We have a fairly good understanding of what it takes to lead improvement at the “project” level — i.e., improvement of something fairly specific, in one department or disease, say. Leadership for whole system improvement requires specific leadership tasks and the knowledge of how to do them if leaders are to drive measured improvement across all conditions, all departments, and all offices in a health care system.
The Leadership section of the IHI website is designed to be helpful to leaders of improvement at every level, from improvement project manager to CEO and Chairman of the Board. The content in this section focuses on the specific leadership tasks to drive system improvement, as well as related tools, literature, and other resources. Here you will find resources ranging from general readings in leadership for transformation of health care, to specific tools for leaders such as the Executive Review of Improvement Projects tool.
Note: The focus of this section is not on exhortation: whether to lead. It’s on what tasks leaders must be undertaking if they are to accelerate improvement, and how they can do those leadership tasks.
“The measure of leadership is results — not popularity.” (Drucker)
