Nursing Leadership Philosophy - Essay Example

Leadership Philosophy I can recall early in my career, as a nurse; I had in my memory that one day I would become a leader in nursing. This was as a result of the way I perceived the definition of nursing, “protection, promotion, and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individual, families, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association, 2004, p.7) as provided by the American Nurses Association. I knew I valued the sick very much, and I could do anything to ensure their safety is assured. One of the things that I believed could enhance me meet my objective as a nurse was to become a leader. Leadership is more than having followers and following the set principles. It is also not a title as many people think. Leadership is very complex and involving. It means making the right decisions at the right time by involving others in a vision, and empowering others to pursue a particular goal for the lasting impact. Several factors have played a role in shaping my leadership philosophy, and one of them is self-knowledge. I am one being that believes that you can only meet your leadership expectations by first knowing yourself (Pinczuk & Dunham-Taylor, 2014). Apart from being considered as a process, leadership is a relationship. There will be no leader if there are no followers. A good leader admires his or her interaction with the members because of the mutual benefits associated with such a relationship. One of the things that I have paid much of my consideration is to realize my core values. Although the majority of my values resulted from my childhood, it is evident that these values have been shaped as well as tested throughout my life as a nurse. As a leader, I have been challenged to make amicable decisions. I considered the following items as my main core values: Integrity: Clement Stone said, “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right.” Ethical practice is very elemental in a nursing environment, particularly in handling clients and co-nurses; it calls for not only knowing what is right, but also doing it with or without supervision. Without integrity, it will be impossible to pursue other values. Passion: I consider passion as an intense feeling inclined towards something crucial like a goal or a mission. A leader’s passion acts like a spark that causes a blaze that is responsible for pushing persons in a relationship to achieving the set goals. This passion encourages the members in challenging times. Respect: Portraying respect for others is what most leaders find hard in their lives despite it being the foundation for the group’s success. As a show of respect, the leader must accept other people’s opinions and take the suggested things into consideration before making any decision. Service: Leadership often involves offering service to others. Transformational leadership obliges a person to give oneself to the group. Ultimately, I consider servant leadership the best approach any leader can take. Servant leaders often deliver because they sacrifice their personal gains for the sake of the group. Thus, leadership starts with serving; a leader bestows himself or herself to their responsibility with the aim of making the lives of those who allowed him or her to be a leader better. Hard Work and Dedication: Leadership is not a simple task. It is often associated with challenges that must be overcome by dedication. A leader is not supposed to be discouraged with challenges related to offering leadership. As it was introduced above, leadership is not a name. Leadership involves understanding the benefits of being a leader and the contributions of one as a leader (Moss, 2004). The responsibilities of a leader are many and diverse. An effective leader determines a path that could lead to greatness in addition to coming up with attainable goals. He or she believes in the followers in addition to learning to accept blame. Additionally, a leader is supposed to lead by example by asking others to follow that he or she is doing. As it I introduced above; leadership is not about exercising power over subjects. On the contrary, it includes identifying each other’s potentials and conveying out trust in that potential. It also involves identifying each other’s weaknesses and finding ways of overcoming them. In concrete terms, this implies relating to employees very well by treating them with compassion and respect and providing them with incentives regardless of the understandable weakness they portray at work (Godshall, 2009). I believe that an effective leader is supposed to be a good communicator always, and as a result of this, it is crucial for a leader to be open and honest when he or she makes a wrong decision. In other words, too much secrecy may make your followers lose trust in you and, as a result, contribute to the failure of achieving your expectations. Motivation is also very elemental in any working environment. Use of incentives, as well as comments, makes employees feels like they have contributed positively to the group. They also let followers realize that you appreciate their contribution to the group. The priorities of individuals who seek for leadership positions vary significantly. For instance, the priorities can include controlling others, for monetary gain, or to get the job done. As a leader, I believe in using my position to get the job done. Effective communication accountability, as well as moral-decision making, enhances the achievement of this priority. It is crucial for a leader to hold followers accountable for their respective actions. Admitting wrongdoing as well as respecting designated council boosts also the achievement of one’s priority. As it was introduced above, it is necessary for a leader not only to be honest in his leadership work, but also to lead by example (Godshall, 2009). The success of leadership as it was introduced above involves a leader and followers working together. As a result of this, I expect followers to participate in the leadership work. Followers should contribute to setting goals and making decisions regarding the running of the group (Moss 2004). It is also advisable for the followers to generate ideas regarding anything associated with the group or management. As a leader, I value collaboration very much. As a result of this, I expect followers to collaborate willingly. I also expect the followers to take responsibility for themselves; followers must be responsible for their actions. Additionally, I expect followers to be confident in themselves as well as in the things we do together. I consider leadership as a piece of work that involves accomplishing things very fast and smoothly. As a leader, I know people expect me to do the right things as well as to make good decisions in everything I do. It is also evident that my followers expect me to exhibit a high level of integrity in my work (Swansburg 2002). They expect me to handle challenging situations carefully and in a transparent manner. As a leader, I am also expected to set and achieve goals. In connection with this, followers expect me to provide constructional suggestions for achieving the set goals. Additionally, followers always admire innovative leaders. As a result of this, I am supposed to be creative as well as collaborative in my leadership. References American Nurses Association, (2004). Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Washington DC: The Publishing Program of ANA. Godshall, M. (2009). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) Review Manual. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Moss, M. (2004). The Emotionally Intelligent Nurse Leader. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Pinczuk, J. & Dunham-Taylor, J. (2014). Financial Management for Nurse Managers. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Swansburg, R. (2002). Introduction to Management and Leadership for Nurse Managers. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More