Leaders should never stop learning and growing, especially as nurses
in the health care profession. To be an effective leader, you must first be an
active follower and participant in the team you are leading. The roles of a
follower and a leader should be interchangeable and must be switched when the
time calls for it for many different reasons. The failure to do so could lead to
preventable disengagement of the entire team eventually losing sight of the end
goal. One of the primary objectives of a leader should be to experience
successful outcomes knowing what factors led the team to that accomplishment. There
are many principle components in the making of a competent leader, including
the ability to communicate well and often, collaborate and network with the
interprofessional team, problem-solve and troubleshoot issues based on renowned
nursing models, having a shared vision for the improvement of structure,
culture and morale, being a risk manager and coming up with action plans, empowering
others in the team to lead and take leadership roles within the organization,
and continued development of oneself as an individual, a professional, and a
leader (Grossman & Valiga, 2017, p. 109). More power to the team whose members
already encompass some of these components as individuals.
With ongoing demand for nurses to function as leaders in their areas
of work, they must be given proper tools, support, encouragement, and definitely
a great role model of a good leader to successfully run the operations of the daily
work. This exemplifies a team collaborating well together with a great sense of
awareness including appreciation for one another’s expertise and strengths
along with the differences that each member of the team has to offer. Additionally,
individuals of the team must possess courageous behavior to speak up and challenge
the leader and each other when needed, especially when things are headed in the
wrong direction. It is almost like running a code blue—each person has their
role in the active pursuit of saving the life of the person who had just experienced
cardiac arrest. If the physician orders for a dose of epinephrine to be given
when instead, a cardiac shock should be delivered, the physician is relying on
his or her team members to speak up to correct the order given. Being a follower
is not a passive role. And, when the follower speaks up and challenges
something that does not seem right, this action demonstrates leadership. As
well-stated by Grossman and Valiga (2017), “Nurses need to mentor each other
and call on the strengths of one another, much like geese who fly in a “V”
formation” (p. 118).
As an assistant nurse manager of perioperative services, I am in
constant quest for leaders within my team. I take the time to get to know my
people. I learn their strengths and weaknesses, observe how they lead in their
own areas of work, find strategic ways to turn their weaknesses into
opportunities for growth, and analyze how their strengths can contribute to the
whole good of the department outside of their patient care roles in terms of
projects and committees. I am well-aware that I cannot do it all on my own in
the successful operations of my department. This awareness comes with much
self-reflection on my part to see my own strengths and weaknesses. I also need
to realize when I need help from my team, peers and other mentors in my
discipline. To successfully run and lead the daily workflow and operations of
my department, I need more than 2 to 3 other ‘leaders’ for those back up plans
when sick calls come in or vacation coverage is needed, and so forth. Because
of this awareness, I strategically place my leaders where they are needed and would
benefit the most. I intentionally pair up a weak operating room circulator with
a strong surgical technician, or vice versa, to balance out the performance of
the team encouraging the high-performing individual to help guide the other. I
share these strategies with my team members so that they are aware of my goals
and intention and become successful in problem-solving on their own in my absence.
I do my best to setup my department in a way that when I am off-campus for class,
conferences, or meetings, the other ‘leaders’ in my department can still function
without me.
Leading is no easy task. We are all leaders in our daily roles
whether we are bedside nurses, clinical nurse educators, or nurse managers.
Whatever specialty or role we chose to be as nurses, we are leading the way to
influencing and impacting this health care industry in many positive ways through
our leadership in the areas we work. But, first, let us not forget that we must
be good followers in order to also be great leaders in an effort of making a
lasting impact delivering quality care and positive outcomes. To get there, we
must work together with a shared, common vision and mission. We need to build others
up and see the potential in each individual to lead, creating sustainable
outcomes. Let us all learn from the geese in their leadership!
References
Grossman, S. & Valiga, T.M. (2017). The new leadership
challenge-creating the future of nursing (5th ed.). Philadelphia,
PA: F.A. Davis Company.
