Leadership is defined as a collection of behaviors used to assist people in aligning their collective direction, implementing strategic plans, and continuously refreshing an organization. A good leader can give his agents a straightforward path to success (Sandhu, 2019). Good leadership consists of various skills. Competent leaders link their objectives to their efforts to affect patient care or educational outcomes positively, create a climate of learning and innovation, and implement ethical practices within their organization.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Caretakers in health care and education must deal with the rapidly evolving terrain. Adaptive enables them to remain cool-headed and respond calmly to any surprise. Flexibility gives a leader the attitude to deal with changing situations, technological innovations, and policy trends (Jonas et al., 2020). Adaptability usually means thinking ahead and planning to make allowance for changes, while flexibility is much more immediate and situational, often requiring someone to be accommodating to others.
Vision and Strategic Thinking
Leaders who are strategic thinkers take problems before they happen and convert challenges into opportunities for building and innovation. Alongside strategic thinking, visioning is the guiding star that leads the way to success (Jonas et al., 2020). A successful leader should be able to see far into the future. They should formulate intelligent long-term objectives. They can develop effective strategies to realize these goals with short-term and long-term implications in mind.
Communication Skills
Communication skills are the gifts you use when communicating different kinds of information. These include sharing fresh ideas, moods, or news about your project (Rahimi, 2019). It is also essential for a leader to be effective in communicating his vision, expectations, and goals. It also involves active listening, encouraging open dialogue, and ensuring that information flows smoothly within an organization.
Emotional Intelligence
EI provides leaders with the ability to manage their emotions and understand the feelings of those around them. They must have advanced self-control (Rahimi, 2019). furthermore, they must instill empathy, self-awareness, and the ability to establish strong bonds in their conduct. These competencies are fundamental in healthcare and educational contexts for any effective leader.
Professional Nursing Characteristics
Tenacity and Perseverance
Nurses quickly encounter obstacles; sometimes, the situations can be very challenging. Leaders who want to rally their people through difficult times must be relentless and determined in the battle against obstacles (Milter & White, 2023). This perseverance can be observed in a leader’s willingness to fight to improve patient results, implement new healthcare solutions, and stimulate improvements in the healthcare system. Resilience presents a determination in times of failure and a constant willingness to develop and learn.
Respect
Respect forms one of the pillars of successful leadership. Treating someone with respect means demonstrating respect for their competence and self-worth and respecting their feelings and opinions (Milter & White, 2023). It enhances good relations between individuals, proper discussions, and teamwork. Such leaders can promote respect by actively listening to the views and problems of their personnel, focusing on each individual’s strengths, and building an environment that supports openness and diversity.
Trust
Trust is one of the most vital frameworks of positive leadership. It facilitates an environment of trust and safety between team members and promotes cooperation and productivity (Milter & White, 2023). Leaders can build trust by demonstrating transparent communication and consistent competency and promoting a climate where team members feel confident sharing issues. Trust can also be established by maintaining word and helping colleagues advance their careers.
Application in Nursing
Applying these attributes to nursing practice includes understanding their significance and incorporating them into the daily interactions with patients, other healthcare providers, and other nurses. Consider situations where tenacity, endurance, respect, and trust are beneficial, and consciously apply these qualities to support the development of a productive and positive environment in the healthcare industry. Fostering these leadership qualities requires constant introspection and a commitment to professional and personal growth.
References
Jonas Hermann Schulze, & Pinkow, F. (2020). Leadership for Organisational Adaptability: How Enabling Leaders Create Adaptive Space. Administrative Sciences, 10(3), 37–37. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030037
Milter, R. G., & White, K. M. (2023). Leadership and Health Scholars. Springer EBooks, 253–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38534-6_17
Rahimi, M. (2019). Relationship between communication skills and emotional intelligence among nurses. Rcni.com. https://journals.rcni.com/nursing-management/evidence-and-practice/relationship-between-communication-skills-and-emotional-intelligence-among-nurses-nm.2019.e1820/abs
Sandhu, D. (2019). Healthcare educational leadership in the twenty-first century. Medical Teacher, 41(6), 614–618. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2019.1595555