Introduction
Modern leaders pay much attention to time management as it is one of the constant and irreversible things in the work of any organization. Once it is wasted, it can never be returned or used again. Therefore, the task of any leader is to make sure that time is properly and thoughtfully used by employees and themselves. The results of the Time Management Assessment show that I am, like most people, in the middle of my time management success. I am able to understand my needs to manage time. Still, there is always someplace for improvement. In this paper, recently learned concepts would be evaluated to identify which leadership theory best describes my style and skills, compare leadership and management qualities, and recognize how to this knowledge to the work environment.
Time Management and Learned Concepts
Among a variety of responsibilities, leaders have to understand that time management is a crucial step to be taken. It is a priority that cannot be ignored in professional nursing organizations. Leaders have to give work back to people, communicate with stakeholders, embrace change, and manage risks (Hornstein, 2015). The list of practices is long indeed. The information obtained from self-assessment proves that time management is not only a necessity to develop plans and organize people and tasks every day. People have to learn how to communicate, cooperate, and share their visions with each other. Therefore, general management that includes time management, personal skills, critical thinking, and strategic planning are perfectly interlinked with leadership demonstrated by healthcare professionals, nurses, and other stakeholders (Pihlainen, Kivinen, & Lammintakanen, 2016). It is expected that individual management competencies and leadership qualities have to be integrated through special styles and theories.
Leadership Theory
Today, there are many leadership theories and styles that people can choose regarding their background knowledge, skills, and abilities. Some leaders find it necessary to support and motivate employees, proving that servant leadership theories can still be effective in the modern work environment. Many professional healthcare organizations work under authoritarian leadership when leaders introduce policies and goals without the evident participation of employees. Finally, some leaders prefer to follow transactional or transformational styles and establish trustful and partnership relationships with employees. Leadership theories focus on understanding common working processes that are characterized by certain time spans and hierarchical levels (Dinh et al., 2014). I believe that, regarding my current success and achievements, trait theory developed and improved by Stogdill, Mann, Kirkpatrick, and Locke at different periods of time best describe my style of work (Ghasabeh, Soosay, & Reaiche, 2015). Its main assumption is that people are born with a number of inherited traits that can be partially suited to the chosen leadership style in case they are properly developed and combined.
Trait theory is focused on the promotion of such traits as an adaptation to different situations, cooperation, ambitions, self-confidence, and a high level of responsibilities. Leaders should learn how to develop various skills, including creativity, persuasion, sociability, and diplomacy, to become successful. This theory helps to understand what qualities of mine should be developed or even removed. At the same time, this theory inspires me, showing my progress and potential.
Leadership and Management Comparison
To continue my professional development as a leader, I should also understand the existing differences and similarities between leadership and management. Both healthcare leaders and managers must develop competencies and skills that are required for the organization of tasks and work in hospitals or other clinical settings (Pihlainen et al., 2016). However, the main distinctive feature between these two concepts is that leaders usually have people who are ready and eager to follow them, and managers only have people who can work for them. It is not enough for me to have a team for work. My goal is to work with people who will be ready to follow me one day and share my ideas.
Application to the Work Environment
Not many people understand how leadership theories and time management knowledge can be applied to the work environment. There are many different situations and personal qualities that promote a possibility to develop a variety of scenarios and outcomes. However, it is the strength of any leadership theory and management strategy – to create common templates and follow mutual steps to achieve the required goals and success. This week’s concepts, including theories, time management assessment, and professional nursing organizations as the main setting, can improve the work in the chosen environment by creating effective guides and recommendations for new workers, as well as experienced professionals.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is necessary to say that leadership qualities and management strategies have to be investigated by all students and nurses who want to become good leaders with time. Though it is not always possible to find followers and share personal visions and values, it is not the reason to stop trying and improving the already gained level of knowledge. Nursing leaders and managers have access to different theories and frameworks. Specially developed assessment tools can be used to identify which practices are the best for particular situations and settings. This week’s project helps to realize that my current time management skills are appropriate to become a good leader over time.
References
Dinh, J. E., Lord, R. G., Gardner, W. L., Meuser, J. D., Liden, R. C., & Hu, J. (2014). Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 36-62.
Ghasabeh, M. S., Soosay, C., & Reaiche, C. (2015). The emerging role of transformational leadership. The Journal of Developing Areas, 49(6), 459-467.
Hornstein, H. A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), 291-298.
Pihlainen, V., Kivinen, T., & Lammintakanen, J. (2016). Management and leadership competence in hospitals: A systematic literature review. Leadership in Health Services, 29(1), 95-110.