Leadership Roles in Nursing
Leadership Styles in Professional Nursing
Marybeth Kruszewski
Chamberlain College of Nursing
Transition to Professional Nursing NR351
Summer B 2010
Leadership Styles in Professional Nursing There are several leadership styles in professional nursing being implemented on a daily bases that can either enhance or diminish the standards of practice. For example, the style of leadership chosen affects personal performance and patient outcomes. Leadership is a method of modeling accountable behavior to followers. In an article on leadership effectiveness by Maureen C. Trott and Kim Windsor, the article states, for the present and the future of healthcare, having the talent to lead is crucial to the success of the organizations (Trott & Windsor, 1999). Basic leadership styles include authoritarian which is when the leader takes full control; democratic is when the leader involves a team approach; and laissez-faire where the leader provides little to no direction (Hood, 2010). Another form of leadership is transformational. Transformational leadership is defined as, “one who inspires and empowers everyone with the vision of what could be possible” (Hood 2010, p.460). The paramount leader is one who makes adjustments as needed in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for all involved parties in a range of dynamic situations. Leadership Styles When thinking of leadership styles one thing to consider is what defines a good leader. Hood (2010) suggests that an effective leader influences and encourages others to achieve goal setting and goal attainment. A good leader recognizes that there is always something new to learn. Effective leaders set direction, build commitment and confront challenges through clear communication and soliciting staff feedback. Authoritarian leaders remain in control, they are task oriented, and are effective in crisis conditions. An authoritarian leader makes decisions and addresses all problems single-handedly. This
Marybeth Kruszewski
Chamberlain College of Nursing
Transition to Professional Nursing NR351
Summer B 2010
Leadership Styles in Professional Nursing There are several leadership styles in professional nursing being implemented on a daily bases that can either enhance or diminish the standards of practice. For example, the style of leadership chosen affects personal performance and patient outcomes. Leadership is a method of modeling accountable behavior to followers. In an article on leadership effectiveness by Maureen C. Trott and Kim Windsor, the article states, for the present and the future of healthcare, having the talent to lead is crucial to the success of the organizations (Trott & Windsor, 1999). Basic leadership styles include authoritarian which is when the leader takes full control; democratic is when the leader involves a team approach; and laissez-faire where the leader provides little to no direction (Hood, 2010). Another form of leadership is transformational. Transformational leadership is defined as, “one who inspires and empowers everyone with the vision of what could be possible” (Hood 2010, p.460). The paramount leader is one who makes adjustments as needed in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for all involved parties in a range of dynamic situations. Leadership Styles When thinking of leadership styles one thing to consider is what defines a good leader. Hood (2010) suggests that an effective leader influences and encourages others to achieve goal setting and goal attainment. A good leader recognizes that there is always something new to learn. Effective leaders set direction, build commitment and confront challenges through clear communication and soliciting staff feedback. Authoritarian leaders remain in control, they are task oriented, and are effective in crisis conditions. An authoritarian leader makes decisions and addresses all problems single-handedly. This
References: Claborn, J. C., & Zerwekh, J. (2009). Nursing Today: Transitions and trends. St.Louis, Missouri: Saunders Elsevier. Cummings, G., Lee, H., MacGregor, T., Davey, M., Wong, C., Paul, L., et al. (2008). Factors contributing to nursing leadership: a systemic review Henderson, A., & Winch, S. (2008). Commentary. Managing the clinical setting for the best nursing practice: A brief overview of comtemporary initiatives Hood, L. J. (2010). Leddy & Pepper 's conceptual bases of professional nursing (7th ed.). Trott, M. C., & Windsor, K. (1999). Leadership Effectiveness: How do you measure up? Nursing Economics , 127-130.