Leadership and Managing Change

Two recent studies of mental health provider organizations showed that transformational leadership that inspires and motivates people is associated with higher team functioning (Corrigan et al., 2002) and positive attitudes towards adopting evidence-based practices (Aarons, 2006). Integrating historical and contemporary theories on leadership and organizational research on leadership characteristics, Jordan (2006) developed a framework for the Seven Hills Foundation that models key aspects of leadership characteristics, leadership skills and competencies, and leadership behaviors and actions. Click in the box to the right to see an abridged version of the framework and to find out how to obtain the full report.

Helpful Links:

To learn more about training and resources on leadership:

• The Center for Community Leadership convenes Leadership Institutes with topics such as: creating a shared vision, anatomy of change, risk and courage, leadership styles and choices, formal and informal leadership, ethics in leadership, information as power, and thriving in chaos.



• The Center for Creative Leadership offers a series of five-day courses on individual leadership development; on leading groups, teams, and organizations; and on specialized topics, such as: navigating Complex Challenges, The Women’s leadership Program, and Coaching for Development.



• The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare’s Leadership Academy for the Behavioral Health Industry offers three-day training events on leadership topics such as: key leadership practices, dealing with difficult people and assertiveness, coaching for commitment, performance management and accountability, and resource management. Training and follow-up can include individualized assessment, goal-setting, coaching, and facilitating sessions with staff.
  
  NCCBH also provides a Middle Management Academy for mangers aspiring towards top leadership position.

References

Aarons, G.A. (2006). Transformational and transactional leadership: Association with
attitudes toward evidence-based practice. Psychiatric Services, 57 (8), 1162-1169.

Corrigan, P.W., Diwan, S., Campion, J., & Rashid, F. (2002). Transformational
leadership and the mental health team. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 30 (2), 97-108.

Jordan, D.A. (2006). A framework of leadership for Seven Hills Foundation. Seven Hills
Foundation.

Van de Ven, A.H., Polley, D.E., Garud, R., Venkataraman, S. (1999). The innovation journey. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.