Emergent First-Time Leadership in Patient Advocacy Organizations

Abstract

Leadership in effecting change and transformation of the healthcare landscape on behalf of patients resides chiefly in patient advocacy organizations. The purpose of this chapter is to focus on leadership among not-for-profit patient advocacy organizations both in the U.S. and Europe by examining case studies of first-time leaders emerging in recent decades. Characteristics of these selected individuals are analyzed in the context of established leadership theories. Because of the necessity of securing funds to fulfill an organization's mission, transparency is of growing importance as an on-going and future challenge. Social entrepreneurism is introduced at the chapter's conclusion for its possible relevance to tomorrow's leaders emerging in patient advocacy organizations. Such thinking opens the door to future research to identify essential elements of success in the examination of first-time leadership in patient advocacy and to determine how it is best nurtured, mentored, and applauded.