As healthcare organizations grow in both size and complexity, so does the distance between executive decision-making and frontline care. This disconnect can jeopardize patient safety, diminish staff morale and erode organizational culture. Walk in Their Shoes offers healthcare leaders practical strategies to close this critical gap.

Focused on cultivating meaningful, sustained connections with staff across clinical and nonclinical settings, this book underscores the importance of trust and engagement in building high-performing, resilient teams.

Grounded in research and real-world relevance, the book provides actionable guidance to help senior leaders understand the day-to-day realities of work in nursing units, clinics, support services and more. It also reminds leaders with clinical backgrounds to remain rooted in their professional origins.

This accessible and pragmatic resource emphasizes that trust is not built through quick interactions but through consistent, thoughtful presence. It also reminds leaders that those who foster connectedness see measurable outcomes: improved communication, greater staff retention and most importantly, better patient care.

Order Code: 2545

ACHE Activate ISBN: 978-1-64055-645-4

Print ISBN: 978-1-64055-642-3

ePub ISBN: 978-1-64055-643-0

Although many leadership concerns are universal across industries, healthcare presents unique leadership challenges. The complex environment, financial pressures, and life-or-death nature of the work are unlike anything else.

Exceptional Leadership describes the professional and personal skills and behaviors that managers need to lead successfully and thrive in healthcare's high-stakes environment. The book offers a leadership competency model based on four themes: well-cultivated self-awareness, compelling vision, a real way with people, and masterful execution. Each competency is covered in its own chapter that defines it, provides examples and advice, and outlines common skill deficits.

The third edition of this book has been revised to reflect contemporary issues and the latest research on leadership. Individual and organizational challenges faced in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed in several chapters.

This edition also includes updated coverage and research in the following areas:
- Energizing staff
- Developing vision
- Coaching leaders
- Cultivating adaptability
- Building true consensus
- Stimulating creativity
- Developing physician leadership
- Delivering feedback

The opening case study that threads throughout the book, vignettes at the end of each chapter, self-reflection questions, and the self-development plan have also been revised and continue to offer opportunities for applying the competencies.

Exceptional Leadership encourages readers to take an introspective look at their actions, build on their strengths, and discover novel approaches to enhancing their healthcare leadership.

Some healthcare leaders thrive despite the unprecedented obstacles they are currently facing. What distinguishes these leaders from others in their ability to persevere and succeed? Leadership in Healthcare focuses on the importance of developing a core set of values that drive our actions when things get difficult. This book identifies the essential values that highly effective leaders possess and describes the specific behaviors that they employ.

In this revised and expanded fourth edition, inclusive leadership, clinical integration, the increased complexity of healthcare organizations, employee burnout, post-COVID leadership, and succession planning are among the new topics addressed. Up-to-date references to emerging theory as well as new components that make learning, conversation, and introspection easier also are featured.

This book is one of those “works for many different kinds of people” books. It is used by many higher education programs for their healthcare leadership course textbook. It has also been very popular for healthcare leaders at all stages of their careers. Several organizations have adopted it as their content curriculum guide for their in-house physician leadership development programs. Some organizations have used it for book discussion sessions with younger physician leaders who are just entering physician leadership roles.

• Using inclusive leadership to create a culture that attracts and retains diverse talent — Contributors for this chapter are: Carla Jackie Sampson, Ph.D., MBA, FACHE, Clinical Associate Professor of Healthcare Management & Director of Health Programs, New York University; Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

• Facilitating the transformation from clinician to physician leader — Contributor for this chapter is Margot Savoy, MD, FAAFP, FABC, FAAPL, CPE, CMQ, SVP Education at American Academy of Family Physicians & former Chair of Family and Community Medicine at Temple.

• Striking the right balance between organizational efficiency and employee engagement — Contributors for this chapter are Katherine A. Meese, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director of Research, UAB Medicine Office of Wellness; David A. Rogers, MD, MPHE, Professor of Surgery and Chief Wellness Officer for UAB Medicine.

• Understanding the empirical evidence supporting the value of healthcare leadership. — Contributor for this chapter is Patrick D. Shay, PhD, Associate Professor, Trinity University.

• Using values-based leadership to address COVID issues and other crises — Contributor for this chapter is Carson F. Dye, FACHE.

This 4th edition, like previous editions, provides useful self-reflection tools and exercises, such as evaluations for values and emotional intelligence. Sidebars and opening vignettes mirror workplace scenarios and help readers understand the chapter content better.

At no other time in history has healthcare leadership been so critical. Leadership in Healthcare will help both students and practicing professionals alike develop the skills they need to lead effectively through difficult times. The first edition of this book won the ACHE Book of the Year in 2001 and continues to be a best seller to both healthcare leaders as well as graduate programs of healthcare administration.

looks at physician engagement as a strategic and tactical priority. Drawing on more than 40 years of healthcare leadership and management experience, editor Carson F. Dye starts by offering a focused definition of engagement and explaining why physicians should play an active role in governance, leadership, and management. He shares two models to help you understand the book’s foundational concepts and visualize what physician engagement can look like in your own organization. In the book’s following chapters, recognized physician leaders provide personal viewpoints on what successful physician engagement is, share their approaches to developing strategy, and define the role of enhanced collaborations and partnerships.

• Diversity and inclusion

• Conflict resolution

• Physician burnout

• Economic factors that affect engagement

“What does successful physician engagement look like?” is a question many healthcare organizations are asking today. Through its conceptual framework, this book gives you a map for starting your journey.

Enhanced Physician Engagement, Volume 2: Tools and Tactics for Success is a how-to guide for involving and inspiring physicians. The book examines concrete, practical methods for tackling hot-button issues such as burnout, the burden of electronic health records, and accountability—factors that can cause disengagement. Drawing on more than 40 years of healthcare leadership and management experience, editor Carson F. Dye possesses unique expertise in getting physicians more engaged.

Successful physician engagement comes in many shapes and sizes. What works for one healthcare organization may not work for another. And with myriad differences among physicians in terms of age, specialty, work location, and more, multiple approaches to enhancing engagement are needed. The key is exploring different strategies and finding the ones that work for you and your organization.

Written by recognized physician leaders, each of the book’s chapters stands on its own, allowing you to find practical tips and guidance by topic according to your needs. Chapter authors explain the tactics that have been successful for them and share the lessons they have learned.

• Assessing physicians for leadership positions

• Developing dyad, triad, and quad organization structures

• Creating a physician leadership development program

• Measuring physician engagement success

In Enhanced Physician Engagement, Volume 1: What It Is, Why You Need It, and Where to Begin, Dye offers a foundation for understanding what physician engagement is and the critical role physician leaders play in healthcare organizations. In this second volume, you will learn step-by-step tips and techniques for developing your own robust action plan for long-term engagement and organizational success. The book’s companion volume, Enhanced Physician Engagement, Volume 2: Tools and Tactics for Success, is the how-to guide that shows you the way.

As a leader in healthcare, you are highly visible and constantly watched—often very closely. Perception is often more important than reality, and career success may ultimately hinge on your awareness of how you are perceived and your ability to act consistently in a manner befitting your position.

Now in its third edition, The Healthcare Leader’s Guide to Actions, Awareness, and Perception highlights the “sense of the appropriate”—an essential leadership trait that applies to behavior, character, courtesy, ethics, professionalism, and respect. Leaders need a special skill set for building and maintaining positive relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, and they must be constantly aware of the risk of missteps and derailment.

Leaders at every level—from newcomers to experienced executives—will find guidance in this book. It examines key leadership principles, illustrates core concepts with stories and examples, and sets forth a framework of protocols tailored to specific interactions and situations.

ACHE Announces 2017 Publishing Awards

CHICAGO, January 27, 2017—The American College of Healthcare Executives announced the winners of its 2017 Publishing Awards: the James A. Hamilton Book of the Year Award and the Dean Conley and Edgar C. Hayhow awards for outstanding articles. The awards, each given annually, will be presented during ACHE's 60th Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago March 27–30.

Carson F. Dye, FACHE, and Brett D. Lee, PhD, FACHE, are the winners of the 2017 James A. Hamilton Book of the Year Award for The Healthcare Leader's Guide to Actions, Awareness, and Perception (Health Administration Press, 2016). In this book, Dye and Lee examine key leadership principles, illustrate core concepts with stories and examples, and set forth a framework of protocols tailored to specific interactions and situations. Leaders at every level—from newcomers to experienced executives—will find guidance on the special skills required for building and maintaining positive relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, and how to be aware of the risk of missteps and derailment. Topics covered in this book include professional image and reputation; ethical decision making; relationships with the executive team, the governing board and physicians; communications, technology and social media; ethnic, gender and generational diversity; and self-awareness.

There are good leaders, then there are exceptional leaders. Exceptional leaders use competencies—a set of professional and personal skills, knowledge, values, and traits that guide a leader’s performance. In an era of change and uncertainty in healthcare, it is crucial that leaders learn not only how to be exceptional, but also what makes an exceptional leader. In this second edition of their best-selling book, the authors detail 16 competencies grouped in four cornerstone categories: Well-Cultivated Self-Awareness, Compelling Vision, A Real Way With People, and Masterful Execution. Each of the 16 competencies is explored in its own chapter to define the competency, provide examples and advice, and explain the common skill deficits that prevent its mastery.

• A feature case study at the beginning of the book and a supportive vignette within each competency chapter to provide practical and real-world application to each competency

• Two minicases with discussion questions at the end of each competency chapter for further consideration and self-reflection

• Six new chapters that demonstrate how to apply the book’s concepts at both the individual and organizational levels

• A new chapter on physician leadership that incorporates findings from interviews with industry leaders and provides a helpful road map for those transitioning into the physician executive role

“A great read, Dye and Garman’s book allows leaders to take an honest and self-reflective approach to evaluating their own behaviors and experiences. In turn, it gives them the opportunity to confidently build on strengths and explore new ways of improving their performance. Worth the time!” Michael H. Covert, FACHE, president and CEO, CHI St. Luke’s Health System, and senior vice president, Catholic Health Initiatives

“Dye and Garman continue their reputation for giving us an understandable foun­dation on which to build our professional leadership competencies. Exceptional Leadership: 16 Critical Competencies for Healthcare Executives is designed for healthcare leaders at all levels of an organization and all stages of a career. This book is most effective when one competency is read per week, considered, matched to the self-reflective questions, then applied during the ensuing week. That plan alone will improve healthcare across our nation.” David Rubenstein, FACHE. Major General, US Army (retired); past chairman, American College of Healthcare Executives; clinical associate professor of health administration, Texas State University

“Too often, healthcare executives continually search for the leadership ‘magic bullet’ rather than concentrating on mastering the fundamentals. Exceptional Leadership is a vitally important resource that allows a clear understanding of the most critical leadership competencies for early careerists as well as seasoned professionals.” Kathleen R. Krusie, FACHE, CEO, St. Joseph Regional Health Center

“I learned firsthand from Carson Dye how important it is for a leader in health­care to possess certain behaviors and competencies. How leadership competencies can work for you or against you . . . and lead to success or failure. How do you choose the right path? By reading Exceptional Leadership: 16 Critical Competencies for Healthcare Executives.” Randy Schimmoeller, senior vice president of operations, ProMedica Continuum Services

"The Dye–Garman model suggests that although the 16 competencies have not changed, reviewing them in the context of today’s landscape is imperative. I was extremely impressed with the focus of the six new chapters. They show the full balance required for good leaders to evolve into exceptional leaders. In Exceptional Leadership: 16 Critical Competencies for Healthcare Executives, Dye and Garman provide us with a current and focused competency model that will allow us to be the best leaders we can be and to be the change we want to see."  Denise Brooks-Williams, FACHE. President and Chief Executive Officer Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital

"This book is a road map for the way to exceptional leadership and a must-read for today’s healthcare leader—from the classroom to the management conference room to the boardroom." Kenneth R. White, PhD, A/GACNP-BC, FACHE, FAAN. University of Virginia Medical Center Professor of Nursing/ Associate Dean for Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at the School of Nursing

"Drawing on decades of healthcare experience and research, the authors identify the patterns of behavior that drive success as well as failure." "Though the book is mainly intended for healthcare executives, very few of the practices suggested are specific to healthcare issues or scenarios. The book is concise and very clearly structured, making it a quick and enjoyable read for executives in just about any industry." Business Book Summaries® April 19, 2010

The changes coming from health reform legislation, cost reduction, work redesign, growth in physician employment, greater consumer involvement, the introduction of ACOs, and the emphasis on value-based purchasing are having a profound and long-term impact on healthcare. Clinical integration is a must, and inclusion of physician leaders is essential for successful clinical integration. For healthcare organizations to maximize their potential during this transition, effective physician leadership is needed more than ever.

Unlike other physician leadership books, this is an intensified examination of the development of clinically integrated organizations and the significantly expanded physician leadership role within them. Together Dye and Sokolov evaluate multiple clinically integrated organizations, clinical models, business models, and techniques to involve physicians to a greater degree. They also offer insights and suggestions on the cutting-edge topic of clinical integration and explore in detail the role physician leadership will play in the future.

• Identifying physicians who have a propensity for leadership

• Addressing issues physicians face as they make the transition from clinical roles to leadership positions

• Creating leadership development programs with an emphasis on the experiential side of leader development

• The impact of physician leader derailment

"In this book, the authors provide an excellent overview of how each healthcare organization in this country should embrace the future of physician leadership development. To meet the future transformational challenges of healthcare, physician leadership is essential. This book is a must read for boards, management teams, and physician leaders!" Randy Oostra, FACHE President and Chief Executive Officer, ProMedica Health System

“This is by far the best book I ever read on physician leadership. I only wish I would have had the benefit of the author's wisdom 20 years ago when I started my administrative career. Some of the topics covered include:

• Identifying physicians who have a propensity for leadership

• Addressing issues physicians face as they make the transition from clinical roles to leadership positions

• Creating leadership development programs with an emphasis on the experiential side of leader development

• The impact of physician leader derailment

Chapter 15 - Avoiding Derailment is by far my favorite chapter. It provides insight into the reasons physician leaders can fail. Again, if I had read this 15 years ago, I wouldn't have had to learn things the hard way. This is a must read for any physician leader - just starting out, in mid career, or nearing retirement - all will benefit from the insight and wisdom of Carson Dye and Jacque Sokolov.” - John Byrnes, MD

Today’s healthcare leaders face constant challenge and change. Even as they cope with a rapidly evolving environment, they also must overcome existing obstacles inherent to running multifaceted operations. A solid value system will anchor leaders as they navigate these daily hurdles.

This highly regarded book examines leadership through the lens of such values. It provides a comprehensive overview of leadership principles specific to the healthcare environment and explores both personal and team values that drive appropriate and effective behavior. Case studies, exercises, and self-assessment tools facilitate teaching, dialogue, and self-reflection. A valuable resource for seasoned practitioners and their leadership teams, the book is also used extensively in academic courses in leadership.

• Expanded coverage of academic theories and popular approaches to leadership

• A new chapter articulating the need to identify and develop new types of leaders in healthcare

• A new chapter on the extensive work of researchers who have examined the impact of leadership on organizational outcomes

• Updated and expanded discussion of servant leadership, change makers, employee engagement, emotional intelligence, and groupthink

• Fresh examples and cases featuring clinical leaders, including both nurses and physicians

The first edition of this book won the 2001 ACHE Book of the Year Award. It is used extensively by both academic and practitioner audiences.