Issue of Headship - Essay Example

Leadership can be identified as the process of influencing a group of people for the purpose of attaining the objective of the organization. The senior nurses or the nurse leaders are likely to involve themselves in numerous leadership activities in their day-to-day operations. In order to complete the tasks, a nurse leader may try to adapt to numerous leadership styles that can assist her to attain the objectives. It is quite significant for a nurse leader to practice effective leadership for delivering high-class care, helping in the process of positive staff development and thus ensuring the safety of the patients. Effective leaders are supposed to make use of the problem-solving processes, maintain effectiveness and efficiency among the members of the group and create group recognition. Concurrently, they are also required to be active, obsessive, have a motivational impact on other people, and must have the capability to encourage others. It is quite significant for the senior nurses or the nurse leaders to implement the above-mentioned features in their jobs so that they can gain the trust and respect of their followers and thus help in the progress of clinical practice. If a nurse is capable of practicing proper leadership style, then she will be in a position to impact the successful development of other staff, further ensuring that they maintain professional standards and augment the advancement of experienced practitioners (Nursing Times, 2007).

It is quite crucial for nurse leaders to be capable of responding to dynamic healthcare environment expectations and alterations and to provide their services according to local and national strategies. A nurse leader must demonstrate flexibility in responding to the changes and endorse others to embrace them in a positive way. It is the senior nurses who are capable of developing other staff by assisting them to apply theory to practice. In the work environment, she also tends to provide confidence to the staff to undertake new skills. If the senior nurses help in resolving conflicts and assist in generating effective associations among the team members in an organization, then her followers would feel quite motivated to work. A competent nurse leader supports her subordinates so that they can gain proper knowledge of the patients as well as their needs and values (Nursing Times, 2007).

Servant Leadership Model

Servant leadership is one of the service-oriented approaches which is mainly concerned with valuing and developing people. There are seven main pillars of servant leadership. They are:

• Person of character
• Places people foremost
• Skillful communicator
• Empathetic collaborator
• Has prescience
• Systems thinker
• Leadership with ethical authority

(The Citadel, n.d.)

As a medical service line director, I am supposed to take into consideration that my followers are working for the successful attainment of the set objectives. One of the ways through which my leadership will offer a sense of protection and value at the workplace is by creating an environment of continual learning by means of support and best practices which will assist to empower and motivate the staff in the work environment. The other way to promote a feeling of protection and honor among the members in the organization is by fostering a climate of creativity. Creativity is quite significant in the field of nursing and healthcare. For instance, when a medical service line director is capable of developing a climate of creativity, his/her followers are motivated to work hard towards the attainment of the goals of the organization. There are a few features that can lead to stimulating and creative environments such as openness to novel ideas, creating a climate of learning, and promoting a favorable outlook (Jackson, 2007). 

The members of the organization must be provided with an opportunity to express themselves and share their curiosities and also raise the issues that they are facing in the work environment.  It is significant for a medical service line director to have good listening skills. A leader is successful if he/she is capable of adequately listening to what others want to say. By doing so, followers feel respected and honored at their workplace. It further helps them in increasing the output. The other significant aspect to be considered by a medical service line director is to possess the capability to identify and cultivate the developmental needs of others. If a leader is not capable of identifying the needs of the followers, then in such circumstances the members of the organization tend to be dissatisfied with the job and this greatly hampers the workplace effectiveness. Rates of absenteeism and high turnover of followers become greater than before. Therefore, a medical service line director can intend to interview his/her subordinates on a continuous basis so that he/she can understand their demands. This will generate a feeling of protection among the members of the organization emanating from their leader (Jackson, 2007).