Intangibles: The Unexpected Traits of High-Performing Healthcare Leader

As a leader, is it possible to be both successful and humble? Studies show that today's emerging leaders not only prioritize achievement over humility but also see the two as mutually exclusive. Does this signal an existential crisis for healthcare an industry that, at its essence, is supposed to embody humility and compassion? Thankfully, no, according to Intangibles: The Unexpected Traits of High-Performing Healthcare Leaders, which demonstrates that you can embrace humility and still be excellent at your job. The author, a healthcare professor, executive coach and consultant, gleans evidence and insights from researchers, executives, philosophers, and thought leaders. Intangibles is neither a self-help book offering prescriptive answers nor a leadership-guru biopic looking back at a lifetime of lessons learned. Rather, it offers an engaging exploration of evidence-based practices from an array of leaders in different settings. The book's stories, interviews, and research findings will appeal to readers of every stripe and career stage, from undergraduate students in healthcare administration to early careerists and even seasoned CEOs. Part 1 introduces the four intangible leadership traits: humility, compassion, kindness, and generosity. Part 2 explores each trait in detail, and part 3 tackles the traits through the lenses of gender, age, and self-improvement. Along the way, the book explores many intriguing questions: Is humility viewed as weakness? Can leaders balance kindness with a strong personality? How do men and women differ in their perceptions of these traits? Are there generational differences in how leadership is perceived? Can these characteristics be learned? In the end, Intangibles concludes that high-performance in leadership can be achieved when humility is combined with ambition, and compassion with strength.

About the Author

Amer Kaissi, PhD, joined the faculty of Trinity University in 2003 after earning a doctorate in health services research, policy, and administration from the University of Minnesota and a master of public health in hospital administration from the American University of Beirut in his native Lebanon. At Trinity, Dr. Kaissi teaches courses in healthcare management, strategic planning and marketing, and human resources management, and he also directs the executive program. He has published numerous journal articles on leadership, convenient care and retail clinics, strategic planning, and quality of care and patient safety, and he is the author of Flipping Healthcare Through Retail Clinics and Other Convenient Care Models (IGI Global, 2015), a resource on new delivery models. Dr. Kaissi is a certified professional executive and physician coach, working with healthcare administrators and physicians to maximize their leadership potential, and he also advises hospitals and physician practices on strategic and business planning and marketing projects.