Many have asked why I decided to be a manager. My answer would always be, “I did not initially dream of being a manager; the opportunity just came naturally to me as a nurse.” The development of nurses to become nurse leaders all start in nursing school as all nurses in all roles and domains of nursing practice are expected to be able to think critically, be an advocate for patient safety, and be able to advance the profession (Canadian Nurses Association, 2018). It is imperative to distinguish a nurse manager from a nurse leader, and I would instead be described as a nurse leader than as a manager. Scully (2015) described leadership as “pioneering of unexplored territory and showing others the path they need to take” and management as “the handling of situations by controlling and maintaining the status quo; this involves exercising formal authority over working practices.” There are many definitions and literature surrounding leadership, but I have always believed that leadership is a personal journey and all nursing leaders have an idealized version of themselves. My philosophy of leadership is vital as it is the accumulation of my experiences, knowledge, and personal values; which guides the way I make decisions and guides my actions as a leader.
It is vital for me to be a leader that can create a shared vision that my team and I can work together to achieve. As a leader, I value my ability to state what my team should be working towards clearly; also, it is essential that my team is motivated and shares the same goals that I have which are to provide safe and competent care. I believe that the goals that we are working towards are ethical and that we treat people with respect and dignity. The leadership style that I try to achieve is a mixture of transformational and ethical leadership. Jambawo (2018) states that transformational leadership can lead to improved teamwork and staff satisfaction as well as improved patient care; while ethical leadership improves relationships between the employer and employee. I motivate my team and encourage everyone to work with the patient to meet a shared goal. The goals of patients in my transition unit are always to return to their functional baseline and return home. My team and I work towards this, but at times my staff requires coaching and mentoring. I approach my staff with respect and engage them in reflecting on errors and identifying what they can do to improve. Every successful discharge back to the community is celebrated. I subscribe to Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) leadership challenge and always ensure that I “1) model the way, 2) inspire a shared vision, 3) challenge the process, 4) enable others to act, and 5) encourage the heart”.
I believe that mentorship and leadership go hand-in-hand. I am invested in my staff in ensuring that their practice is evidence-based and that they can meet expectations of their role. Abdullah et al. (2014) described the characteristics of a mentor as “a) a mentor more experienced than a mentee, b) individualized support based on mentee’s needs; and c) involved in an interpersonal relationship as indicated by mutual benefit, engagement and commitment”. Most of my staff are Health Care Aides, followed by Licensed Practical Nurses, and I only have five Registered Nurses. I am currently implementing Elder Friendly Care (Alberta Health Services, 2019) initiatives on my unit and since I have the expertise as a Gerontological Nurse, I try to engage everyone individually as much that I can to show them how to interact with an individual with dementia or how to create an effective nursing care plan. This would be a great example of Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) modeling the way. Knowledge translation via mentoring also is essential to me, especially when I am the protégé. As a leader, I learn from the experiences shared and the feedback that I receive from my Patient Care Manager and fellow Unit Managers. Fenwick et al. (2019) state that an environment that fosters openness to feedback is essential as it is through feedback that staff can implement evidence-based practice; this openness is linked to transformational leadership. Transformational leaders inspire and encourage followers to seek feedback and be given feedback, as that they can trust that the leader will be supportive and that the benefit if feedback will outweigh the cost of admitting mistakes (Fenwick et al., 2019).
Another essential aspect of being a leader that I highly value is being an authentic leader. I regularly reflect on my strengths and weaknesses as a leader, and I always aim to find ways to improve. One thing that I take pride in with myself is my ability to be transparent. I recognize the pressures that I may receive from upper management, but I still hold true to my values and beliefs. There are many times that I need to complete an intricate dance where I need to prioritize equally the needs of my staff, upper management, and my own needs. It is through this balanced processing that an authentic leader can exemplify that he/she can analyze all relevant data before coming to a decision; and this regulation is guided by internal moral standards and values (Datta, 2015). The most crucial aspect of authentic leadership, for me personally, is to be transparent. I like to share what my thoughts and opinion are to my team so that they can know my rationale for pursuing certain changes. On the other hand, if the change that senior management is implementing is against what I believe in, I do try to engage the leadership team in discussions in order for me to understand the rationale behind an initiative and what the advantages would be for the organization, my staff, and myself. The “What’s in it for me?” mentality should always be taken into consideration when mentoring staff and implementing changes. Employees who trust their leader are more ready for change and this trust is built on open communication, explanation of decisions, and open sharing of ideas (Vakola, 2014).
In conclusion, my leadership style and philosophy has been significantly shaped by my past experiences and guides my actions and choices as a leader. Three principles of leadership that guide my actions would be 1) the importance of creating a shared vision and working towards same; 2) being a mentor and a protégé to ensure that staff and myself are able to learn and grow through knowledge translation; and 3) authentic leadership and promoting a readiness for change resulting from a trusting relationship. It is clear that a leader-follower relationship is key to promoting change and that time and effort is needed for this trusting relationship to grow.
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