Leadership in Health Care
Leadership in health care
Cynthia Leonard, RN, BSN
Nurs/587
February 5, 2012
Marie Holley, NP, RN, PhD
Leadership in health care Leadership is a unique position and can be seen as the capability to motivate and encourage confidence and support among followers. A competent leader possesses many abilities. A central ability that a leader possesses is influencing others. Leaders guide, directs, teaches, and motivates people to accomplish goals. Leadership is essential for nursing as a profession. Leaders set goals for the future and set the pace for achieving the goals. Leadership is a “…process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives” (Yukl, 2006, p. 8). Leaders know how to convey the vision, encourage their followers, and empower their staff to create change in an organization or department. Leadership skills should be present in nurses from those providing patient care to those in management positions. Effective leaders achieve outcomes and are good examples for his or her staff. This paper will enlighten the reader on different types of leadership styles that leaders can possess to be effective. The details on how leaders adapt to modifying his or her leadership styles will be highlighted along with challenges that leader’s face in his or her role. Nurse leader’s use different types of power depending on his and her objectives. This paper will spotlight the formal and informal power of leadership. An explanation of the effects of formal and informal power will be apparent to the reader. Leadership Styles Leadership styles are the approach leaders uses to achieve goals. Each leader has a basic general working style that stems from his or her character, experience, and understanding of leadership. Leadership styles are classified as “…different combinations of task and relationship
Cynthia Leonard, RN, BSN
Nurs/587
February 5, 2012
Marie Holley, NP, RN, PhD
Leadership in health care Leadership is a unique position and can be seen as the capability to motivate and encourage confidence and support among followers. A competent leader possesses many abilities. A central ability that a leader possesses is influencing others. Leaders guide, directs, teaches, and motivates people to accomplish goals. Leadership is essential for nursing as a profession. Leaders set goals for the future and set the pace for achieving the goals. Leadership is a “…process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives” (Yukl, 2006, p. 8). Leaders know how to convey the vision, encourage their followers, and empower their staff to create change in an organization or department. Leadership skills should be present in nurses from those providing patient care to those in management positions. Effective leaders achieve outcomes and are good examples for his or her staff. This paper will enlighten the reader on different types of leadership styles that leaders can possess to be effective. The details on how leaders adapt to modifying his or her leadership styles will be highlighted along with challenges that leader’s face in his or her role. Nurse leader’s use different types of power depending on his and her objectives. This paper will spotlight the formal and informal power of leadership. An explanation of the effects of formal and informal power will be apparent to the reader. Leadership Styles Leadership styles are the approach leaders uses to achieve goals. Each leader has a basic general working style that stems from his or her character, experience, and understanding of leadership. Leadership styles are classified as “…different combinations of task and relationship
References: Huber, D.L. (2006). Leadership and Nursing Care Management (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier. Mullen, A. (2011). PRWeb. Retrieved from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/03/prweb5158584.htm Tomey, A. M. (2009). Guide to Nursing Management and Leadership (8th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection. What Are the Top Leadership Challenges? (2004, May/June). Healthcare Executive, 19(3), 38- 38. University of Phoenix Library. Yuki, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations, 6e. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice- Hall.