Klinisk Biokemi i Norden · 1 2018
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competences needed to be an excellent public leader
in the context of public services in Denmark today.
The result of this study showed that seven key compe-
tences distinguish the excellent leaders: 1) economic
resourcefulness - Innovative ideas to create economic
balance and consequently increased freedom to lead
without intervention, 2) strategic zoom - meaning
that the leader is able to master going from the small-
est detail to the overview and future perspectives
without any problems, 3) empathy and respect for
everybody, 4) passion for performance, 5) manifold
value creating relations, 6) constructive confrontation
and 7) serene authority and authenticity as a person
- being true to own values.
A Norwegian researcher in leadership, Strand T,
explicitly expresses that success as a leader requires
abilities, courage and passion. He recommends all
leaders to create a platform from where to lead. This
platform is based on the need for self-knowledge: who
are you? Where do you come from? What are you val-
ues? What are your strengths and limitations? Where
do you want to go? What is your vision? What do you
want to do for others? (4). In other words, to improve
as a leader is to improve as a person.
According to former HP Executive Vice-President
Joshi V (5), it is, however, all about the ability to cre-
ate followership, the big WHY would anyone want
to follow you. According to Joshi, four key charac-
teristics are needed:
✓
✓
trust
✓
✓
stability
✓
✓
compassion
✓
✓
hope
Do you provide evidence by your everyday behavior
that you are honest and can be trusted? That what
you say, is what you do. That you are dealing with
critical situations in a confidence building way and
show empathy and belief in the products, results and
success. In his view, leadership consists of equal parts
being the person your staff would want to follow and
knowing where the team is heading.
I agree that both parts are important, but maybe
not of equal importance in our world of clinical
biochemistry and research which is a very scientific
driven and results-oriented profession not assigned
to the forces of a normal market economy. It is my
statement that the driver in our organization would
be the main task: where are we heading and why? And
as my father, an old skipper of the North See, used
to say to me: “For a ship without a course, no wind
is advantageous”. Therefore, defining the main task
(a vision), create direction, set goals, celebrate suc-
cesses, communicate with loopback and getting the
job done would be on my top 6 list of competences
needed. The addition of personal skills such as being
a team-player, a likable and trustworthy person with
a genuine interest in other people would, for me, be
the catalyst to a perfect translation into an excellent
leader of a laboratory.
What does it mean to be a leader – and is it the
same as taking on leadership?
The short answer to the last question is: no, not at
all. A leader or manager takes charge of a unity of
processes involving humans and technology. It might
be planning the implementation of a new instrument/
analyzer, defining the financial resources needed to
buy the analyzer and support production afterwards,
the organization of lab facility, evaluating staffing
needs and qualification and subsequently quality
control and problem solving. All elements leading to
a predictable and specific result which is expected by
your collaborators namely the implementation of a
new validated analyzer in the lab. On the other hand,
leadership defines the vision and generates follower-
ship through inspiration and clear communication
of goals and direction for the organization. If the
validity of the vision and strategical approaches are
accepted by the staff and the need for this vision is
clearly communicated through motivation and inspi-
ration, leadership can create useful changes for the
organization. Leadership creates an organization with
the ability for dynamic development, whereas mana-
gers deliver stability and a predictable “status quo”.
Do we need both management and leadership as
qualifications for a modern laboratory and a health-
care system driven by change? According to Kotter JP
(6), a successful change is being implemented through
a combination of 70-90% leadership and 10-30%man-
agement and it makes sense. You need stability and
predictability to effectively secure a high-throughput
production with a short turnaround time. In my
experience, a fifty-fifth split is more likely needed
now in order to secure a high-throughput production
with conserved high quality. Every organization has
been struck by multiple changes during the last ten
