Introduction
There is no organization that been known to ever exist without a leader. Leadership is an integral part of any organization. It is only through a steward that any organization can thrive and be able to meet its goals. True leaders have been known to put interests of the organization before their own. Stewardship is, however, not standardized since everyone tends to be unique (Kelly 2010). It is only through skills, qualifications and personally that we are able to establish which leadership style one falls to. The following are the factors that influence leadership styles;
Subordinates
This includes the junior nurses, Interns and other employees of a healthcare facility that fall under the person in charge of that organization. The level of leadership style employed will depend on; the expertise of the subordinates, level of responsibility, interest and how well the leader of the organization knows them.
Leaders
This is the person charged with responsibility of heading a health organization. The factors that may influence on the type of leadership used include; the personality of the leader, level of predictability and the confidence that his/her subordinates.
Situations
These are the circumstances that the person in charge of any organization is faced with on a daily basis. This is likely to influence the leadership style used. This includes the time involved, the complexity of the problem and most importantly the values and policy of the organization.
The following are the common and modern leadership styles used in a health organization so as to achieve its goals.
Visionary
Mostly used when an organization is looking to head in a new direction (Whitehead 2010). They want to achieve more and set their standards even higher. It mainly serves the purpose of moving the subordinates towards the new goals of the organization. The people in charge here are not only concerned at reaching the targeted goals but also how the goals will be achieved.
Democratic
This is a leader that wants to involve everyone in the decision making process of the organization. It particularly works best when the organization is not clear on the direction it is heading. The head of the organization reaches out to the subordinates to get new ideas and also come up with set goals for the organization. This type of leadership is not appropriate in situations requiring urgent decision making.
Pacesetting
The steward in this form of leadership is concerned with mainly setting the performance standard high, by doing this the subordinates will follow suit (Whitehead 2010). The organization will, therefore, be able to reach the goals it had aimed for. This leadership style can, however, make junior employees feel undermined.
Afflictive
This stewardship style is mainly concerned with making the organization work as a team to achieve its goals. It in the process creates good relations among the subordinates while increasing their morale. It makes sure that communication is improved. However, experts warn that over emphasis on team work may lead to poor performances.
Commanding
This type of leadership is similar dictatorship. The person in charge here does not leave any room for negotiation. Whatever he/she says is final. It is important for nurse leaders to be politically aware. They can take part in legislation that affects the healthcare industry (Kelly 2010). Through this avenue, they can voice their concerns, and through this platform they are assured their grievances will be heard. The can also be able to voice their concern about various diseases and by doing so raising public awareness.
References
Kelly, P. (2010). Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Whitehead, D. K. (2010). Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.