What are the outcomes of effective leadership formation?

Leaders who engage in lifelong processes of formation will be persons who create nourishing work environments, virtuous cultures of productivity and compassion, and strong, reciprocal connections to the communities served by their organizations. The leadership they demonstrate — Identified, nurtured, and inspired in formation programs — will yield outcomes in these and other categories:

Patients and families experience the healing presence of God

• Such leaders inspire and hold employees accountable for compassionate, quality care that significantly improves the experience of patients and their families and friends.
• Their leadership brings about systems of care in which attention to the spirit is explicitly recognized as part of care delivery.
• Effective pain management and appropriate end-of-life care are the norms.
• Safety and communication build patients' and families' trust and increase their hope.
• Patient/family satisfaction metrics go up in such an environment.

Employees and staff experience and contribute to healing environments

• These leaders demonstrate their commitment to the dignity of the employees, building and encouraging trusting relationships among colleagues at all levels, engaging these employees and calling forth their compassion, which is manifest in quality patient care.
• Employees feel recognized and respected, they are able to make and express the meaning of their work, and at all levels they attest to a "work-life balance."
• Employee insights and feedback are sought.
• These leaders create environments of balance marked by ambitious yet achievable goals, fair rewards, and effective processes and protocols stripped of unnecessary complexity.
• Integrity permeates the environment, words and actions match, and there is accountability at all levels.
• Behaviors that are inconsistent with organizational and ministry values are not tolerated.
• Catholic identity is communicated and explored.
• Decisions made are consistent with the church's social teaching and are communicated as such.
• Employee satisfaction metrics improve as a result of such leadership, but evidence is also found in the participation of employees in building community in and outside the organization.

The health of communities is improved

• Through their strategic leadership, the needs and assets of the community are clarified and better addressed.
• Services for persons who are poor and vulnerable are expanded.
• Advocacy on behalf of just treatment of all community members, in particular those who are in greatest need, is a routine activity of the organization.
• Discernment dialogues at both management and board levels respect the diversity of points of view and are informed by the ministry's faith tradition.
• These leaders bring people together, connecting diverse communities — whatever their faith tradition—around an image of God's healing.
• In such an environment, philanthropy from the community is likely to rise, as are community perception metrics.

Leaders take on their identity within the ministry

• These are leaders committed to their own ongoing formation and development, as well as that of others.
• They each have development plans and expect the same of their peers and direct reports.
• They call for and participate in implementing programs of formation and development for the organization's trustees.
• They mentor emerging leaders for Catholic health care, and they "manage by walking around," being accessible to those they lead.
• These leaders model what it means to be spiritually grounded, and they accept and act from their authority as leaders in ministry.