Concept of Leadership

CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP 5

Amy Toman

Siena Heights University

Leadership

LDR601

Dr. John Fick, FACHE

September 2, 2013

CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP 5

Concept of Leadership

Leadership can have many different meanings just as there are many different ways a leader can lead. Durbin defines leadership “as the ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are needed to achieve organizational goals” ( 2010, p. 3). It takes a lot of skill to lead others and it is something that may not come easily to everyone. Leaders can be formally appointed into a leadership role while others seem to lead others without the official title. Regardless of the formality of the leadership title it is important to remember that a leader should have certain attributes that make others want to follow their lead. (Ellis & Abbott, 2013). A good leader is inspiring, creative, courageous, trusting, and acts as a coach (Dubrin, 2010). They are aware of the assets that surround them and are able to help people reach their goals as well.

Siena Heights University is a Catholic University in Adrian, Michigan and is dedicated to higher level education. As part of its mission, Siena Heights has a goal “to assist people to become more competent, purposeful, and ethical” (www. sienaheights.edu). A university has an obligation to its students to prepare them for life after college, just as a leader has an obligation to prepare those that follow them for the next steps in a workplace. In healthcare, part of the leaders’ responsibility is to help healthcare workers to remain competent in their work. Whether it is learning a new procedure, new equipment, ways to improve patient safety, or patient outcomes a leader is instrumental is accomplishing the goal of education, implementing, and coaching staff to go to the next level of competence. Martindale (2013) states that a large part of what a clinical leader does is managing performance to help maintain a level of competency on the clinical unit. However, the true leader shines with his/her ability to motivate and inspire the staff just as the instructor motivates and inspires the students.

Another similarity between the Siena Heights mission and the concept of leadership is the ability of both to foster work with a purpose. It is extremely difficult to do anything without a goal or a purpose. As part of the graduate program, the university encourages students to apply theory into practice thus creating additional opportunities for students work to be increasingly purposeful. It is the responsibility of a leader to create or communicate goals for the staff (Clark, 2008). Leaders and followers can work together to accomplish these goals. However, the leader must have effective communication so the staff understands what the goals are. This creates purpose because everyone would be aware of what needs to be accomplished. A life filled with purpose is more fulfilling and most people want to have a purpose driven life (Warren, 2002).

As a leader it is important to role model desired behavior. A good leader should have certain characteristics that help them to effectively lead. Along with being a good communicator, caring, and inspiring a leader should have integrity and “act ethically and with humility” (Ellis & Abbott, 2013, p. 253). Ethical leadership is about doing the right thing regardless of the situation. It is about using your morals and values to lead by example (Newton, 2013). When a leader has to make a difficult choice and uses ethical leadership principles to guide the decision, most people will respect the decision and continue to follow. This can relate back to the mission of Siena Heights University to assist people to become more ethical. In this program there are many opportunities to discuss ethical behavior and to examine different choices that a leader may be faced with during a career.

A leader is faced with many challenges every day. It is important to recognize and understand different leadership principles that guide a leaders practice. Picking an educational program that has a similar mission and values can assist a leader as he/she continues to grow and develop. By examining the similarities it is easy to draw the conclusion that this University possess the leadership skills in education that will assist the clinical leader in the workplace.

References

Clark, L. (2008). Clinical leadership: values, beliefs, and vision. Nursing Management, 15(7), 30-35.

Dubrin, A. (2010). Leadership research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western.

Ellis, P., & Abbott, J. (2013). Leadership and management skills in health care. Nurse Prescribing, 11(5), 251-254.

Martindale, T. (2013). Clinical leadership in primary care. Primary Health Care, 23(5), 32-38.

Newton, L. (2013). Ethical leadership. Alberta RN, 69(1), 30-31.

Warren, R. (2002). The purpose driven life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.