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Introduction
Every person can utilize different tactics and activities in order to become a good leader. There are many styles of leadership, and each one has its advantages and drawbacks. In nursing, the position of a leader can be critical as this profession deals with the sphere of human health, and most nurses work in very stressful conditions. Therefore, when being a nurse leader, one has to consider his or her qualities that can prove to be useful in creating a personal leadership style. This paper aims to analyze my own leadership qualities on the basis of the quiz Whats Your Leadership Style? and discuss the attributes of leadership that may be needed for nurses in general and family nurse practitioners (FNPs) specifically.
Quiz Results
The results of this quiz revealed that I am a democratic leader. This type of leadership, otherwise known as participative leadership, implies that a person in the position of power accepts the feedback from the group and encourages participation while reserving the right to make final and major decisions to him or herself. Moreover, according to Cherry (2016), this type of management often leads to more effective and accurate decisions as the group is able to discuss all matters and come to an agreement prior to making decisions. Democratic leadership also makes members of the staff feel appreciated because their participation is meaningful. It is possible that this type of leadership is balanced as it offers a certain amount of freedom for the employees but allows the leader to have the final word.
This result fits perfectly into my view of leadership. In my opinion, collaboration is exceptionally significant in such difficult settings as the provision of healthcare. Nurses often have complicated cases, where ones knowledge may be insufficient to reach a definitive conclusion. Thus, teamwork can be very useful in this sphere. Furthermore, democratic leadership does not pressure nurses and other medical personnel into working under strict limitations.
Professionals in the medical field have a probability of suffering from high levels of stress, which can only be exacerbated by an authoritative leader. On the other hand, delegative style of leadership may lead to employees making some mistakes that the sphere of healthcare cannot afford. Thus, in my opinion, the democratic method of leadership offers a balance between freedom and control.
Attributes of Leadership
Graduate level nurses should possess a number of characteristics in order to be successful leaders. First of all, nursing practitioners should be able to handle the constantly changing healthcare environment. Thus, being highly adaptable and flexible in these settings may prove to be very useful to a nurse leader. A resilient leader may be more capable of dealing with stressful and pressing situations, where other team members struggle to stay focused.
On the other hand, one should not underestimate the ability to plan for the future. According to Denker, Sherman, Hutton-Woodland, Brunell, and Medina (2015), succession planning is an issue that many professionals overlook. Challenging a leader to focus not only on short-term goals but also on long-term ones may positively affect ones practice. Thus, it is essential for a graduate level nurse to possess such qualities as adaptability, level-headedness, and readiness to work under pressure.
Leaders take on a role that deals with managing other people and assigning appropriate tasks. Therefore, these professionals should be able to assess the level of skills of each team member in order to distribute duties appropriately. The sphere of nursing is not an exception, as nursing leaders often manage a number of staff members on their team. Graduate level nurses may need to know the limits of their knowledge and be able to evaluate others skill levels. Moreover, an ability to judge giving some people more freedom while monitoring others more closely is also a valuable trait that one can have.
Personal Leadership Attributes
In my opinion, I possess some qualities that could make me a successful leader. My ability to function in a stressful environment would allow me to keep team members focused and ready for action. Moreover, I can adjust to the changing conditions of this profession, which may be useful in the position of leadership. However, there are some qualities that I would like to develop further. Firstly, I would like to become more aware of the process of setting the right goals.
As an FNP, one should remember that family health is a priority and the process of advocating for that purpose may take time and many steps. Finding a balance between areas of clinical practice and health advocacy may be essential for my further work. Secondly, I would like to gain more knowledge about proper communicational skills as they can be crucial to ones practice (Denker et al., 2015). Learning how to listen to others, express my thoughts, and encourage collaboration can make me a better leader.
Conclusion
While all leadership styles have their weak and strong sides, one can outline a number of characteristics that all nursing practitioners should have. Lanzoni, Meirelles, and Cummings (2016) state that such aspects as professional experience, the use of planning, communication and stimulation of individual potential and the group can encourage members of the staff to provide the best healthcare possible (p. e4190015). Nurses may need to possess these qualities to become efficient and successful leaders.
References
Cherry, K. (2016). Whats your leadership style? Learn more about your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Web.
Denker, A. L., Sherman, R. O., Hutton-Woodland, M., Brunell, M. L., & Medina, P. (2015). Florida nurse leader survey findings: Key leadership competencies, barriers to leadership, and succession planning needs. Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(7/8), 404-410.
Lanzoni, G. M. D. M., Meirelles, B. H. S., & Cummings, G. (2016). Nurse leadership practices in primary health care: A grounded theory. Texto & Contexto-Enfermagem, 25(4), e4190015.
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