Introduction
Leadership qualities are essential for any professional, especially in the medical industry where the primary concern is the health of people. According to Saxena, Desanghere, Stobart, and Walker (2017), the important aspect of leadership is the intentional influence a person has on others. Additionally, one must understand the importance of constant improvement, especially in becoming a leader. Leadership in nursing involves working closely with colleagues and patients to promote positive health outcomes.
Leadership Styles
For a nurse, it is especially crucial to identify and develop a proper leadership style, as daily tasks involve close cooperation with other team members. The attributes of leadership that I possess are good communication and cooperation skills. In addition, in my work, I strive to evaluate my performance to improve the qualities that I have which should be an objective for a good leader. For my leadership style development, I would want to incorporate aspects of different methods used to guide people and cooperate with them. Saxena et al. (2017) point out that successful leaders in medicine “draw from a repertoire of styles” (p. 2). However, I would describe my leadership style as primarily democratic because in my work I try to listen to the ideas and opinions of people around me as much as I can. Further in my work, I would want to incorporate qualities of a transformational leader to successfully manage the workload in my advanced practice (AP).
Transformational leadership is a popular concept in medical education and the healthcare industry. Bass defines such leader as “a person who can communicate the importance of surpassing personal interests for the organizational benefit” (as cited in McCleskey, 2014). Thus, a transformational leader should possess superior communication skills as well as an understanding of the needs that people have. Additionally, Bass points out that “a transformational leader can inspire others around him or her to strive for constant improvements and achievements” (as cited in McCleskey, 2017, p. 120). Therefore, such a leader can create a successful approach that would be beneficial for both an organization and the people who work for it. One of the aspects of transformational leadership is the openness that people have when expressing their thoughts (McCleskey, 2017). The leadership approach helps to create a positive environment in the workplace. Although I possess some of the characteristics of a transformational leader, I need to work on many aspects to succeed. In order to be a transformational leader, I need to improve my ability to influence people for them to enhance their skills and knowledge.
As an advanced practice nurse, I will embrace the characteristics of both democratic and transformational leadership. This approach will help me create the appropriate team environment while managing patients. Additionally, the qualities of a transformational leader will help me motivate other medical staff to develop their skills and improve their knowledge. One of the main implications in AP is caring for patients with chronic diseases, the successful outcome of which depends on the patient’s involvement in the treatment process. Through these leadership methods, I will be able to explain the importance of continually taking care of one’s health. Therefore, combining the democratic and transformational leadership characteristics in my AP will be beneficial for me, as it will allow me to manage the cooperation with colleagues and patients adequately.
References
McCleskey, J. A. (2014). Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), 117-130.
Saxena, A., Desanghere, L., Stobart, K., & Walker, K. (2017). Goleman’s Leadership styles at different hierarchical levels in medical education. BMC Medical Education, 17(1), 2-9. Web.