Using Transformational Leadership in Nursing Practice
Nursing practice is a field of work that requires creative thinking and skills to satisfactorily perform the duties required. Each team of nurses would not be complete without the leaders it is comprised of. Leaders inspire, spearhead, and envision the necessary actions to improve quality and quantity of the work being produced in addition to the quality of the experience of the team’s employees. The qualities of a leader are varied and innumerable, however, transformational leadership is a type of leadership that can have a lasting impact on the team as a whole (Marquis & Huston, 2015). Using the seven habits from the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People can help hone the transformational leadership skills and make a team of nurses stronger, creating more leaders because of it (Covey, 1989).
Definitions and Major Concepts
In order to understand the uses of transformational leadership in nursing, one must first come to understand what transformational leadership means (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The features of a transformational leader is a person who can use their innovative vision, commitment to the work team, and personal ingenuity to empower their subordinates to get them motivated and raise morale.
The book used in this essay to support how transformational leadership can be used in nursing is called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 1989). The seven habits are the creation of the author Stephen Covey. They are effectively the seven steps one can utilize to transform one’s character from the roots up to better relate and effect those in their environment. The habits include: 1. Be proactive 2. Begin with the end in mind 3. Put first things first 4. Think win/win 5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood 6. Synergize 7. Sharpen the saw (Covery, 1989).
The seven habits are becoming more and more necessary as the concept of shared governance is becoming a common organizational structure in health care settings (Marquis & Huston, 2015). Shared governance is a type of organizational structure that distributes the decision-making power relatively equally among the roles of board members, nurses, physicians and administration (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The need for effective communication and transformational leaders is even greater under this model of governance, since cooperation and collaboration are keys to the success of shared governance.
Delegation is a tool that can be used to increase productivity on one’s unit. It is the action of giving another the authority and responsibility to complete a task on the delegator’s behalf. Delegating tasks is a feature of transformational leadership (Marquis & Huston, 1989).
Function of Transformational Leadership in Nursing Practice
Nursing is a complex career that requires critical thinking and creativity to get the job done. When one looks at a medical unit, the nurses are constantly working together to ensure patient care standards are met and that safety is always maintained. Not only is this type of collaboration seen between nurses, but it is also seen in each role of a health care team, from the nurse to the physician, the physician to the unlicensed assistive personnel, in a nearly limitless array of combinations. In addition, transformational leadership has been shown to increase compliance of safety standards among nurses on the health care team leading to improved patient outcomes (Lievens & Vlerick, 2014).
A transformational leader that is employing the seven habits of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People would begin with habit one; be proactive. An important quality of a proactive person is that they are driven through the values that they hold (Covey, 1989). The values that a transformational leader holds are what shape their perception of their environment so that they can focus their energy in the right places. Finding a common ground with coworkers on those values is another key to how one can effectively lead. Those shared values create the vision they hold to inspire others, as defined by transformational leadership (Marquis & Huston, 2015).
A second function of transformational leadership is to foster an environment where others feel heard and therefore validated. This is accomplished by two habits simultaneously; “think win/win” and “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” When thinking win/win there is a mutual benefit between the leader and the follower. Covey (1989) describes this as an abundance mentality, meaning that there is always enough for everybody so that personal growth and the growth of one’s team can progress without boundaries. Covey describes the five elements of a win/win agreement as recognizing the desired results, the parameters the results can be achieved, the resources for achieving the results, the standards of accountability in achieving the results, and the consequences if the results are not reached (1989). This is a good framework for a transformational leader to use to think win/win in the workplace. When the transformational leader role models this approach to cooperation, the subordinate is also learning through observation how they can think win/win in their interactions with others, broadening the circle of influence of effective leadership.
Lastly, the habit that makes subordinates feel heard and respected is “seek first to understand, then be understood” (Covey, 1989). The premise of this habit is simple, that in order to respond meaningfully to an employee or coworker, one must fully hear what they are trying to say first. Often conflicts can circle around and around because one or both parties feel that the other is not understanding them, leading to feelings of invalidation. In healthcare, it is easy to put this concept into practice by thinking of the metaphor, “diagnose before you prescribe.” In relating with others, one must follow the same principle. Truly listen to their words, repeat back what they are saying and once the other party feels understood, then one can express their thoughts, leading to an inevitable collaboration.
The individuals that comprise a health care team have very specific roles. In the use of transformational leadership, the leader is employing techniques that empower others to become leaders in their own right, despite the designation of their job. In an organization that uses shared governance, this aspect is even more emphasized. A nurse that has been on the job for 24 hours can contribute and demonstrate leadership under the influence of a transformational leader. A physician that has become hardened by long days working on difficult cases can be reinvigorated to see his job in a new light because of the influence of a transformational nurse-leader. Transformational leaders are what make shared governance a success. Their inspiration can rub off on others so the inspiration to work harder and do better is not limited in a top-down structure, but it can go in any direction.
How Transformational Leadership Can Be Used In One’s Own Practice
A key component to developing a competent and satisfied team of nurses is to give them the opportunity to develop new skills (Contino, 2004). This can be categorized as empowering others, a feature of transformational leadership (Marquis & Huston, 2015). New skills for subordinates can be achieved through appropriate delegation of tasks. The steps of appropriate delegation are right task, right circumstances, right person, right direction/communication, and right level of supervision (Marquis & Huston, 2015). The steps of delegation can be accompanied by the five elements of mutual agreement as described above so that both parties are satisfied by the result (Covey, 1989). Beyond the interpersonal skills that create a transformational leader and inspires others to follow, there is the critical component of time-management that makes a leader successful. The impact of a leader can be increased by giving tasks that can be completed by somebody else to another individual so the leader’s attention can be put on other leadership tasks, such as working on the budget, creating learning opportunities for employees, and doing outreach (Contino, 2004). Managing time by delegating appropriately is how the far-reaching effects of a leader can be made.
Personal Growth Through The Use of Transformational Leadership
Since reading about the concept of leadership, my views have changed and evolved to encompass a deeper definition of the word. It is not just a means to an end, but it is a way of being that produces lasting change. It means more than holding a position at work that gives one a list of expectations and responsibilities- leadership is also how one conducts oneself, relates to others, and provides opportunity for growth for those around them.
Learning about transformational leadership has taught me that those characteristics of transformational leadership are what I wish to accomplish in my nursing practice. I want to model the seven habits of highly effective people so that I can change my approach to viewing problems, communicating with others, and making a productive work environment. From personal experience, professors and preceptors that I have had that use transformational leadership are the ones I learn the most from and inspire me the most to be the best version of myself. The thought of inspiring that kind of action in others motivates me to employ the seven habits in my daily life so I can become a transformational leader.
Conclusion
Transformational leadership is an important skill to have to create a lasting change in the work environment. By making a personal practice out of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, transformational leadership can become commonplace in nursing practice and have a ripple effect that impacts the whole organizational structure of the workplace, leaving more leaders in its wake. When transformational leadership is made into the cornerstone of any workplace, then true productivity can begin and employees will be satisfied with the quality of their work environment.