Do you view yourself as a leader?
You have, no doubt, served as a leader in some situations, but you may not yet envision yourself as a leader in the nursing environment. This course is designed to help you recognize the leadership and management qualities you bring to the profession, sharpen and enhance those skills, and to encourage you to seek out leadership and management opportunities.
Use the Professional Development Inventory to assess your leadership qualities and skills. Save your results and/or make notes of the conclusions.
Objective
• Identify characteristics of leadership and management.
Inspires Others
Of all the attributes that set good managers apart, this may be the most important. The ability to empower members of a team and help each individual strive to excellence is often what drives an organization’s success.1 Great leaders tap into employees’ desire to make a difference in the world and positively impact their communities.
Demonstrates Honesty and Transparency
Some people talk about how honest they are, but others embody it. Good managers fall into the latter group and usually display considerable transparency about their efforts. Because of that, their supervising executives and their managed employees know that a manager can be trusted. That trust creates loyalty, which is a powerful tool in any business.
Offers a Strategic View
There’s great value in working on the details of a project, but a good manager also has the larger view about why that project is necessary, meets business goals and connects to other efforts. Employees depend on that vision and on a manager’s ability to articulate how their work fits into that bigger strategic outlook.
Communicates Effectively
If employees are struggling to understand what a manager wants then communication is sorely lacking. A good manager has solid communication skills that are tailored to each situation. For example, he or she can relay strategic goals to a boardroom full of executives and also pinpoint very specific objectives to a project team. Demonstrating proficiency in a range of communication styles is a valued soft skill.
Leads by Example
Anyone can issue orders, but a true leader knows what it’s like to be in the trenches.2 When a good manager works side by side with a team and shows up physically and mentally for every task it’s definitely noticed. Similarly, when a manager sends out project due dates and then goes missing from the office or is unavailable for questions that’s also noticed.
Makes Informed Decisions
Although delegation is important for keeping specific projects on track, a good manager understands that there are some decisions that can’t be outsourced to employees. Solid decision-making provides clarity and focus for team members and removes the type of ambiguity that might send projects reeling offtrack. Some decisions might not be so straightforward, so part of a manager’s leadership qualities is the willingness to be creative, intuitive and confident in setting a new direction.
With leadership qualities like these, the results can be profound. Not only will you excel in your chosen career, but you’ll also bring significant value to every project and team that you helm. In every industry, there’s always a high demand for good managers with the business skills that make them great leaders.
If you would like to develop your leadership skills, Benedictine University’s Online Master of Business Administration program can help you take hold of your success. Call 866-295-3104 to speak with a Program Manager or request more information.
Conclusions and Reflections
Describe your overall leadership characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. Comment on any characteristics that the tool did not address that you believe to be important.
