As a future health care leader, you may see leaders transition through many positions in an organization. In health care, it is important to have leaders who understand the leadership process and follow strategies for becoming effective coaches and mentors. However, many organizations do not offer leadership programs to help develop strong leaders for their organization or for the next generation.

Create a Leadership Development Proposal that might be presented to your organization’s board of directors to request funding for the creation of a leadership program.

If your organization already has a program in place, you must then evaluate the program for its use and effectiveness. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the program, if it is used, and explain how the program might be improved. Also, address how you might involve more people and enroll them in the program.

Interview effective leaders that you know to gain insight into becoming an effective leader and mentor. You may also interview ineffective leaders and mentors to understand how to avoid those issues with your program.

Create a 12- to 15-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation with detailed speaker notes that might be presented to your organization’s board of directors to receive funding for the program.

Address the following questions in your plan or evaluation:

• How are participants selected for the program and monitored for their progress?
• What incentives exist for participating in the program?
• What are the differences among leadership theories and how might these theories be applied to developing leaders within your leadership program for the health care industry?
• Which competencies are important for leaders in the health care industry and why?
• How are these leadership competencies acquired during the program?
• How might these leadership competencies be applied in the health care workplace as a reflection of current and future workplace needs?
• What is the role of a leader in planning and preparing for the future of the health care industry?
• How do management and leadership theories and styles differ, including how the leadership model may be applied to management theories at different levels within the organization, from entry to advanced?
• Which characteristics of professionalism–such as ethics, networking, professional growth, and community involvement–are essential for leaders within the health care industry and why are they important?
• What are some challenges and issues that affect leadership in the health care industry?
• How might these challenges and issues that affect leadership in the health care industry be overcome?
• What follow-up strategies are available to ensure the success of the program?