Leadership to Advance Innovation for Digital Healthcare Transformation

Abstract

Complexity theory argues for bounded instability to allow organizations to run operations at a regular speed while also allowing them to explore innovations at a faster speed in support of digital transformation. HeXie management theory uses a mix of systems engineering and holism to argue for a theme around which empowered employees can explore and couple the dividends from such explorations to the organizational vision and mission. Authors integrate these two theories and multiple leadership processes (administrative, enabling, and adaptive) around four guiding principles: alignment around theme, dynamism of employees, transitiveness of dividends, and adaptiveness to support organizational growth and capacity building. These principles are used to discuss how digital leadership has guided healthcare transformation both inside and outside a hospital in multiple use cases, thus providing insight for thought leadership in digital health.