No abstract

Purpose -Because leadership competencies differ from the clinical and scientific competencies that make physicians successful in their clinical and scientific roles, leadership development programs are now receiving attention. Design/methodology/approach -As one component of the leadership development program at the Cleveland Clinic, the Physician-Leader On-Boarding Program offers newly appointed chairs a structured interaction with executive coaches with the goal of increasing self-awareness and, secondarily, developing a personal leadership development plan. New leaders review their inventory of healthcare leadership competencies and receive expert guidance regarding their ratings on a 360 o feedback assessment and a self-rated psychometric instrument. The final activity of the two-to three-month program is the new leader's presenting and discussing a personal leadership development plan with the coaches. Findings -Between December 2006 and June 2010, 25 new Cleveland Clinic department or institute chairs participated in the program, of whom 22 were invited to participate and 14 responded to a survey regarding their experience of the program. Respondents rated the program highly 4.92 out of maximum 5 on "I would recommend the program to my colleagues," and also suggested that expectations could be better clarified, that the scope of on-boarding should be broader, and that longitudinal coaching should be offered. Originality/value -The results generally support the value of an on-boarding program for new physician-leaders while identifying future opportunities. The aforementioned suggestions regarding broader scope, clear expectations and follow-up are discussed as opportunities to strengthen the on-boarding experience, and to identify areas that may need to be reinforced.