Redefining Resilience in Healthcare Leadership

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore resiliency as a core leadership competency that healthcare leaders could develop, through participation in a leadership communities of practice. The term resilience has been misunderstood within healthcare and is often thought of as an inherent trait that leaders possess, rather than a skill that can be developed. As such, this study explored reimagining resilience as a set of abilities leaders can develop to navigate the complexity of the current healthcare system. Additionally, a leadership communities of practice was formed with research participants as an overarching framework to support leadership development. This research used a thematic analysis methodology to analyze the research findings from participants, which were made up of twelve healthcare leaders within Nova Scotia Health, a small provincial health authority on the east coast of Canada. Findings from the study concluded that participants’ view of resiliency evolved through their participation in the communities of practice, demonstrating that not only was resilience a practical leadership skill for healthcare leaders, but a leadership community of practice offered a beneficial approach to leadership development. This study also used an applied research approach that provides a practical and tangible approach to building resilience in healthcare leaders and enhancing their leadership skills by offering key recommendations for healthcare organizations to consider in supporting and enhancing the skills of their leaders. Keywords: resilience, communities of practice, leadership development