Resource Details

Leading Effectively Articles: Make Leadership Happen with DAC Framework

Direction + Alignment + Commitment (DAC) = Leadership

Year Developed: 2020

Resource Type: Publication.

Primary Audience: C-Suite (CEOs, CFOs, CIO, COOs, CMOs, etc.)
Secondary Audience: PCAs

Language(s): English

Sponsored by: National Association of Community Health Centers

Developed by: Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) (See other resources developed by this organization).

Resource Summary: The Center for Creative Leadership provides evidence based resources to support the building of leadership capacity throughout an organization. While CCL stops short of building a customized leadership development solution specific to the unique culture and challenges of a health center, their research, resources, and leadership concepts are highly transferrable to health center organizations (health centers, PCAs, HCCNs, NTTAPs, etc.). This specific resource speaks to a \"whole system\" approach to leadership, rather than putting the weight of leaders on an individual manager or executive.

Resource Details: In CCL’s “whole system” perspective, leadership happens in the interactions and exchanges among people with shared work. Leadership can be happening within teams, workgroups, task forces, divisions, communities, and whole organizations. Regardless of the collective, for leadership to happen, the interactions and exchanges among people have to yield: • Agreement on what the collective is trying to achieve together (Direction) • Effective coordination and integration of the different aspects of the work so that it fits together in service of the shared direction (Alignment) • People who are making the success of the collective (not just their individual success) a personal priority (Commitment) These three outcomes—direction, alignment, and commitment (DAC for short)—make it possible for individuals to work together willingly and effectively to realize collective achievements. While this resource is not written to be health center specific, the concepts explained are highly transferrable to health center organizations (health centers, PCAs, HCCNs, NTTAPs, etc.)

Resource Topic: Operations, Quality, Workforce

Resource Subtopic: Sustainability, Leadership Skills, Quality Improvement.

Keywords: Planning, Staffing and Onboarding.