Being a leader is not an easy task – though the challenges of this position are often underrated, it requires a lot of focus and excellent skills of communication and collaboration (Laschinger, Finegan & Wilk, 2009). More to the point, a good leader must be able to motivate their staff. However, most importantly, a good leader must serve their staff (Wells & Hejna, 2009). Only by being initiative and prone to stress, as well as positive about changes in the nursing environment, a leader can improve the quality of the nursing services and make sure that the team under their aegis delivers the best results possible.
When it comes to defining the skills that define a good leader, the easiest way to define these skills is to claim that a good leader is capable of assigning each member of the team with the appropriate roles and responsibilities (Zori, Nosek & Musil, 2010). Nevertheless, though doubtlessly an important skill, it is not at the top of a leader’s priorities list. Instead, a true leader must be concerned with the evolution of the team members as professionals and make sure that their skills, as well as their ethics and principles, coincide with the company’s quality standards.
Personally, I find the leadership examples provided by Kouzes & Posner (2009) and Strang & Kuhnert (2009). Kouzes and Posner show in a very explicit manner that a true leader must create the aesthetics of shared vision in the healthcare setting, thus, enhancing cooperation among the staff members. Strang and Kuhnert, in their turn, emphasize the importance of the leader’s personal development.
Speaking of my leadership strengths and preferences, I must mention that, according to what the test indicates, I am a very good listener. According to the test results, I am capable of being supportive and encouraging. These are crucial qualities for a transformational leader to have since a transformational leader must help the team members reconsider their values and set their professional priorities straight. To do so, a transformational leader must find a unique approach towards every single member of the healthcare team, which is only possible once the leader proves to be responsive and capable of motivating the staff. In addition, the test has shown that I am capable of collaborating with the staff efficiently and reaching agreements or making compromises whenever needed. Speaking of which, collaboration is clearly the key towards the successful delivery of nursing services to the patients, in my opinion. As long as every member of the nursing team is capable of coordinating their actions with the ones that the rest of the team, the possibility of making a mistake or having a misunderstanding is reduced to a minimum and the environment for the patient’s fast recovery is facilitated. However, I must admit that my leadership skills can be improved quite a few notches. To speed up the process of new leadership skills acquisition, it will be required to undergo specific training. To be more exact, it will be highly recommended to take up several projects and coordinate the actions of the team members by assigning them specific roles and distributing responsibilities among them. It will also be required to lead careful observations of the group in question, monitoring their progress and making appropriate conclusions concerning the effects of the leadership strategies adopted, as well as the leadership style in general (Best, 2010).
Reference List
Best, C. K. (2010). Assessing leadership readiness using developmental personality style: A tool for leadership coaching. International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching & Mentoring, 8(1), 22–33.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2009). To lead, create a shared vision. Harvard Business Review, 87(1), 20–21.
Laschinger, H. K. S., Finegan, J., & Wilk, P. (2009). Context matters: The impact of unit leadership and empowerment on nurses’ organizational commitment. Journal of Nursing Administration, 39(5), 228-235.
Strang, S. E., & Kuhnert, K. W. (2009). Personality and leadership developmental levels as predictors of leader performance. Leadership Quarterly, 20(3), 421–433.
Wells, W., & Hejna, W. (2009). Developing leadership talent in healthcare organizations. Healthcare Financial Management: Journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, 63(1), 66–69.
Zori, S., Nosek, L. J., & Musil, C. M. (2010). Critical thinking of nurse managers related to staff RNs’ perceptions of the practice environment. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 42(3), 305–313.