1. Leadership requires personal mastery- personal mastery in the nursing profession is essential to becoming a leader. A leader who is seeking for personal mastery will seek feedback, demonstrate leadership qualities in emergency situations, remain grounded and confident, maintain a professional demeanor, and take initiative. These qualities create a strong leader (nursing.fau.edu 2003).
2. Leadership is about values- values and integrity are expected in nursing practice. This allows the professional to make ethical decisions that directly affect human beings. The values of a leader will no doubt come into play in most situations. A leader must know how to implement these values and show integrity. A leader must always choose to do the right thing (NLN, 2011).
3. Leadership is about service- Some may think that leaders just get paid more than anyone else. In many instances, leaders actually do more work for less. I have witnessed many leaders who have given their own free time to fill a need. Great leaders will do this and are expected to do this. They should be thinking about their staff and the population they are serving.
4. Leadership is about people and relationships- a leader should be personable and truly care about the people who work for them. In nursing, leaders should watch out for fellow nurses and always be willing to help. They should show compassion for patients and RN's. This will maintain harmony in the workplace.
5. Leadership is contextual-Contextual leadership is the ability to lead a certain group while still keeping up with the changes that are being made. In nursing, practices and protocols are constantly changing. Leaders must keep up with these changes in order to lead a certain group.
6. Leadership is about the management of meaning- managers of meanings can determine how their workers attach meanings to various circumstances (imd.org, 2011). They do this so that the company as a whole can share interpretations and stay on the same page. On a nursing unit, it is important for all healthcare personel to be on the same page. This can also help to motivate others to join their team because they understand the purpose (imd.org, 2011).
7. Leadership is about balance- An effective leader needs many positive traits to balance a company or institution. They need to be financially and socially balanced. It is easy to focus on an aspect of management that seems most important, but if little areas are ignored, the institution could crumble. In nursing, leaders must be aware of the financial standing of the unit, but they should also be aware of the patient and RN needs.
8. Leadership is about continuous learning and improvement- the world is always changing and making advances. If a leader does not keep up with these, the company they are running could become old news. There are always leaders that are progressing to become bigger and better than the next. Leaders need to keep up with the changing norms. This is especially true in healthcare because patients could choose to receive care from a more advanced institution.
9. Leadership is about effective decision making- In healthcare, effective decision making is essential. Patients lives are on the line and a good leader knows how to make decisions under a lot of pressure.
10. Leadership is a political process- A leader is often thrown into the political arena. They must protect patients rights as well as RN rights. They need to be an advocate to the patient as well as their RN staff. This is a tough roll but unavoidable as a leader in nursing.
11. Leadership is about modeling- Leaders should be models for good practice. They should also help their co-workers become the best they can be. They need to work with their flaws and strengths and provide feedback. A good leader wants their employees to succeed and improve.
12. Leadership is about integrity- A leader should be someone to trust. They are expected to be steady and honest in their actions. They should be a positive role model for those who work for them.
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