Developing capability

The healthcare leader ensures that team members have the skills and abilities to perform the job at hand, equipping them to handle foreseeable difficulties in a dynamic healthcare environment. By making an effort to develop themselves, a leader acts as a role model and inspiration for team members to follow suit; they have a formal plan for personal growth and attend professional conferences. Leaders are not threatened by staff who want to develop themselves, but rather encourage such development so that the needs of the organisation are met. When the team is confronted with failure, the leader uses this as an opportunity for development (NHS, 2013). Effective leaders choose the right attitude, priorities and relationships, and keep abreast of leadership developments while ensuring that the

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team is also kept updated with current happenings in their field of expertise (Maxwell, 2015).

Leaders that develop capability within the organisation lead the organisation toward success (Maxwell 2015). Leaders must accept that there are certain things they do not know. Insecure leaders fail to empower others because of a fear of being overshadowed, while secure leaders empower others and a succession plan to ensure the future of the organisation is secured(Haber-Curran, Allen and Shankman 2015). Capable organisations are made up of a host of role players that contribute to achievement of goals. Although the leader builds capability, he/she is not solely responsible for success. Succession planning is a key leadership function in developing capability. By succession planning, a true leader strives to leave their legacy behind by developing effective leaders that will replace them (Green and Gell, 2012).Successful leaders are perceptive; they sense information about others without words being used, and they develop skills around finding top talent, nurturing such talent; coaching, mentoring, training and engaging people; and planning succession (Sharkey, Razi, Cooke and Barge 2012).Effective leadership demands that the leader considers the future of the organisation and participate actively to ensure that employees are well equipped to perform their jobs (McCleskey, 2014).

The effective leader engages in a combination of task and relations behaviour to develop the capability of people in the organisation. They persuade employees to understand the value of development and then plan development strategies that will benefit them (Yukl, 2011).

Supporting and coaching employees and giving timeous feedback are factors that increase engagement. Goals must also be clear and concise and reviewed more than just at the end of the year. This ensures that individuals engage in continuous development rather than only when performance appraisals are conducted (Bersin, 2015). Cunningham (2012) and White (2012) concurred that clinical leaders facilitate and sustain healthy working environments by developing and growing people to become better versions of themselves. They accomplish this by identifying candidates for succession planning and enrolling them in programmes that will develop their competencies. Leeson and Millar (2013) and Caldwell (2012) agreed that clinical leaders need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of subordinates and make effective plans to develop their competence in the field. They also need to

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communicate effectively with employees and outline the areas that require development. Transparent leaders promote the willingness of staff to develop. Bimray and Jooste (2014) stated that leaders must self-lead, provide support and take the lead to ensure competence in nursing practice and value other team members‘ contributions. Nurse leaders must possess the knowledge and skills related to the profession. They must be self-directed in fulfilling their learning needs and keep abreast of latest developments in their profession by belonging to professional associations (Bimray and Jooste, 2014).

Bakar and Connaughton (2010) were of the opinion that successful managers get things done with and through others. Leaders spend their time creating strategy, developing alliances and putting the organisation in a position to compete. They succession plan their people, creating opportunities for development. They also motivate for the resources required for operational efficiencies and manage these resources (Groves and Feyerherm, 2011). Good leaders stay abreast of changes in technology and ensure that employees are also developed in this area. They understand that the organisational climate is dynamic and to maintain a competitive advantage, employees must be well versed in technological advancements applicable to the industry (Ulrich, 2015). Coaching is an important leadership competency that builds organisational capability, however for coaching to be effective, leaders must adopt a solid coaching habit where employees are able to handle their responsibilities on their own, prioritise their workload and become confident to carry out the work required. Leaders must engage in effective coaching conversations with employees; successful coaches nurture and grow a sense of curiosity and remain consistent in their coaching approach (Stanier, 2016).

Shirey (2015) argued that if nursing leadership is to be successful in these challenging times, leaders must be flexible, energetic, opportunistic and incorporate strategic agility into their leadership styles. American Organisation of Nurse Executives (2011) defined strategic ability as being able to adjust strategic direction to create new business models and innovative ways that create value for the organisation. Strategic ability goes beyond strategic management as it considers the dynamics of the marketplace. Shirey (2015) concluded that strategic agility is a key leadership competency that can be developed and will give organisations a competitive edge. Although these competencies are important, Clark (2012) and

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Falter (2012) added that there are other competencies that leaders should possess, including tertiary education at doctoral level, being skilled in nurturing and developing relationships, being familiar with transformational leadership, and being emotionally intelligent. These skills, together with resilience, contribute to building organisational capability. Healthcare leadership success has been attributed to having skills that allow leaders to tackle the challenges in a changing healthcare environment. Such leaders concentrate all their efforts on a task while dealing with conflict and any issues that may emerge. They view conflicts as opportunities to learn and be creative, and are brave (Patton, 2012).