It has been acknowledged that leadership is an important component of the nursing practice. Irrespective of their roles, nurses should have effective leadership skills when dealing with other healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and so on. Lorber, Treven, and Mumel (2016) note that people’s leadership styles depend on their features of character, as well as organizations they work for or challenges they face. It is vital to understand one’s leadership style to make sure that all situations can be handled effectively. Various tools to identify leadership styles exist. This paper contains a brief description and analysis of my leadership style as well as some ways to self-develop.
Leadership Style Survey
After the completion of the Leadership Style Survey, I managed to identify my leadership style. I scored 23 in Authoritarian style, 46 in Participative style, and 41 in Delegative style. The results became quite surprising as I believed I was a participative leader. However, according to this tool, I am a delegative style leader, which means that I tend to give a substantial degree of freedom to people. I started analyzing my behavior and realized that I often let people do things in their way and make decisions. At that, I believe that this style cannot be appropriate in all situation or with all people. Some individuals need guidance and even close mentoring while some situations need authority rather than free reign (Grossman & Valiga, 2016). I think I should try to use participative leadership style more actively.
In order to develop, the necessary skills, I will search the information related to this style especially the data associated with the nursing setting. I will try to give more instructions and guidance as this will facilitate the development of other people. I will definitely control some actions or some people to make sure that they are on the right track.
Communication Style Survey
Communication is an important element of leadership as effective leaders can communicate their messages properly choosing the tools that are the most appropriate to the situation, people’s characters and needs (Grossman & Valiga, 2016). According to the communication style survey, I am a supporter/relater. These results are quite expected. I know that I pay much attention to relationships. I am rather satisfied with my communication style as it is effective in many situations, but there are some areas for improvement. I have difficulties with voicing contrary opinions, which can be a problem when dealing with conflicts or making major decisions.
To address this gap, I should practice saying things that might be unpleasant but important. Clearly, my workplace is a very good place to practice as I have more issues when voicing certain opinions with strangers or during our regular meetings. I will start a journal where I will note all major points discussed and things I voiced. This strategy will help me see the value of my being confident and goal-oriented as I understand that sometimes I should speak up to make our working place better or achieve some organizational goals.
Emotional Intelligence Survey
Emotional intelligence is currently regarded as one of the pillars of effective communication. Leaders should be able to understand their team members’ feelings, ideas, and emotions, which inevitably contributes to the development of the most favorable working environment (Laschinger, Wong, Cummings, & Grau, 2014). The emotional intelligence survey results were quite surprising as I thought I was good in this area. Apparently, there are certain gaps I should address. My major weakness is related to self-control and, surprisingly, to self-awareness. I was sure I knew myself well enough, but the surveys helped me see my new facets or rather areas for improvement. I scored 6 in self-awareness and 4 in self-management. My highest score (9) is in social-awareness. I was also surprised to learn that I had issues with relationship management. Again, I had to admit that the scores revealed my major features.
In order to develop my emotional intelligence skills, I will try to contemplate on my own character and my behavior, the way I communicate with others and especially the way I handle conflicts. I need to know this to develop and use different communication patterns appropriate for different people and various situations. I will also conduct my own research to learn more about conflict management.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the completion of the surveys helped me unveil some areas for improvement. As for my leadership style, I need to supervise and mentor people without giving too much freedom when making decisions or completing certain tasks. I realized that I thought I empowered people, but instead I let them be less focused on goals and tasks. I also have issues when dealing with conflicts or voicing contrary opinions. I should be more confident and goal-oriented rather than focused on relationships and people’s emotions. In some situations, it is appropriate and even important to act in this way to achieve organizational goals. I have developed a brief plan that will help me develop the skills I need.
References
Grossman, S., & Valiga, T. M. (2016). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
Laschinger, H. K. S., Wong, C. A., Cummings, G. G., & Grau, A. L. (2014). Resonant leadership and workplace empowerment: The value of positive organizational cultures in reducing workplace incivility. Nursing Economics, 32(1), 5–15.
Lorber, M., Treven, S., & Mumel, D. (2016). The examination of factors relating to the leadership style of nursing leaders in hospitals. Our Economy, 62(1), 27–36.