Nursing requires effective leadership to achieve safe and quality care to patients. Nurse leaders should influence their subordinates to realize positive hospital and patient outcomes. They should work with other providers in coordinated efforts and relationships based on trust (Hoeger, Wilson, & Evans, 2009). Furthermore, they should support continued development in an environment where care providers learn from their mistakes to improve their caregiving roles. Leaders have the opportunity to change the working environment to achieve organizational objectives. They have the responsibility of influencing the future of nursing (Hill, 2011). As a nurse leader, one should be prepared to reshape the structures and systems of the organization to support positive development. Although the leadership role is critical for successful healthcare provision, the participation of other stakeholders is more critical in promoting the personal and organizational vision. Therefore, participative leadership is one of the most influential leadership styles in nursing.
A Description of Personal Leadership Style and Approaches
My style is participative or democratic leadership. It is one of the most influential leadership approaches in healthcare organizations, which plays an essential role in leading teams to achieve organizational goals (Hoeger, Wilson, & Evans, 2009). The style involves leaders working with the entire team in decision-making and operations. The leader works with team members to identify the most significant objectives and to develop strategies and procedures towards their achievement. The leadership relies mainly on the head of the team operating as a facilitator (Wikström & Dellve, 2009). It differs from an environment where a leader gives orders or formulates assignments for the team members. The approach allows the leader to enhance the skills of other members of the team for the current and future benefit of the healthcare facility. It involves active participation of others and encouraging them to use their abilities, creativity, and talents. The style allows the team to realize hidden assets that support growth.
A Description of Personal Vision for Leading
The essence of leadership is to create a future image of an organization. A leader should have a vision and work with members of the team towards realizing it. I desire to lead an organization with enthusiastic nurses and improve the quality of care to patients. My vision as a leader is to recruit and train additional nurses to work for the organization. It is necessary to address the challenge of a nursing shortage that affects our organization just like other healthcare facilities across the country. As a leader, it is vital to attract and retain qualified nurses. Therefore, I desire to have a motivated team under my leadership. One of the ways of motivating nurses is to allow them to take an active part in their work, leadership, and decision-making. They should feel valued in all aspects of an organization. I will build a team of subordinates who share my vision and develop work ownership. Such a team will also work towards achieving organizational objectives while improving the safety and quality of care.
Description of Background and Influences
I have always admired a participative leader because of their role in creating and working with a motivated team. Such leaders make subordinates feel valued and appreciated for their contribution. They become an integral part of the team that works to support the leader’s vision (Wikström & Dellve, 2009). Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is my source of motivation to become a democratic leader in the nursing setting. I admire the way he worked with his troops in the battle (Daft, 2014). He did not remain in his office to give orders to the soldiers. Instead, he accompanied soldiers and participated actively in the battle. He led through a democratic model, allowing every voice to be heard before making a decision. Although the leader worked outside the healthcare setting, he is a great model of a participative leader. I want to work actively with the members of my team and allow them to give their views about how we can improve the healthcare organization.
Evaluation of Strengths
A leader should understand personal strengths concerning the leadership style and approach. One of the ways of evaluating personal strengths is to perform a SWOT analysis. I am a team leader who has successfully led groups to pursue common goals. Therefore, I will work with the team in a coordinated manner and through effective collaboration to achieve the vision. Besides, I have excellent communication skills and believe in face-to-face interactions where people share ideas and opinions. Hence, this ability is vital for success in democratic leadership. Although I rate highly in emotional intelligence, I believe that it is imperative for a leader to understand and manage personal emotions and those of members of the team. It is the most effective way of preventing conflicts when working with others (Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly, & Konopoaske, 2012). Notably, I have always found it easy to work with people in various organizational settings. My strengths facilitate participative leadership because I find it easy to work with others.
Evaluate Limitations
The SWOT analysis also provides important information about the leader’s weaknesses. They are areas where one needs to improve to achieve personal development. One of my limitations as a leader is the inability to manage conflicts. I appreciate working in a peaceful environment, which makes it hard to solve interpersonal issues emerging within my team. I should learn conflict management skills to improve my ability to lead diverse teams. Besides, I make decisions fast, which is a challenge in democratic leadership. The process takes time to collect the views of others before making the decision. Therefore, I should learn to be more patient and consider others in my decision-making activity. Finally, I should uplift individuals by developing their skills. Hence, as a leader, I should build trust, which is possible in an environment where every person feels appreciated.
Conclusion
Leadership is a critical role in organizations because it is the means through which individuals influence others to achieve common objectives. Therefore, the aspect is necessary to improve the quality of care provided to patients. Nurse leaders should have a vision and work with members of a team towards its realization. I have realized that my preferred style is participative leadership. Such leaders work with others to make decisions that benefit the organization. They collect views and opinions of the subordinates and integrate them into critical decisions to improve patient care and other organizational outcomes. I demonstrate strengths that support this leadership style, such as team working, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. However, various areas need improvement, such as conflict solving abilities. Building leadership skills is another critical aspect of continued development as a leader.
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