Box 1: What is the LEADS in a Caring Environment framework? The LEADS in a Caring Environment Capabilities Framework is a framework that identifies the leadership capabilities needed to effectively lead and manage in the context of Canadian healthcare. What makes the framework unique from other competency/capability frameworks is that the LEADS framework is built on the foundation of CARING – caring for patients, for staff, for providers and for the health of the population. The LEADS in a Caring Environment framework represents the key skills, behaviours, abilities and knowledge required to lead in all healthcare sectors and in all levels of the health system. The framework is made of five key domains: Lead Self, Engage Others, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions and Systems Transformation, and within each domain there are four key capabilities describing what effective leadership looks like. The framework is designed to show the interplay between leadership and management as both are equally needed to lead effectively in the healthcare sector and is designed to be relevant to all roles in healthcare, be it academic, clinical or administrative. In addition, it represents a ‘distributed leadership’ approach to defining leadership - that is, it outlines that any individual —regardless of where they sit in the healthcare system and/or regardless of what role/title an individual may have — they can lead from where they are. Everyone can play a role in transforming healthcare and the LEADS framework is a model that can be leveraged to enable effective leadership in healthcare. |