The given essay will explore the various leadership models and their applications within a hospital ward environment. Specifically, this essay will compare bureaucratic, transformational, and democratic leadership models to demonstrate the advantages of using a democratic management style in this context. It will be illustrated through my experience as a third-year student at a local hospital where I was in charge of two patients: an elderly lady with a urinary tract infection and a male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The discussion will present three leadership styles and choose one most applicable to the hospital ward environment. In conclusion, it is important to note that it will explain how utilising the democratic model enabled me to effectively manage patients’ care needs while providing meaningful learning opportunities for those working under me. The core proposition is that leadership within the healthcare setting is essential in providing quality care.
The topic is of great significance since a successful leader must be able to effectively manage a team, respond to challenges and changes quickly and effectively, and motivate team members. As the leader within this context, I was expected to delegate tasks to junior students and health care assistants assigned to me. This requires knowledge of various leadership models and an understanding of how they can be applied to the hospital setting.
Discussion on Leadership
In order to conduct a comprehensive and thorough discussion on leadership, it is useful to define it first. In general, leadership is a set of practices designed to encourage the heart, model the way, enable others to act, inspire a shared vision, and challenge the process in a non-specific and process-oriented manner (Nagapattinam, 2020). Within the context of the National Health Service (NHS) and nursing, leadership plays a profound role in improving health outcomes, patient satisfaction, work satisfaction of nursing employees, and quality of care (Ree and Wiig, 2020). In other words, leadership is essential for nursing processes and NHS in general.
It should be noted that poor leadership can lead to poor nursing care primarily because the latter is dependent on teamwork, cooperation, collaboration, and coordination of efforts. For example, an incompetent nursing manager and leader can fail to ensure cohesion within the nursing team, where conflicts and miscommunications emerge without effective resolutions. This can lead to the poor assignment of medications and mislabelling as well as medical errors, which directly decrease the quality of care. The recovery process or treatment of a patient becomes ineffective as a result since nurses are either not motivated, coordinated, or given a clear goal by their leader.
Relevant Leadership Styles and Multi-Disciplinary Teamwork
The relevant leadership styles for nursing and NHS include the democratic leadership style, transformational leadership style, and bureaucratic leadership style. Democratic leadership style is essentially all-inclusive, which means that authority relies on the group’s feelings being esteemed and them being counselled (Gandolfi and Stone 2018). Transformational leadership style is the most commonly practised one, and it seeks to transform and support the followers by encouraging, inspiring, and motivating them (Eva et al., 2019). Transformational leaders take a more holistic view of their team rather than focusing on task-driven goals and objectives (Asbari, 2020). The bureaucratic leadership style is heavily structured and organised by focusing on absolutist adherence to methodology and guidelines (Nagarathinam, 2020). This leadership style relies heavily on rigid hierarchies, clearly defined roles for each employee, and the standardisation of processes in multidisciplinary teams (MDT) (Kadiyono et al., 2020). In other words, nursing protocols and procedural documents are key within such a leadership framework.
The Situation in Practice
As a third-year student on placement and a leader, I was tasked with applying the democratic leadership model within a hospital ward environment. My responsibilities included delegating jobs to junior students and healthcare assistants. My caseload included an elderly lady with a urinary tract infection and a male with COPD. In applying the democratic leadership model in this context, I sought to foster an open exchange of ideas between myself and my team members to foster mutual respect and understanding. By allowing all participants to have their say, we were able to come up with creative solutions for problems that arose throughout the day. This enabled us to work together efficiently and effectively toward our shared goal of providing quality patient care.
Critical Appraisal
I was able to demonstrate leadership more effectively by encouraging open communication and collaboration. I behaved in this manner by engaging in dialogue with my team members. In other words, I could better understand their perspectives and needs and, as such, could tailor my leadership style accordingly. My decisions were primarily informed by my pursuit of inclusion as a central tenet of the democratic leadership style. This allowed me to more effectively adapt to changes on the ward, ensuring that patient care remained at the highest possible standard. For the effects on my peers, open and transparent communication enabled a greater degree of collaboration, which ensured that all inputs of my colleagues were considered. This resulted in an improved level of creativity and productivity in our team as a whole. In the case of the patients, both of them received high-quality nursing care, indicated by their increased patient satisfaction and health outcomes. The first female patient was able to recover from her urinary tract infection, whereas the second patient experienced a significant improvement in his well-being by being able to manage the symptoms of COPD.
Thus, I demonstrated the principles of effective leadership by creating a positive work environment. The latter allowed my peers and colleagues to feel valued within the democratic leadership framework since their ideas were considered (Iqbal et al., 2019). Considering organisational dynamics and culture, the management of the group was facilitated by promoting productive leader-follower relationships, which helped to ensure that tasks were completed effectively (Uslu, 2019; Siangchokyoo, Klinger, and Campion, 2020). These core principles of open and inclusive communication were applied to the team working and decision-making by fostering creativity, building relationships, improving communication, and increasing team morale (Mustanir et al., 2018). In other words, the democratic leadership style was fundamental in enabling the positive use of each team member’s skills, competencies, and knowledge.
It should be noted that the described principles of democratic leadership styles are based on the application of evidence to make informed decisions in all situations. I believe that applying a democratic leadership model can provide many benefits in the workplace. Evidence suggests that it is based on shared decision-making and employee collaboration, where all members are equals (Cheong et al., 2019). This model allowed my peers and me to voice their opinions and ideas while giving them a sense of ownership over the decisions made. Additionally, it encouraged creativity and innovation by enabling team members to generate new solutions to problems (Cortellazzo, Bruni, and Zampieri, 2019). Furthermore, it fostered an atmosphere of trust and respect between me, as a leader, and students, as followers, which helped create an environment conducive to productivity and satisfaction (Al Khajeh, 2018). Consequently, for teams looking for ways to maximise their success, applying a democratic leadership model can be a valuable tool.
By emphasising applying this leadership style, we were able to create a culture of inclusion. Caillier (2020) argues that through this model, followers can participate in decision-making processes and provide input, encouraging more significant commitment and engagement with their jobs. This can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction among staff members. Furthermore, by creating an open dialogue between leaders and followers, teams can actively collaborate to identify solutions that meet their collective needs (Caillier, 2020). Ultimately, applying a democratic leadership model helps create a work environment where everyone is heard, respected, and valued – resulting in improved team performance overall (Yunarsih et al., 2020). Therefore, considering its many benefits, the application of the democratic leadership model is an essential factor for teams to consider when striving for growth.
Through a democratic leadership style, I was able to meet the demands of professional practice and demonstrate how I was able to recognise signs of vulnerability in my colleagues. Since they were junior students and health care assistants, it was critical for me to be as open and inclusive of them in order to encourage the same behaviour. The professional practice in a hospital ward environment left little room for errors and mistakes, but the level of competency of the assistants was limited. I, as a leader, needed to know where my peers were insufficiently informed and lacked vital skills, which could only be achieved through open and transparent communication based on trust (Atan and Mahmood, 2019). In order to minimise risks to health, address vulnerabilities, and deliver professional practice, I focused on promoting a collaborative culture within the team through a democratic leadership style (Bairawati and Prapanca, 2022). This helped to create an environment where everyone could contribute ideas without fear of criticism or judgment (Mustanir et al., 2018). I was able to ensure that everyone felt heard and respected regardless of their role or position.
The democratic leadership style allowed me to communicate effectively using a range of skills and strategies with colleagues. The core skills included showing respect, active listening, asking questions, using positive body language, and providing constructive feedback. The strategies were centred around empowerment and motivation since it is important to be skilful at empowering the followers both individually and collectively (Busari et al., 2019). The rationale was to increase their involvement, motivation, and engagement within the process or task of achieving the common goal. The first and most important tool of managerial influence on the assistants was motivation, or the formation of a motivational spirit in the team (Deng et al., 2022). Motivation helped me to explain, convince and prove to my peers the need for changes in their approach (Kelly and MacDonald, 2019). The motivational model was closely related to the development of students in the hospital ward. A high degree of charisma in me as a democratic leader had a direct impact on my colleagues since their professional behaviour changed as a result.
In the case of mental challenges, the students became more pressure and stress-resilient as well as motivated to engage in their nursing assistant responsibilities. It was possible due to the democratic leadership style with an emphasis on open and transparent communication, which allowed my peers and me to share our emotional distress, followed by timely support. For physical aspects of leadership, the nursing process can be tiring on the body, which is why a sense of trust in the team allows each team member to have a break when necessary (Murcahyanto, Asmawi, and Madhakomala, 2019). I, as a leader, was aware that caring for an elderly lady with a urinary tract infection and a patient with COPD was cognitively demanding due to the sheer number of items in the nursing protocol. Being persistent in answering the questions of my team members to fill their gaps in knowledge led not only to superior nursing care but their growth as well (cite). Our team’s inclusive communication style ensured that healthy behaviours were communicated to the patients constituting patient education of future lifestyle changes.
In the case of the multidisciplinary team, applying the democratic leadership model within a hospital ward setting proved successful for myself and my colleagues from other disciplines. Not only did it foster an environment of respect and collaboration between us all, but it also enabled us to work together efficiently toward our common goal. As such, this application of the democratic leadership model demonstrated its effectiveness in providing quality patient care (cite). Applying the democratic leadership model is beneficial in any team-based setting, as it encourages an environment of trust and mutual understanding, which can be essential for successful collaboration. Doing so not only enhances the quality of patient care but also provides a platform for more effective communication and teamwork.
By applying the principles of the democratic leadership model to my placement within a hospital ward, I could provide better quality patient care by fostering an open exchange of ideas between myself and my team members. Evidence suggests that applying this leadership style improves performance outcomes in our patients (Moldoveanu and Narayandas, 2019). This application proved successful for my team and me, providing us with an effective platform for collaboration and communication. This ensured that patient care remained at a consistently high standard throughout my placement, demonstrating its effectiveness in providing quality patient care through facilitating open dialogue and mutual understanding between all participants. It is stated that democratic leadership improves team performance positively, reflecting on patient outcomes (Yunarsih et al., 2020). It is this application of the democratic leadership model which was beneficial for the recovery of my patients.
Conclusion
In conclusion, leadership involves a complex set of skills that any single definition or model can not define. Different leadership styles may be more suitable for specific situations and organisations, but no single approach guarantees success. Applying various models may lead to better results as it allows an organisation to respond to the changing needs of its environment. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to effective leadership; however, understanding different types of leadership, such as autocratic, democratic, and transactional models, can help leaders make sound decisions according to their organisation’s goals and objectives.
By utilising the knowledge gained from these models, leaders have the potential to bring about positive change within their organisations by encouraging collaboration. Applying the democratic leadership model enabled me to provide better quality patient care during my placement in a hospital ward. By engaging in open dialogue and fostering mutual respect between myself and my team members, I successfully implemented this leadership style’s principle and better understand my patients’ needs. Therefore, this application demonstrated its effectiveness in providing quality patient care by facilitating successful collaboration and communication within a healthcare environment. I highly recommend applying the democratic leadership model in any team-based setting for similar results.
References
Al Khajeh, E. H. (2018) ‘Impact of leadership styles on organizational performance’, Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 2018, pp. 1-10. Web.
Asbari, M. (2020) ‘Is transformational leadership suitable for future organizational needs?’, International Journal of Social, Policy, and Law, 1(1), pp. 51-55. Web.
Atan, J. B., and Mahmood, N. (2019) ‘The role of transformational leadership style in enhancing employees’ competency for organization performance’, Management Science Letters, 9(13), p. 2191. Web.
Bairawati, C., and Prapanca, D. (2022) ‘The influence of democratic leadership style, work productivity and career development on work motivation on employees’, Indonesian Journal of Law and Economics Review, 18, pp. 10. Web.
Busari, A. H. et al. (2019) ‘Transformational leadership style, followership, and factors of employees’ reactions towards organizational change’, Journal of Asia Business Studies, 1, p. 1558. Web.
Caillier, J. G. (2020) ‘Testing the influence of autocratic leadership, democratic leadership, and public service motivation on citizen ratings of an agency head’s performance’, Public Performance & Management Review, 43(4), pp. 918-941. Web.
Cheong, M. et al. (2019) ‘A review of the effectiveness of empowering leadership’, The Leadership Quarterly, 30(1), pp. 34-58. Web.
Cortellazzo, L., Bruni, E. and Zampieri, R. (2019) ‘The role of leadership in a digitalized world: a review’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, p. 1938. Web.
Deng, C. et al. (2022) ‘Transformational leadership effectiveness: an evidence-based primer’, Human Resource Development International, 1, pp. 1-15. Web.
Eva, N. et al. (2019) ‘Servant leadership: a systematic review and call for future research’, The leadership quarterly, 30(1), pp. 111-132. Web.
Gandolfi, F., and Stone, S. (2018) ‘Leadership, leadership styles, and servant leadership’, Journal of Management Research, 18(4), pp. 261-269.
Iqbal, S. M. J. et al. (2019) ‘Influence of transformational leadership factors on project success’, Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences (PJCSS), 13(1), pp. 231-256. Web.
Kadiyono, A. L. et al. (2020) ‘Develop leadership style model for Indonesian teachers’ performance in Education 4.0 era’, Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(9), p. 363. Web.
Kelly, S., and MacDonald, P. (2019) ‘A look at leadership styles and workplace solidarity communication’, International Journal of Business Communication, 56(3), pp. 432-448. Web.
Moldoveanu, M., and Narayandas, D. (2019) ‘The future of leadership development’, Harvard Business Review, 97(2), pp. 40-48.
Murcahyanto, H., Asmawi, M., and Madhakomala, M. (2019) ‘Effect of democratic leadership style and organizational culture on lecturers‘ performance’, Proceedings of the First International Conference on Technology and Educational Science, 2018, p. 45. Web.
Mustanir, A. et al. (2018) ‘Democratic model on decision-making at deliberations of development planning’, International Conference on Government Leadership and Social Science (ICOGLASS). Demanding Governance Accountability and Promoting Democratic Leadership for Public Welfare Achievement, 110, p. 115.
Nagapattinam, D. (2020) ‘Leadership styles, qualities, and characteristics of the world’s great leaders with constitutional and judicial flavors’, International Journal of Law Management & Humanities, 3(4), p. 1428.
Purwanto, A., Kusumaningsih, S. W., and Prasetya, A.B. (2020) ‘Did transformational leadership elitist and antidemocratic? A literature review’, International Journal of Social, Policy and Law, 1(1), pp. 1-11. Web.
Ree, E., and Wiig, S. (2020) ‘Linking transformational leadership, patient safety culture and work engagement in-home care services’, Nursing open, 7(1), p. 256. Web.
Siangchokyoo, N., Klinger, R. L., and Campion, E. D. (2020) ‘Follower transformation as the linchpin of transformational leadership theory: a systematic review and future research agenda’, The Leadership Quarterly, 31(1), p. 101341. Web.
Uslu, O. (2019) ‘A general overview to leadership theories from a critical perspective’, The Leadership Quarterly, 1, p. 67. Web.
Yunarsih, N. et al. (2020) ‘Develop leadership style model for nurse in Indonesian hospital’, Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(8), p. 352.