The Leadership in Medical Affairs course offered by the GMDP Academy is now chaired by Dr. Kevin Williams and Professor Domenico Bodega. In this post, we introduced you to the module. Now, we are delighted to share with you Professor Bodega’s vision for Leadership in Medical Affairs.
But first, learn more about Professor Bodega’s background and expertise:
“I’m based in Italy and have extensive credentials in teaching leadership & economics. In addition, I have a number of publications that I have authored or co-authored. I’m President of the CERISMAS research center in Health Care Management of the Catholic University, Milan. I taught in multiple universities including the Bocconi School of Management, Full Professor of Business Organization at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart & Director of the Department of Economics and Business Management (SEGESTA). I was Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Director of the Doctoral School in Economics and Management. I held the position of Director of ALTEMS, High School in Economics and Management of the Health Sector. In addition to being a researcher and visiting lecturer on multiple projects and in multiple organizations.“
1. LEADER INFLUENCE AND CHANGE CULTURE
In these competitive, global and complex contexts, where the transformation and revitalization of organizations holds a central position, the prevalence of a business climate of uncertainty and unpredictability,the leader is increasingly seen as a crucial agent of change. Today, the challenge for leaders in our organizations becomes how to affect the mind-set of the organizational participants through value creation, through influencing the organization’s culture and through building commitment to the organization’s mission, objectives, and strategies to obtain well-above-average organizational performance.
2. CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCIES
As global mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances become increasingly common, more attention needs to be given to the cross-cultural dimensions of leadership. To what extent does effective leadership behavior vary from culture to culture? we need to attempt identification of the required competencies for leaders who run global organizations and the leadership implications for running cross-cultural teams.
3. TWO EFFECTIVE ROLES: BE CHARISMATIC AND A DESIGNER
I suggest that the most effective leaders take on two roles: a charismatic role – consisting of envisioning, empowering and energizing – and an architectural role – designing the organization, setting up structures, and formulating control and reward systems.
4. THE INSPIRATIONAL COMPETENCE OF LEADERS
The focus, then, is on the inspirational role of leaders who by force of their personality have an extraordinary effect on their followers, to satisfy the higher needs of followers—to engage in a process of mutual stimulation and elevation whereby followers will transcend their own self-interests for the good of the group.
5. GET THE BEST OUT OF THE FOLLOWERS
Followership needs to be given a more prominent place in leadership considerations. How, for example, do followers manage their leaders? How leadership can be distributed throughout the organization? What can be done to “stretch,” to get the best out of the most people? Given the increased reliance of organizations on creativity and innovation, what can leaders do to stimulate this process? What can leaders do to be more effective in a teaching role?
6. DISCOVER CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP
In spite of the various rational ways in which researchers attempt to deconstruct leadership and charisma, charismatic leadership is not rational in the traditional sense of the word. By its very nature, it is unstable, in that it exploits what can be interpreted as irrational and creative processes.
7. LEADERS MUST KNOW THEMSELVES
To guide others effectively, leaders must know themselves. As part of that process, they need to recognize and explore their blind spots. Leaders who fail to take their irrational side into account are like captains who blindly plow their ships into a field of icebergs: the greatest danger is hidden below the surface. Recognizing the limits of rationality, leaders must become more sensitized to the irrationality in themselves and in others.
8. BALANCE ACTION AND REFLECTION
I think that the most effective leaders are the ones who know how to balance action with reflection by using self-insight as a restraining force when the sirens of power are beckoning.
Learn more details about the Leadership in Medical Affairs and apply here.
