Which of these traits can you teach an employee? Which traits cannot be taught (they are inherent in the worker)? Explain your reasoning.

In the Wells and Hejina (2009) article below, they reference the five traits of the highest performing leaders identified by David McClellan.

Which of these traits can you teach an employee?

Which traits cannot be taught (they are inherent in the worker)? Explain your reasoning.

Article

Developing leadership talent in healthcare organizations Wells, Wendy;Hejna, William Healthcare Financial Management;

Developing leadership talent in healthcare organizations
There are five key areas in which healthcare organiza-tions can better foster the development of strong leaders among their employees.
AT A GLANCE
Effective initiatives for developing and retaining leadership talent are built around five support-ing elements: > Identification of key leader competencies > Effective job design > A strong focus on lead-ership recruitment, development, and retention > Leadership training and development through-out all levels of the organization > Ongoing leadership assessment and per-formance management
Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. —Peter F. Drucker, known as the lather of modern management”

Healthcare organizations in the 21st century face continuing challenges in meeting the perform-ance expectations of critical stakeholders, includ-ing consumers, payers, regulators, and other providers. As the “baby-boomer” generation ages, bringing high expectations and increased service volumes to the healthcare system, a new and over-whelming labor shortage is likely to emerge. Demand for top talent is intense, and individuals will choose organizations that afford them mean-ingful opportunities for growth and development.

Results of a survey by the Health Management Academy of executive leaders in both healthcare and Fortune 500 companies show a clear consensus
66 JANUARY2009 healthcare financial management
that strong leadership is the key to organizational success. However, although 73 percent of the Fortune 500 executives were satisfied with their pool of potential leaders and the strength of their current leadership development programs, only 41 percent of healthcare executives were similarly satisfied. Also of concern are the results of a study by The Advisory Board Company predicting a 15 percent drop in the healthcare leader pool over the next several years.

To meet these challenges, leading healthcare organizations are designing and executing lead-ership development initiatives to lay the founda-tion for sustained, long-term organizational growth and success. Effective initiatives are built around five supporting elements, including: > Identification of key leader competencies > Effective job design > A strong focus on leadership recruitment, development, and retention > Leadership training and development through-out all levels of the organization > Ongoing leadership assessment and perform-ance management
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Which of these traits can you teach an employee? Which traits cannot be taught (they are inherent in the worker)? Explain your reasoning.
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