As a healthcare IT professional, you’re in high demand. But if you want to get ahead and advance your career into a leadership position, there’s a lot of competition. That’s why you need to invest in yourself and your career. But where do you begin? As Healthcare IT Consultants, Morgan Hunter Healthcare has the answers you need. Here’s a look at a few key skills to focus on building:

 

Skill #1: Communication.

As an IT leader, you have to communicate clearly and effectively with different audiences, often times including those who are non-technical. In addition, you need to be able to understand business needs and goals and then communicate them in a way your tech team will understand. It’s often a tight rope to walk, one that requires excellent communication skills.

 

Skill #2: Delegation.

Once you’re in a leadership position, you’re going to have to start delegating work. If you don’t, you’ll get bogged down in day-to-day necessary—but mundane—tasks. Your talents are needed elsewhere, which is why it’s important to let go of the reins somewhat and hand off work to those you trust.

 

Skill #3: Problem solving.

When you were working at the junior level, you focus was on solving technical problems. Now, you have to keep the bigger business picture in mind. You need to be able to think through not only the problems and challenges facing your team, but how potential solutions will impact the company as a whole, including with issues like unintended consequences.

 

Skill #4: Crisis management.

When you’re in charge, it seems like there are never-ending fires to put out. You have to learn how to recognize them, categorize their level of urgency, and manage your team through them all with a calm demeanor.

 

Skill #5: Risk taking.

Don’t do things the same way just because it’s always been done like that. Instead, be willing to ask hard questions, step outside your comfort zone and push the envelope. If you want to bring innovation to life, it’s important to be able to take risks and learn from them.

 

Interested in advancing your healthcare IT career into a leadership position?

Contact Morgan Hunter Healthcare. As Healthcare IT consultants, we fill a variety of rewarding and challenging jobs in the healthcare IT field, including those in management, with some of the country’s top employers. Search our available jobs now to get started.

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