Hospitalist physician leadership skills: perspectives from participants of a leadership conference.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize how the use of behavioral contracts may serve to focus individuals' intentions to grow as leaders.


METHODS
Between 2007 and 2008, participants of the Society of Hospital Medicine Leadership Academy courses completed behavioral contracts to identify 4 action plans they wanted to implement based on things learned at the Academy. Contracts were independently coded by 2 investigators and compared for agreement. Content analysis identified several major themes that relate to professional growth as leaders. Follow-up surveys assessed fulfillment of personal goals.


RESULTS
The majority of respondents were male (84; 70.0%), and most were hospitalist leaders (76; 63.3%). Their median time practicing as hospitalists was 4 years, 14 (11.7%) were Assistant Professors, and 80 (66.7%) were in private practice. Eight themes emerged from the behavioral contracts, revealing ways in which participants wished to develop: improving communication and interpersonal relations; refining vision and goals for strategic planning; developing intrapersonal leadership; enhancing negotiation skills; committing to organizational change; understanding business drivers; establishing better metrics to assess performance; and strengthening interdepartmental relationships. At follow-up, all but 1 participant had achieved at least 1 of their personal goals.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding the areas that hospitalist leaders identify as "learning edges" may inform the personal learning plans of those hoping to take on leadership roles in hospital medicine.
Soong
Christine
C
Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.
Wright
Scott M
SM
Howell
Eric E
EE
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D020445:Hospitalists / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D011361:Professional Competence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States