Imperatives for Developing Leadership Potential: A 5-Year Development Plan - Essay Example

IMPERATIVES FOR DEVELOPING MY LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL: A 5-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN The word "leader" first appeared in the English language in the 1300s; it stems from the root “leden” meaning "to travel" or "show the way." The term "leadership", however, followed only some five centuries later. One can sift through many definitions of the term "leadership" and fail to find a single ‘common denominator’ that will unite all of them. This may be because there are so numerous, varying usages of the term in equally numerous and complicated situations. However, for purposes of this paper, the following definitions used in many leadership studies were adopted: Leadership was broadly defined by Yukl (1989) as "influencing task objectives and strategies, influencing commitment and compliance in task behaviour to achieve these objectives, influencing the culture of an organization." In simpler terms, leaders influence the actions and behaviours of their followers to obtain a shared vision or aim. According to Deming (1992), leadership must come from top management and leaders must possess profound knowledge. By profound knowledge, Deming meant that one must have knowledge of systems, variations (statistical thinking), theory, and psychology. Leadership is quite different from management; leaders grow from mastering their own conflict which arises during their developing years using internal strength to survive. On the other hand, managers tend to perceive issues as positive progressions of events which must be planned, organized, scheduled, and controlled. In order to create the proper thinking perspective, leaders must aggressively investigate and act on the current market to create opportunities. Effective leaders are those that are capable of assisting their organization/country manage change and steer it towards success. Action 1. Goal: Maintain my enthusiasm and motivation to children’s palliative care in the hospice environment and developing my leadership potential. Action Timeline Develop a strong mentoring relationship with an expert in this field of nursing. 3 – 6 months Prepare for middle management training developing strategic leadership skills. 6 months Attend Association of Children’s Hospices conference to build, establish peer contacts. 6 months Network with contacts made from ACH conference to develop strategies of care for children’s palliative care. 2 – 5 years Identify and develop skills for potential Assistant Manager’s position. For example, communication, motivation, education and self-regulation. 6 months Build relationships with all members of the multi-disciplinary team. Ongoing Use reflection to identify areas of my leadership skills that are good and those that need improving. Ongoing Join RCN forum to stay updated with wider issues within palliative care. 6 months Tichy and Devanna (1986) assert that managers engage in very little change but manage what is present and leave things much as they found them when they depart. Transformational leadership, they declared, focuses on change, innovation, and entrepreneurship. They assumed that transformational leaders begin with a social fabric, disrupt that environment, and then recreate the social fabric to better reflect the overall business climate. They argue that there are four suggested personal characteristics of a transformational leader: (a) dominance, (b) self-confidence, (c) need for influence, and (d) conviction of moral righteousness. These leaders are expected to deal with the paradox of predicting the unknown and sometimes the unknowable. These leaders change and transform the organization according to a vision of a preferred status. Leaders then are change makers and transformers, guiding the organization to a new and more compelling vision, a demanding role expectation. The first step I will consider in my developmental plan is to maintain my enthusiasm and motivation to children’s palliative care in the hospice environment. Concurrently, I will also aim to develop my leadership potential. I will concretely undertake this by developing a strong mentoring relationship with an expert in this field of nursing. Empirical research from both educational and industrial settings suggests that students and employees both have increased probability of success if they have had a mentor. While mentors are effective for everyone, sometimes organizations implement mentoring programs to support particular parts of their populations, often newer employees. And while mentoring programs are always established with the best of intentions, their results are often mixed (Werner, 2004). To make the most of my clinical exposure, I hope to establish a strong mentoring relationship with a senior nurse and/or a doctor who will be able to coach me on increasing competence in my clinical practice. Coaching and mentoring is a very effective way of developing my leadership potential because it does not only develop me in terms of technical expertise, but it will also allow me to actually experience how these experts undergo the coaching and mentoring exercise. Developing the Leadership Potential of the Novice Nurse The novice acquires clinical judgment and skill over time. Knowledge is refined through actual clinical experience; this moves her from a rule-based, context-free stage to a more analytical, logical and intentional pattern of thinking (Benner, Tanner, & Chelsea, 1996). To effectively provide a conducive learning environment, nurses need venues for examining and developing their problem solving and reasoning skills towards making clinical judgments (Miller, 1992). Such venues transpire through numerous learning experiences. The literature clearly suggests that the novice nurse, to acquire proficiency – develop self-mastery – and eventually lead and coach others, must expose herself to venues and learning opportunities that will allow her to exercise problem solving and reasoning skills. In particular, I am contemplating about being able to practice in a large urban-based hospital in my second to third years, to permit such comprehensive clinical exposure. Participating in varied learning experiences offers the chance to apply classroom theory in the clinical setting. These experiences can help them in developing the learner from the novice phase to advanced beginner. The advanced beginner has been exposed to choice real-life situations and therefore has more contextual rules. Advanced beginners, however, are in greater need for supervision and guidance. They are only starting to learn repetitive meaningful patterns in clinical practice. Clinical experiences enable the formation of meaningful related information on the basis of what the nurse has learned in the classroom. There is an expectation that with more experience, this novice can move from the level of advanced beginner to the level of competence by program completion (Carnaveli & Thomas, 1993). Clinical judgment is defined as nursing decisions about which areas to assess, analyzing health data, prioritizing which task to do, and who should carry it out (Carnaveli & Thomas, 1993). For clinical judgment to be assessed as sound, it should be arrived at using critical thinking and logical reasoning, that will enable the deduction of valid conclusions, and the decisions that may be borne from these. Critical thinking is a cognitive process of dexterously undertaking analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of data gathered from observation, experience, reflection, or communication as a guide to belief or action (Paul, 1993). Several researchers have presented critical thinking as a reflective, reasoned thinking process (Ennis, 1985; Halpern, 1989). It is utilized to allow clinical judgments to act based on the information analyzed or processed (Ennis, 1985; Halpern, 1989).Clinical reasoning is a cognitive process of progressing from what one already knows to more knowledge (Anderson, 1990). Reasoning is used to make a clinical judgment. Reasoning entails a capacity to remember facts, organize them in a meaningful whole, and then apply the information in a clinical patient care situation. Individuals can make use of reasoning to help in formulating principles or guidelines as a basis for their practice judgment decisions. Skill acquisition acknowledges that proficiency and expertise are a function of the exposure to a variety of situations. These circumstances become experiences for the learner to elicit apt responses. Bandura (1977) emphasized that most learning transpires by observing and modeling behaviors. Information is then stored and coded cognitively and utilized as guide for action. He further noted that the development of a realistic learning setting incorporating environment, behavior, and thought promotes the acquisition of complex clinical skills. Moreover, simulation can help in providing this realistic exposure for new graduates (Bandura, 1977). Because I have gone past beyond being a novice, now is the perfect time for developing strategic leadership skills. I will also be able to add on to my networks by attending the Association of Children’s Hospices conference to build and establish peer contacts. Related to this is the effort to network with contacts made from ACH conference to develop strategies of care for children’s palliative care. Related to this is the identification and develop skills for a potential Assistant Manager’s position. For example, communication, motivation, education and self-regulation. I will also endeavor to build relationships with all members of the multi-disciplinary team. I will also endeavor to join RCN forum to stay updated with wider issues within palliative care. The following soft competencies have been recommended areas for leadership development by the Development Dimensions International website (2005): master at managing through ambiguity; inspires confidence and belief in the future; have a passion for results; are marked by unwavering integrity; set others up for success; have strong rather than big egos; and have the courage to make big decisions. Mastery at managing through ambiguity. Build a culture that embraces change; constantly set clear goals and expectations; are able to manage across boundaries (and lead others to do the same); show connections between individual accountabilities, team goals, and organizational vision and strategies; sets out a clear course even though it may change frequently. Inspires confidence and belief in the future. Are able to articulate a vision depicting what they want their organization; exudes calm and projects optimism in the face of uncertainty; can engage and inspire employees in their work connecting their needs and values with those of the institution. Passion for results. Set clear accountabilities and high expectations for themselves and for others; hire, promote and reward high performers; keep themselves and their employees focused on the top two or three customer-driven priorities; take action on those who do not fit or who are consistently not performing; establish critical measures of success and make sure they are visible to others. Marked by unwavering integrity. Serve as a “moral compass” for others; keeps promises and commitments; “walks the talk”; gives straight, honest feedback; leads through values; acts promptly when their own or the integrity of their organization is compromised. Set others up for success. Coaches others to succeed before they have the opportunity to fail; truly enjoys seeing people learn and grow; rewards and recognizes success; views failures as learning opportunities; shares (rather than hordes) talent for the good of the organization. Have strong rather than big egos. Humbly shares credit with others; never shoots the messenger – they encourage the sharing of bad news; are always asking “how can we do things better?”; blame themselves before pointing a finger at others; knows themselves and are guided by strong personal values; listens to understand; recognizes that they, more often than not, are not the ones with the right answers. Have the courage to make big decisions. Addresses issues or problems quickly; takes actions that are right, even when they are unpopular – they act on conviction; stands by their decisions once they make them – even if circumstances cause them to change course later; takes a longer term view consistent with a future vision (www.ddiworld.com, 2005). Soft skills are as equally if not more important than technical skills, in the development of leadership potential. These competencies must also be integrated into my success competency profile and adequately addressed through formal classroom or on-the-job training. Naturally, to be able to identify which leadership areas I need to focus on, I need to use reflection. Action 2. Goal: Ensure communication skills are developed so that I can effectively raise awareness of the wider children’s hospice movement. Action Timeline Liaise with management to produce awareness poster about ACH. 6 months Communicate with the Multi-disciplinary team to cascade information through the children’s hospice team. Ongoing Motivate other members of the team to keep up to date with the latest developments of the wider children’s hospice movement. Ongoing Liaise with management to provide direct link on hospice web pages to the ACH website. 6-12 months Be aware of how informal and formal communication can improve awareness of the wider children’s hospice movement. Utilise every opportunity available. Ongoing Negotiate with management to present a synopsis of the history of children’s hospices and ACH at a care team meeting. 12 months The main approach adopted for my second set of actions is undertaking a transformational leadership role. With transformational leadership, the followers feel trust, admiration, loyalty and respect towards the leader and they are motivated to do more then they originally expected to do. Leaders transform and motivate followers by: (1) making them more aware of the importance of task outcomes, and (2) inducing them to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the organization or team and activating their higher order needs. In contrast, transactional leadership involves an exchange process that may result in follower compliance with leader requests but is not likely to generate enthusiasm and commitment to task objectives. Transformational and transactional leadership are distinct but not mutually exclusive processes. Transformational leadership increases follower motivation and performance more than transactional leadership, but effective leaders use a combination of both types of leadership. Such is the argument of Gary Yukl (1989). He defined transformational behaviour as idealized influence, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Yukl theorized that transformational leadership probably involves internationalization because inspirational motivation includes the articulation of an appealing vision that relates task objectives to follower values and ideals, it therefore also involves personal identification. Yukl (1989) described transformational leadership as a process of micro-level and macro-level influence. At the macro-level, transformational leaders must take charge of the social systems and reform the organization by creating an appropriate power situation. At the micro-level, transformational leaders must attend to the personalities in the organization to facilitate change at an interpersonal level. The focus on the second set of actions is influencing through communication. I should ensure constant liaising with management to produce awareness poster about ACH. Communicate with the Multi-disciplinary team to cascade information through the children’s hospice team. I should also be effective at motivating other members of the team to keep up to date with the latest developments of the wider children’s hospice movement. Still related to communication is the liaising with management to provide direct link on hospice web pages to the ACH website. There should also be a keen awareness of how informal and formal communication can improve awareness of the wider children’s hospice movement. Finally, I would undertake a negotiation with management to present a synopsis of the history of children’s hospices and ACH at a care team meeting. Action 3. Goal: Use reflective analysis to develop leadership skills and improve evidence based practice in children’s palliative care. Action Timeline Identify own learning needs through mentor, journal and or Reflective framework. Ongoing Utilise self-awareness to improve leadership qualities. Ongoing Negotiate with management to communicate reflective analysis to all of the children’s hospice care team. 6-12 months Offer support, praise and encouragement to all team members. Ongoing Communicate with the community Nurse Specialists to improve partnership in nursing care. Help draft their career development plans to motivate them. 12 months Liaise with management for regular personal work reviews. 6 months Continue to develop attitude of life long learning and motivate others to do the same. Ongoing Complete the degree programme negotiate study days with management. Ongoing There is now broad agreement on four key attributes, therefore, known as the four is of Transformational Leadership (Avolio et al., 1991; Bass & Avolio, 1994b). Inspirational leadership means the arousal and heightening of motivation among followers that occurs primarily from charismatic leadership and individualised consideration is evident when subordinates are treated individually according to their needs. Intellectual stimulation refers to the leaders influence on followers thinking and imagination (Bass, 1985, pp. 62,82 and 99). And, finally, idealised influence is the identification with and emulation of the leaders mission and vision. On the third set of action plans, apart from focusing on my own leadership needs, I would also like to assist in the drafting of Career Management plans of nurse specialists to motivate them further. I would also like to ensure that I continuously serve as a model and inspiration for them in terms of giving support, praise and encouragement to all team members. Moreover, I will work for the implementation of the following retention strategies among the team members I work with: Career development. The NHS Modernisation Agency (2005) has proposed a career framework through which staff development and career options may be anchored. The main elements of this framework are illustrated below: More Senior Staff - Level 9 Staff with the ultimate responsibility for clinical caseload decision making and full on-call accountability. Consultant Practitioners- Level 8 Staff working at a very high level of clinical expertise and/or have responsibility for planning of services. Advanced Practitioners - Level 7 Experienced clinical professionals who have developed their skills and theoretical knowledge to a very high standard. They are empowered to make high-level clinical decisions and will often have their own caseload. Non-clinical staff at Level 7 will typically be managing a number of service areas. Senior Practitioners/Specialist Practitioners - Level 6 Staff who would have a higher degree of autonomy and responsibility than Practitioners in the clinical environment, or who would be managing one or more service areas in the non-clinical environment. Practitioners - Level 5 Most frequently registered practitioners in their first and second post-registration/professional qualification jobs. Assistant Practitioners/Associate Practitioners - Level 4 Probably studying for foundation degree, BTEC higher or HND. Some of their remit will involve them in delivering protocol-based clinical care that had previously been in the remit of registered professionals, under the direction and supervision of a state registered practitioner. Senior Healthcare Assistants/Technicians - Level 3 Have a higher level of responsibility than support worker, probably studying for, or have attained NVQ level 3, or Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Support Workers - Level 2 Frequently with the job title of Healthcare Assistant or Healthcare Technician - probably studying for or has attained NVQ Level 2. Initial Entry Level Jobs - Level 1 Such as Domestics or Cadets requiring very little formal education or previous knowledge, skills or experience in delivering, or supporting the delivery of healthcare. The Workforce Profiles tool that NHS provides also allows you to review career pathways that may be availed of, and identify which levels have numerous incumbents, and which ones are limited. A nurse manager may use this to determine which areas staff are confronted with progression or development hurdles; moreover, it will also help the nurse manager identify prospective issues in staffing. Another tool that may be useful for the nurse manager in promoting career development and retention is the Career Options tool. Through this, staff may be aware of their career options in horizontal, diagonal, or diagonal directions. The nurse manager may also undertake role redesign and review using the NHS tool designed for this purpose. Career planning and development will prove to be effective in reducing turnover rates among staff nurses, enhancing their morale and self-esteem. Flexible work. Yet another means of improving the motivation of staff is through the creation of efficiencies through the optimization of staff competencies. This is effective in promoting multi-professional healthcare delivery –one that is more patient-focused – and ultimately enhances motivation, attraction of top talent and retention. The nurse manager may then be tasked to choose which flexible working practices is most suitable for their organization (NHS Modernisation Agency, 2005). Induction. To be able to manager your staff’s expectations, the nurse manager must carry out the induction process very effectively; thus ensuring that the new staff is well aware of operations, procedures, point people, and resources for attainment of job goals or task accomplishment. Logically, the new hire still needs a substantial degree of handholding at this stage, thus the autocratic or democratic leadership styles may be best during the onboarding process (NHS Modernisation Agency, 2005). Partnership and staff involvement. The active involvement of staff is indispensable to building a successful organization. To promote their involvement, the nurse manager can think of very concrete measures for advocating increased workforce flexibility, enhanced customer centricity, greater productivity, solid organizational commitment, higher staff retention, and more effective healthcare delivery (NHS Modernisation Agency, 2005). Pay and reward. The pay and rewards system is very critical in sustaining employee morale. A nurse manager should ensure that rewards and recognition are merit or performance-based as opposed to entitlement-based. The nurse manager may also consider recommending rewards for team-based efforts. Part of the pay and reward systems is drafting a viable retirement and pension plan that will encourage retention among incumbents of the facility (NHS Modernisation Agency, 2005). My leadership development plan, in summary, will equip me with the necessary technical and leadership competencies towards effective nurse management. Ultimately, this will reflect in being able to lead and motivate a team – who in themselves are competent, goal-driven and are able to contribute to the hospital’s bottomline. References Anderson, J.R. (1990). Cognitive psychology and its implications, 3rd ed. New York: WH Freeman. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavior change. 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