processes like appraisal and promotion, majority of the participants took full ownership, interest and worked on their individual competency development showing their learning agility.

Leadership in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Study of Pakistani Medical Students’ Perceptions, Attitudes, and Interest

Background: Despite calls for the much-needed involvement of physicians in leadership, very few medical colleges in Pakistan provide explicit training on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be an effective physician leader. 
 Objective: To explored Pakistani medical students’ perceptions, attitudes, and interests regarding Leadership training in medical education.
 Methods:
 Participants were asked about their perceptions and attitudes towards medical leadership on a 5-point Likert scale. Students also self-rated their leadership competencies noted as per Medical Leadership Competency Framework. Survey also assessed the perceived need and topics for a leadership curriculum for physician leaders, the teaching format, and barriers to leadership training in medical schools. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.
 Results:
 60.6% of the total 1204 respondents rated their leadership training in medical college as “very poor” or “poor” and 80.3% of them endorsed their interest and need for it. 77.4% of the participants agreed that clinicians should influence leadership decisions in a clinical setting. Only 25% of respondents were aware of the demands of a leadership rank in medicine. Leadership competencies endorsed for training included problem-solving, leading a team, confronting problematic employees, and communication skills with a multimodal teaching approach, including teaching methods like small group discussions. The main barriers to leadership training were identified as time constraints (66.1%), lack of available curriculum (69.0%), and disinterest by faculty (67.0%).
 Conclusion:
 Our study suggests that medical students in Pakistan appreciate the importance of leadership training in undergraduate education. There is a need for dedicated leadership teaching and study data to specify the possible content and delivery methods to serve as goals for an undergraduate leadership curriculum in Pakistan.

The data-driven leader: developing a big data analytics leadership competency framework

PurposeThis study focuses on leadership in organizations where big data analytics (BDA) is an essential component of corporate strategy. While leadership researchers have conducted promising studies in the field of digital transformation, the impact of BDA on leadership is still unexplored.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on semi-structured interviews with 33 organizational leaders and subject-matter experts from various industries. Using a grounded theory approach, a framework is provided for the emergent field of BDA in leadership research.FindingsThe authors present a conceptual model comprising foundational competencies and higher order roles that are data analytical skills, data self-efficacy, problem spotter, influencer, knowledge facilitator, visionary and team leader.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on BDA competency research emerging as an intersection between leadership research and information systems research. The authors encourage a longitudinal study to validate the findings.Practical implicationsThe authors provide a competency framework for organizational leaders. It serves as a guideline for leaders to best support the BDA initiatives of the organization. The competency framework can support recruiting, selection and leader promotion.Originality/valueThis study provides a novel BDA leadership competency framework with a unique combination of competencies and higher order roles.

Divergence and Convergence of the Public Health Leadership Competency Framework Against Others in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Scoping Review.

Objective: The following scoping review is aimed at identifying leadership competency frameworks in Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) by analyzing the thematic scopes, target audiences, and methods involved. A further objective is to compare the frameworks against a standard framework. Methods: The authors extracted the thematic scope and methods of each framework based on the original author's formulations in each selected paper. The target audience was divided into three sections: UME, medical education, and beyond medical education. The frameworks were converged and diverged against the public health leadership competency framework. Results: Thirty-three frameworks covering thematic scopes such as refugees and migrants were identified. The most common methods to develop leadership frameworks were reviews and interviews. The courses targeted multiple disciplines including medicine and nurses. The identified competency frameworks have not converged among important domains of leadership such as systems thinking, political leadership, leading change, and emotional intelligence. Conclusion: There is a variety of frameworks that support leadership in UME. Nevertheless, they are not consistent in vital domains to face worldwide health challenges. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary leadership competency frameworks which address health challenges should be used in UME.

The development and validation of a digital leadership competency scale

Orientation: The advent of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and its digital disruptions require new competencies from leaders to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of business enterprises.Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a scale to measure the digital leadership competencies that will enable employees to remain relevant.Motivation for the study: Despite a proliferation of empirical studies on 4IR and its impact on leadership, validated assessments of leadership competencies for the digital age are scarce.Research approach, design and method: A quantitative research approach was followed with data collected from employees (N = 241) from a multinational company in the technology and engineering industry. A newly developed digital leadership competency questionnaire was distributed electronically to the respondents. The data was analysed using the SPSS and AMOS programmes. The data analyses included descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analyses.Main findings: The results confirmed and supported a valid and reliable six-dimensional leadership competence assessment supported by sub-competencies. The six competences include embracing digital, leadership facilitating the digital drive, digital adaptiveness and resilience, cultivating a digital culture and digital skills and digital competitiveness intelligence.Practical/managerial implications: The digital leadership competency scale can be used to assess and develop employee competencies, which will positively affect business performance.Contribution/value-add: The study provides a holistic digital leadership competency framework that encompasses generational theory as well as levels of work theory.

Development and validation of the IPEC Institutional Assessment Instrument

Variability in the widespread utilization and implementation of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's (IPEC) competency framework has highlighted the importance of institutional characteristics that serve as barriers and/or facilitators to progress, as well as the absence of evidence-based assessment instruments designed to measure related constructs. Develop and validate an assessment instrument that leverages the IPEC competency framework to identify institutional characteristics associated with successful implementation of high-quality programmatic interprofessional education (IPE). A 16-member expert panel used a modified Delphi technique to generate consensus statements regarding institutional characteristics associated with high-quality programmatic IPE, which were converted into a pool of items for potential inclusion in the instrument. A convenience sample of individuals who serve as the designated IPE leader at their academic institutions voluntarily submitted responses to these items on behalf of their institutions, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilized to identify a preliminary model structure for the instrument. 105 consensus statements across eight categories – culture, leadership, financing, infrastructure, partnerships, faculty affairs, curricular affairs, and IPEC competency framework – were developed by the expert panel, then transformed into 48 potential instrument items. 158 designated IPE leaders submitted responses as institutional representatives, and EFA yielded a 20-item model structure comprised of three factors: Institutional Infrastructure, Institutional Commitment, and IPEC Competency Framework. Leaders of academic institutions are encouraged to utilize the 20-item IPEC Institutional Assessment Instrument alongside the 105 expert-generated consensus statements it is based upon to assess their institutional capacity for high-quality programmatic IPE and to plan for quality improvement.

Next Generation Leaders Programme: A Multi-Methods Evaluation of a Leadership Development Programme for Biomedical Researchers.

Biomedical scientists have become de facto leaders for their research teams. Theories of expert leadership suggest that the specialist knowledge and credibility these researcher-leaders bring to their roles can lead to improved performance. Formal leadership development for biomedical researchers remains uncommon, and it is unclear whether existing leadership development programmes achieve improved individual and organisational outcomes. Our study evaluates the effectiveness of a single centre leadership development programme for biomedical researchers using a mixed-methods approach. 26 biomedical researchers participated in an 8 month single centre multidisciplinary leadership development programme. Participants completed prospective pre-test, retrospective then-test and traditional post-test self-assessments using the Primary Colours Questionnaire (PCQ) and Medical Leadership Competency Framework Self-Assessment Tool (MLCFQ). Pre-post pairs and then-post pairs were analysed for changes using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and compared with a parallel mixed-methods evaluation organised by Kirkpatrick levels. There were significant increases in 3/7 domains and 1/5 tasks of leadership in the PCQ, in both pre-post and then-post paired assessments. There were statistically significant but small increases in 2/7 domains of the MLCFQ. The mixed-methods data showed positive outcomes at all Kirkpatrick levels.Participants said the programme was relevant, interesting and well-organised, with 63% reporting increased confidence and motivation. Participants had a significant change in behaviour, spending 1-2 hours per week on group projects, which were successfully implemented locally. 42% of participants expected these projects to continue beyond the programme. This study demonstrates a local leadership programme can have positive impact within a biomedical research centre despite time and financial constraints. We encourage future studies to utilise a mixed-methods approach to evaluating the impact of leadership development programmes.

Quantifying the Higher Education Leadership Competency Framework for Talent Management in Malaysia

This paper presents how a Malaysian centre associated with the ministry of higher education developed a framework for assessing leadership abilities in higher education. A qualitative approach is used in this study and the primary focus was on group discussions involving human resource professionals and well-known academics from higher education. The result of this study shows that the Behavioral Event Interview (BEI) instrument is used to quantify each of the five clusters that make up the higher education leadership competencies framework. These five clusters are: impact and influence, achievement and action, leading, cognitive and personal effectiveness. The leaders are then classified into five position levels ranging from Level 1 to Level 5. Level 1 is individual contributor which is coded as ‘Reviewable’ whilst Level 5: is leading the whole organization coded as ‘Significantly Exceeds’. The study’s findings provide an instrument for determining whether the potential leaders in high education institutions are ready to take on the responsibility of leading. In order to improve a leader’s abilities as a part of succession planning, the findings could assist the center. This study provides some considerations for alternatives to the prevalent frameworks for evaluating leadership skills in the interest of sustaining a high-quality organizational culture.

Leading the way: competencies of leadership to prevent mis-implementation of public health programs.

Public health agencies are increasingly concerned with ensuring that they are maximizing limited resources by delivering effective programs to enhance population-level health outcomes. Preventing mis-implementation (ending effective activities prematurely or continuing ineffective ones) is necessary to sustain public health efforts and resources needed to improve health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to identify the important qualities of leadership in preventing mis-implementation of public health programs. In 2019, 45 state health department chronic disease employees were interviewed via phone and audio-recorded, and the conversations were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis focused on items related to mis-implementation and the manners in which leadership were involved in continuing ineffective programs. Final themes were based on a Public Health Leadership Competency Framework. The following themes emerged from their interviews regarding the important leadership competencies to prevent mis-implementation: '(1) leadership and communication; (2) collaborative leadership (3) leadership to adapt programs; (4) leadership and organizational learning and development; and (5) political leadership'. This first of its kind study showed the close interrelationship between mis-implementation and leadership. Increased attention to public health leader competencies might help to reduce mis-implementation in public health practice and lead to more effective and efficient use of limited resources.

Redeveloping Leadership Training for Higher Trainees in the West Midlands

AimsMany of the competencies that trainees in psychiatry are required to achieve can be linked to leadership in the broadest sense, yet specific training is not often systematically provided. The West Midlands Psychiatry Leadership Development Programme aims to support the acquisition of important leadership skills already set out in the curriculum through provision of high-quality specialist leadership content within the existing programme. Here we present the findings of a scoping exercise exploring the views and attitudes towards leadership training held by higher trainees in psychiatry within the West Midlands.MethodsAll psychiatry higher trainees within West Midlands Deanery were invited to complete an anonymous online survey using Survey Monkey in November 2021. This survey incorporated questions about their preferred learning styles, confidence in their leadership skills and barriers to accessing leadership opportunities, generating both quantitative and qualitative data.ResultsKey results included: •37 responses were received. All subspeciality training programmes were represented. Almost half of respondents (46%) were ST6 or above and most were in training full time (84%).•Trainees expressed a preference for experiential learning about leadership (87%) as well as small group teaching (62%) and interactive workshop style content (62%).•Awareness of leadership opportunities was typically via their peer group (81%) or clinical supervisor (60%). Only 52% of trainees were aware of leadership opportunities within the Deanery.•Only 54% felt that existing leadership training met their curriculum requirements. Less than half of trainees (46%) felt confident to evidence their leadership experience within their training portfolio.•One-fifth of trainees (21%) reported experiencing barriers to leadership development. These included: inadequate awareness of opportunities, lack of senior support, time constraints and difficulty matching interests with available opportunities.ConclusionTrainees expressed interest in the redevelopment of a regional leadership training programme which would support them to achieve their curriculum competencies and prepare them for life as a consultant psychiatrist. The new multi-faceted regional leadership programme will offer resources in a variety of formats including webinars, podcasts, optional interactive workshops and action learning sets. It is hoped that this flexible programme, linked to the Medical Leadership Competency Framework, will better meet the needs of higher trainees as they pursue their own personal leadership journeys.

Developing a leadership and management competency framework for nurse champion: A qualitative study from Shanghai, China.

To develop a leadership and management competency framework applicable to Chinese nurse champions guided by the competency matrix for clinical nurse leader (CNL). As the clinical leaders and future nurse manager candidates in the Chinese clinical setting, nurse champions are in great need of leadership and management competency training, but it is unclear what content should be included in the training curriculum, a guiding framework applicable to Chinese nurse champions was needed to be constructed. This study used a qualitative descriptive design to explore nurse champions' competency requirements from clinical nurse managers' perspective. Semi-structure interviews guided by the CNL competency matrix were conducted with 27 clinical nurse managers from six large-scale tertiary grade A hospitals in Shanghai, China. Interview transcripts were analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis. The data analysis yielded three main categories: nursing leadership, clinical outcome management and care environment management, containing 14 subordinate themes, which represent the leadership and management competencies needed for nurse champions. A leadership and management competency framework for Chinese nurse champion was built in this study, which covering the competencies needed by Chinese nurse champions to lead care teams, improve quality of care for patient outcomes and enhance systems and equipment for the better care environment. This framework will be the direct basis for guiding the development of the nurse leadership curriculum for driving nurse champion to achieve role success. This framework provides a theoretical foundation for clarifying the role of nurse champion in clinical management. Training curriculum guided by this framework will help nurses in their clinical management role and share the burden of clinical nursing managers, as well as promote the development of a clinical nursing management reserve talents and support the future development of nursing staff in health care organisations.

Leadership Development in U.S. Undergraduate Medical Education: A Scoping Review of Curricular Content and Competency Frameworks.

To inform research on developing or adopting leadership competency frameworks for use in U.S. undergraduate medical education (UME), this scoping review describes the content of U.S. UME leadership curricula, associated competency frameworks, and content delivery. The authors searched PubMed, Embase, and ERIC databases on June 22, 2020. They included English-language studies that described U.S. UME curricula in which the primary end goal was leadership development. They excluded studies published before January 1, 2000. Data were extracted on leadership competency frameworks and curricular content, audience, duration, electivity, selectivity, learning pedagogies, and outcome measures. The curricular content was coded and categorized within the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF) using the constant comparative method. A repeated search of the literature on May 14, 2021, did not yield any additional studies. Of 1,094 unique studies, 25 studies reporting on 25 curricula met inclusion criteria. The course content of the curricula was organized into 91 distinct themes, most of which could be organized into the first 2 competencies of the MLCF: Demonstrating Personal Qualities and Working With Others. Thirteen curricula (52%) aligned with leadership competency frameworks, and 12 (48%) did not appear to use a framework. Number of participants and target learner level varied widely, as did curricula duration, with fewer than half (n = 12, 48%) spanning more than 1 semester. Most curricula (n = 14, 56%) were elective, and many (n = 16, 64%) offered experiential learning. Most studies (n = 16, 64%) reported outcomes as student perception data. The authors found wide variation in content of U.S. UME leadership development curricula, and few curricula aligned with an established leadership competency framework. The lack of professional consensus on the scope of medical leadership and how it should be taught thwarts effective incorporation of medical leadership training within UME.

A conscious leadership competency framework for leadership training

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a conscious leadership competency framework to be used in business training as well as in managerial study programs.Design/methodology/approachFirst, using literature review, the current state of knowledge in conscious leadership competency frameworks was examined. Subsequently, a framework analysis on a specific topical book was conducted to find competencies that determine a conscious leader. The output of this analysis was compared with a comprehensive leadership competency framework to propose a conscious leadership competency framework. This conscious leadership competency framework was then verified in interviews with conscious leaders.FindingsUntil now, a conscious leadership competency framework has not been proposed. Yet, there are competencies specific to conscious leaders that are not included in existing leadership competency frameworks. A new conscious leadership competency framework including possible ways of how to train and develop the conscious leadership competencies is suggested for future discussion.Research limitations/implicationsResearch limitations are discussed in this paper. More research in this area and further development of the conscious leadership competency framework are suggested.Practical implicationsThe proposed conscious leadership competency framework can be further discussed and developed, therefore becoming an effective tool for companies as well as educational institutions.Social implicationsMore consciousness in leadership will help tackle many current societal challenges.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, the proposed conscious leadership competency framework is the first of its kind.

Skills, Determinants and Attitudes towards Leadership among Undergraduates in Medicine

Background: Good leadership is fundamental for providing a better healthcare. The objective of this study was to evaluate the leadership skills, determinants and attitudes in medical undergraduates. 
 
 Methods: Self and Rater versions of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) and a formulated questionnaire based on Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF) were distributed among first year students who were followed up in the final year with the same assessments. Skills were evaluated with an average ALQ score, under four domains; transparency (TR), ethical skills (ES), balanced processing (BP) and self-awareness (SA). Determinants of leadership skills were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire.
 
 Results: Students in the first year (n=115; females=64, males=51), had lower leadership skills score (2.74±0.38; mean ± SD) than in the final year (n=101; females=52, males=49; 3.05±0.43p

Community Medical Leadership Workshop: An Introduction to Physician Leadership for Resident Physicians.

ObjectiveThe Community Medical Leadership Workshop (CMLW) aims to prepare residents to become effective physician leaders through medical leadership lectures and case scenario discussions. By the end of the CMLW, participants will be able to define leadership in medicine, employ strategies to manage conflict and differences of opinions in the workplace, demonstrate effective communication skills while working with others, and describe the role of power in effective leadership.MethodsA total of 32 resident physicians participated in our workshop that is based on the leadership practice inventory (LPI) and the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF). Our evaluation assessed communication strength, conflict resolution, time management, negotiation, delegation, teamwork, and community service.ResultsMost participants were satisfied with the course. They rated the workshop's contents the highest. In addition, over 90% of learners would recommend this workshop to others. We found a statistically significant increase in learners’ ability to provide opportunities to include patients in quality improvements.ConclusionOur workshop was designed and tailored for resident physicians to introduce them to physician leadership. The workshop was well received and could serve as a model to promote qualities in residents that define effective physician leaders.

Enhanced model for leadership development for trainees and early career health professionals: insights from a national survey of UK clinical scientists

IntroductionThe importance of shared or distributed leadership in healthcare is recognised; however, trainees, early career professionals and others for whom the exercise of leadership is a recent development report being...

Advancing leadership in medical radiation sciences: Incorporating systematic leadership education in pre-registration curricula

Advancing leadership in medical radiation sciences: Incorporating systematic leadership education in pre-registration curricula