Leadership Development: Exploring Relational Leadership Im-plications in Healthcare Organizations

(1) Background: Relational Leadership Theory (RLT) has been gaining rising attention for the past 20 years with studies investigating multiple implications and practices of relationships within organizations. Yet, less attention has been given in healthcare settings. By virtue of the emerging need to move beyond exploring the quality of relationships and to move towards the exploitation of relational dynamics that influence leadership development in healthcare organizations, this study explores both the dyad relationships and the context in which those occur. With recent attention directed to the implementation of human-centered practices and the creation of effective networks to bring desired results, RLT is called on to advance this agenda within healthcare organizations. (2) Material and Methods: Research articles that examined leadership theories over the past thirty years were selected from computerized databases and manual searches. (3) Results: It is argued that the way and context in which relationships are formed between leaders and members is a social process that, in turn, shapes the effectiveness of the management of those organizations. Leadership is not rank—it is the relationship with the relational dynamics that play in the same context, creating evolutionary organizational processes. (4) Conclusions: This paper challenges leadership theory one step further. Exploring an organization through relational leadership theory is much like wearing the lens of ‘cause and effect’ in leadership behavioral studies. Therefore, this study contributes to this direction with a robust co-examination of relational dynamics that take place in the healthcare sector, showcasing a broader framework in which relational leadership is germinated and influences its outcomes

Primary Surgical Therapy for Locally Limited Oral Tongue Cancer

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of primary surgical treatment in the management of locally limited oral tongue carcinoma. Methods. A retrospective evaluation was carried out for all patients treated with primary surgery for pT1-pT2 oral tongue carcinomas at a tertiary referral center between 1980 and 2005. All cases were assessed for disease-specific survival and local control rates in relation to T classification, N classification, infiltration depth of the primary tumor, and decision making on neck management and adjuvant therapy. The cases were additionally evaluated for the incidence of major complications and tracheotomies. Results. 263 cases were assessed. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 75.2%. Positive neck disease was shown to be a significant negative prognostic factor. The occult metastasis rate was 20.2%. Conclusions. Primary surgical treatment is a very effective modality against T1-T2 oral tongue carcinoma, and a low rate of complications can be anticipated