Some of the adjectives others have used to describe me include calm, practical, and independent. I would agree with these assessments. A leadership survey I completed a few years ago suggested I see both the forest and the trees, and this description is accurate as well. I would also add nurturing to the list. While I am not necessarily a touchy-feely sort, I work hard to ensure everyone has support to achieve his or her goals. All of these attributes are useful to me as I work in my professional roles as both a charge nurse (CN) and a Quality Improvement (QI) coordinator. I derive a great deal of satisfaction from helping other nurses grow in their knowledge and skills, and watching them gain confidence in their abilities. As a mom, I have coached two children into young adulthood, and as a charge nurse and QI coordinator, I coach the nurses I work with to help them become competent professionals and possible future leaders. Of all the things I enjoy about my work, this opportunity to influence and assist my coworkers ranks the highest.
It is not characteristic of me to set long-range plans or have definite ideas of how things will go. I am more likely to let things evolve. I did not decide to become an RN until my junior year of college, and I made a decision to obtain a graduate degree two months before my first class started. Even now, I am not sure what, if anything, will change once I have obtained my degree, but I am happy to let things take their course and see what opportunities arise. My work is challenging and engaging, and that fact is worth a great deal.
SIMON SINEK
Simon Sinek discusses the golden circle as a means of explaining why some people or institutions are able to inspire while others are not. His suggestion of knowing your mission or “why” is the most important thing, and it will give purpose to the “how” and “what”. I inserted my own answers into the circle, and it created an accurate depiction of my approach to nursing.
STEVE JOBS
Steve Jobs told about facing a major failure in his life, and how that event set him on a new course which ultimately brought about more opportunities and success than he might have achieved if the setback had not occurred. Rather than remain defeated, he took the opportunity to go in a different direction and be open to the change.
I have experienced a similar resetting of my life course. After working as a full-time CN for almost twenty years, I reduced my hours to a part-time position to be more available to my growing children. It was a difficult decision, but one that our family agreed was needed. While it was hard to let go of my leadership role, it was that decision which gradually led me into the QI work that is a major component of my work today. Also, I eventually returned to a CN position, even though I only worked one day a week, because there was a need for someone to help fill in for absences and gaps in the schedule. Ultimately, taking a step into the unknown with a change in my work role led me to new and challenging work, and I was able to retain a bit of my former role as well. Most importantly, the change gave me the flexibility I needed to be available for my family, and as my children have grown and gone on to new adventures, I have a rewarding career to focus on.
MICHAEL JR
Michael Jr explains his idea that knowing the reason you do something (your “why”) will give you the motivation to give your best effort. Without the “why”, the enthusiasm may be lacking, and the product may be of lesser quality. I can definitely apply this to my work. Knowing my interest in developing the skills and careers of my fellow nurses, I approach both of my roles with intention. When I make assignments as a CN, I could just go down the list of nurses and hand out patient assignments, but that is not my practice. I think about which nurses need a new opportunity, I try to challenge at least two or three of them, and I make sure they have adequate support nearby to ensure they are successful. As a QI coordinator, I actively enlist people to help with projects, and I try to match the work to their interests and scope of practice. Rarely does anyone turn down the chance to be involved, and most people are pleased to be personally recruited. This practice also increases engagement and ownership of the work, something that David Marquett promotes in his talk about “Greatness”.
TIM PORTER-O’GRADY
Porter-O’Grady discusses the concept of “releasing” people to do their best work. He suggests the means for innovation rest with those directly providing care. Nurses, physicians, therapists and others interacting with patients regularly are better equipped to identify issues. They are also more likely to come up with sustainable solutions if they are given the freedom to work on the problem without unnecessary restraints. In the book, Quantum Leadership (2015), Porter-O’Grady and Malloch describe front-line staff as knowledge workers, because they have ownership of the work done. This situation gives direct care providers leverage, and it creates a different organizational dynamic from the familiar hierarchy model of leadership.
Another idea he proposed was the value of diversity in problem-solving and innovative solutions. The collective experiences and wisdom of a group are far greater than those of one individual. The ideas generated will potentially be higher in number and broader in range, giving more opportunity for successful options to be presented.
A successful leader in the age of information and technology will recruit the best people, give them the freedom to improve processes or find solutions to problems, and help remove barriers to implementation. This approach makes the best use of resources, and it creates employee engagement and satisfaction. While these ideas have not been the usual practice for nursing in the past, many nurse leaders are beginning to move in this direction. In a time of looming shortages of health care workers, a leadership method that improves processes while increasing the engagement of direct care providers is a promising idea indeed.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Nursing Administration: Scope and Standards of Practice (2016) outlines many aspects of the nurse administrator practice, and it is applicable to a multitude of nursing leadership roles. Three areas I have identified for my own goal setting are as follows:
1) Goal – Improve verbal presentation skills. Communication (Standard 9) – Communicates both verbally and in writing, making clear, concise, and factual presentation to a variety of audiences.
2) Goal – Increase documentation of QI projects to include completion of project workbooks.
Quality of Practice (Standard 14) – Documents practice in a manner that supports quality improvement plans and interventions.
3) Goal – Investigate requirements for CPHQ certification, participate in study sessions offered through work. Quality of Practice (Standard 14) – Achieves professional certification, when available.
By working on these fundamental improvements, I hope to become more effective in my roles, and thus, be better able to help others become effective leaders as well.
References
AONE Nurse Leaders (Director). (2016). AONE thought leader: Tim Porter O'Grady [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytAV0jcIVPc
Inno-Versity (Director). (2013). Inno-Versity presents: "Greatness" by David Marquet [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmdLcyES_Q
Nursing administration: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). (2016). Silver Springs, MD: American Nurses Association.
Porter-O'Grady, T., & Malloch, K. (2015). Quantum leadership: Building better partnerships for sustainable health (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
TED (Director). (2009). Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en
TED (Director). (2011). Steve Jobs - TED- How to live before you die [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZDWo6hiuI
Whitney, M. (Director). (2016). Michael Jr: Know your why [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygBUCiSDUe0
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