Are you a transformational leader?

Being a highly effective and inspiring leader isn’t necessarily about giving the best orders or envisioning the best business lines. It’s really about creating a work environment that will bring out the very best in all employees, says Samantha Hollister, President of CERTUS Senior Living, a new chain with seven memory care communities in Florida and another 20 communities on the way.

Autocratic, top-down management structures are passe these days, and they can even be counter-productive to senior living’s person-centered care culture where team-based approaches are overwhelmingly preferred. “Transformational leadership isn’t about power or seniority. It’s about using your actions to elevate others,” says Hollister, who spoke to senior living executives at the Spring Memory Care Forum this week in Philadelphia.

Transformational leadership can raise staff satisfaction, reduce turnover and improve outcomes. But the most important attribute, Hollister says, is encouraging an organizational culture of out-of-the-box thinking and forward progress. “It’s not just about helping associates get to the corporate goal or outcomes, it’s also about helping them become better at their jobs and helping them motivate others,” she says.

Outcomes improve when everyone contributes solutions, ideas and data, and care associates feel valued when they’re part of the care improvement process. CERETUS uses personal interest surveys to discover the hidden skills and interests of its employees and as ice-breakers when new staffers join the organization. When the process unearthed a new employee’s talents as a pianist, nurse leaders adjusted her schedule so she could play for a few hours for the residents. “Morale is more important than you think,” Hollister says. “It’s intrinsic to motivation and engagement.”

Many managers are good at setting goals but not so good at communicating how to reach them. Many managers are good at rewarding the end-goal, but not giving feedback during the process.

While there’s no silver bullet to being a transformational leader, too many CEOs try to enact change without doing the leading part. “You have to embrace your influence,” she says. “Followers are listening to what you say and looking at what you do. You are the key to creating the culture of future leadership.”

The best ways to improve leadership? “Look in the mirror,” Hollister says. “Then get out of your office.”

Couldn't make the Spring Memory Care Forum in Philly? Join us for the Fall Memory Care Forum Sept. 13-14 in San Diego!

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.