The Prince, written by Niccolò Machiavelli (pictured), argued that it is better for a ruler to be feared than loved, if you cannot get both.

Do programs to develop physician leaders actually work? A BMJ Leader (as in British Medical Journal) article notes that “leader development has been the signature feature of leading companies and appears to be a burgeoning interest in healthcare organisations, it is important to assess the impact of such programmes, especially as resources are expended towards them in an era of constrained resources in healthcare. The impact and value of programmes must be addressed individually, and each activity must be contextualised for the culture and priorities of the institution. While some available studies demonstrate value and high organisational impact for such programmes, it appears that rigorous studies are relatively few and that most available studies document self-reported….

“Assessments of the various Cleveland Clinic programmes represent our attempt to assess the impact of physician leader programmes on organisational performance. Future goals for this research are to further examine both the learning, behavioural, and organisational impact of alumni of leader development programmes and to consider their cost-effectiveness (eg, by comparing the programme costs with the financial impact of initiatives led by programme alumni).”

To read the article, please hit this link.