Are you a Nurse Leader or a Follower?

 By Collins Onyango                                            

The words leader and manager are often confused.
Traditional managers have assigned roles and titles within an organization, as they carry out specific functions, duties and responsibilities. 

Managers exert control over decision making and achieve results by directing both the willing and unwilling. 
Leaders in contrast, do not necessarily posses any delegated authority function within a variety of formal and informal roles. They inspire willing followers and excel at interpersonal relationships. Leaders are innovative and creative; utilizing their personal influence to empower others and challenge the status quo/

Using the acronym LEADERSHIP ten (10) characteristics of nurse leaders : Life-long learner, Empathetic, Advocate, Decisive, Extraordinary, Resilient, Supportive, Heroic, Intuitive and Purpose driven

1. Life-long learner: rigorous academic and clinical workloads in nursing school challenge students to work harder. Nurses continuously learn, unlearn and re-learn to keep abreast changes in health care delivery, technology and evidence-based practice. After successfully passing the nursing licensing exam, clinical specialization and advanced certifications require additional hours of study. All these prepare the nurse to be a life-long learner
2. Empathetic: empathy means to demonstrate concern for and listen to reach understanding of others ideas and feelings. It is the ability to recognize or appreciate another’s state of mind or emotion. It is the capacity to walk in someone else’s shoes. The capacity to effectively perceive, express, and understand self and the others emotions is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. Nurse leaders display these qualities as they inspire their flock.
3. Advocate: this is a greatest privilege or responsibility in the profession of nursing. Just like an advocate speaks on behalf of another person, nurses have a legal and moral duty to speak and act on the behalf of their clients. Advocate leaders act like a fierce guardian who protects the mission along with the team, and is willing to suffer on their behalf
4. Decisive:  leaders are critical thinkers in non-linear thinking and can recognize potential consequences and preparing for various outcomes. Critical thinkers have the ability to prioritize, problem-solve, utilize available resources, collaborate, and ultimately decide on a course of action.
5. Extraordinary: nurse leaders often listen to others opinion comment from others. The eight universal essential for nurses include: leadership/ persuasion, problem solving, teamwork, manual dexterity, instructing others, intuition, frequent public contact and physical stamina.
6. Resilience: resilience is personal quality that predisposes individuals to bounce forward rather than back in the face of loss. With speed and elegance, resilient leaders take action that responds to new and ever-changing realities, even as they maintain the essential operations of their organizations.  Nurse leaders have capacity to be resilient while remaining both safe and relevant. As nurses leaders follow their personal and professional guiding principles which effectively choose, what must change and what must not change in nursing
7. Supportive: a supportive leader attempts to minimize employee stress and frustration at workplace. This method is effective when your work tasks are dangerous, tedious and stressful. Nurse leaders often support colleagues through teamwork, mentoring and deeper bonds of friendship. They forge through shared experiences, successes and overcoming challenges. A supportive displays concern for group members, wellbeing and creates an emotionally supportive climate. He or she enhances moral when group member  work on dissatisfying, sterns full or frustrating tasks.
8. Heroic: heroic leader is charismatic, goal-scoring guardian who doesn’t mind carrying the team on his back. It literally means protector, defender or guardian. It is the attribute of being altruistic, extraordinarily bold and determined. Heroic Leaders influence others to their personal best and maximum performance tasks, objective, or project while putting their needs and those of the mission beyond self.
9. Intuitive: According to nursing expert Patricia Benner, “Intuition is not the lack of knowledge; rather it is a result of “deep” knowledge. Intuition is insight (“gut feeling”) or understanding of a situation that cannot be logically explained. Creativity and invention  always emerge from intuitive channels
10. Purpose driven: purpose driven leaders focus on what matters. Purpose-driven leaders are constructive and challenge an organization to define its purpose, maintain integrity, encourage character, prevent burnout and sustain vitality It is therefore difficult to imagine a more significant purpose in life than becoming a nurse.

Read more

1. Empathy in Leadership – 10 Reasons Why It Matters   
2.  Do You have what it takes to be a Nurse Leader?
3. Goffee, R. & Jones, G. (2006). Why would anyone what to be led by you? What it takes to be an Authentic Leader. Harvard Business Review Press.
4. Leadership styles
5. Lifelong Learning in Medicine and Nursing
6. Goffee, R. & Jones, G. (2006). Why would anyone what to be led by you? What it takes to be an Authentic Leader. Harvard Business Review Press.
7. Six Ways to Become an Intuitive Leader
8. Supportive Leadership Style
9. Why would Nurses want to be Led by You?

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