Anecdotes, jokes, and even social media memes poke fun at the concept of politics at work, but all jokes aside, there is evidence-based proof that politics in healthcare organizational leadership exists. From funding projects to adopting clinical practice changes, politics plays a key role in implementation and change success. New and emerging healthcare leaders will encounter roadblocks that require advanced political savviness to navigate. With significant competing interests across disciplines and executive departments, the ability to build relationships, influence change, and execute action plans will require strong alliances. The purpose of this lecture is to review the importance of political savviness in the new and emerging healthcare leader and develop methods of improvement.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Recognize variables that contribute to the political nature of the healthcare organizational leadership
• Identify gaps in political knowledge and develop a plan for improving political savviness
• Develop plans to constructively use political savviness in the planning and implementation of organizational change