ABSTRACT
There is evidence that general leadership is important in organizational change; however, it is also important to identify and advance leadership knowledge, skills, and behaviours that support implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). This essay identifies key dimensions of implementation leadership including 1) being knowledgeable about practices being implemented and the nuances of their application with diverse clients and patients, 2) being proactive in anticipating and addressing implementation challenges as, or before, they arise, 3) supporting clinicians and providers in their efforts to use EBPs, 4) persevering through challenges in the implementation process, 5) being available to staff during implementation, 6) encouraging a vision of why implementing EBP is important for patients, health professionals, and organizations, 7) and being an effective communicator about the importance of EBPs for provider expertise and patient engagement and outcomes. The Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) was developed to assess these leadership dimensions and to be used in 360-degree assessments of leaders to facilitate leader development training and coaching and to assess progress of implementation leadership training. The Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) strategy is a leadership training and coaching approach that seeks to develop first-level leader knowledge, skills, and abilities and align implementation initiatives across organizational levels. It is important to consider both general leadership and strategic leadership focused on improving leadership and organizational context in order to support EBP implementation and to improve healthcare outcomes.
