Leadership, Transformational leadership, Healthcare (Essay Sample)

Self-Assessment of Leadership
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Capella University
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Abstract
Leadership is an important undertaking that ensures the success of any organization. When leadership is done effectively, it helps enhance productivity, performance, engagement, and creates a positive culture while also promoting harmony. This paper analyzes my leadership style in relation to healthcare needs and also my strengths and weakness. It also focuses on leadership traits that I possess and those that I aspire to develop. Further, the papers examines how leadership enhances collaborative relationships, as well as ethical principles in the field of leadership. Additionally, an examination into the role of diversity and inclusion in leadership is highlighted and how this benefits an organization. Finally, the papers touches on academic and experiences from Capella Scholar-Practitioner Model and their role in effective leadership, and also how this course has shaped my leadership development.
Keywords: Leadership, Transformational leadership, Healthcare
Self-Assessment of Leadership
Leadership Styles
I believe that leadership is having the ability to empower others both mentally and emotionally. In this way, the leadership style that best aligns with my thoughts of what leadership means is transformational leadership style. Tabassi et al., (2017) note that transformational leadership is where leaders motivate followers through a shared vision for the future. I believe that transformational leadership style best describes my abilities to work with people and empower them by setting clear goals, using integrity, and appreciating employees. I have the ability to inspire and motivate team members to do their best more than what is required of them (Tabassi et al., 2017). For example, in one situation where I demonstrated transformational leadership is while volunteering in an agency in my local community and we were tasked with raising money to help malnourished children in Africa. I was appointed as a team leader and despite the set target, I motivated my team members by example, and we raised two-times more than our target something that other groups did not achieve.
Transformational leadership enhances my strength as an empathetic person. Being an empathetic person, I value and understand the feelings of others by trying to be “in their shoes.” Ideally, transformational leaders place value in every individual by believing in them and that is why they motivate them. The value I place on other people indicates that I am a transformational leader because I believe in them. It is impossible to value people without having empathy for them (Tabassi et al., 2017). The other strength I have is compassion. Using transformational leadership, I show compassion by being sensitive to the plight of others. For example, if I had a position as a nurse leader, I would employ compassion in addressing any shortcomings they may have by guiding them to understand where and how they can improve (Thorn, 2012). The other strength I possess is being adaptive. Ideally, Tabassi et al., (2017) say that adaptability helps leaders to face new challenges by changing behaviors to deal with these challenges. As a transformational leader, I would use inspiration to help subordinates adapt to the vision and goals I set for the team.
One weakness I have is that I am not decisive. In transformational leadership, being decisive is important because one needs to inspire others. My adaptive strength prevents my ability to make swift decisions that are required in transformational leadership (Thorn, 2012). Another weakness I have is lack of attention to details. This is a problem found in transformational leadership because if the followers are not detailed-oriented and skilled, I would face problem motivating them to do extraordinary things. For example, if employees in healthcare do not have expertise on how to enhance patient care, I would face difficulties inspiring them to give the best care possible to the patients (Tabassi et al., 2017).
Leadership Traits
One leadership characteristic that I already possess is adaptability. I have the ability to change and easily fit in new environment and situations. I always have the willingness to leave my comfort zone and immerse myself into new situations, learn new things, and adapt to changing circumstances. In healthcare, adaptability is important because as new technologies and ways of doing things emerge, one need to be able to adapt in order to be successful (Thorn, 2012). The other characteristic that I already possess is good communication skills. Thorn (2012) argues that effective communication is an essential trait that every leader should aspire to have. In my case, through communication, I am able to inform, educate, clarify, and pass the message effectively. When dealing with healthcare, communication is important because failure to communicate effectively could lead to mistakes that could cost lives. For example, if a nurse sends the wrong message to a physician, the physician could start addressing the wrong diagnosis for a patient because of poor communication.
One trait that I would like to develop is foresight. Foresight is a trait that would help me anticipate the challenges I may encounter so that I can develop mitigation measures that would help me direct my team appropriately (Thorn, 2012). Through foresight, a leader learns from past lessons, the current circumstances, and also explores the likely consequences of the decisions he/she makes and how they will fair into the future. Gaining the characteristic of foresight would help me guide my team when there is a need for change in healthcare. Ideally, I would do this by anticipating how the changes are going to beneficial and analyzing the problems that the team may encounter. I would use foresight to educate and inform the others in healthcare what need to be done to escape any possible challenges. For example, if a new equipment is brought into my department, I would use foresight to educate the team about the possible benefits, as well as the weaknesses of the equipment. With this knowledge the team would be prepared because we would do all possible to eliminate any hindrances that are foreseeable (Tabassi et al., 2017).
The other skill that I would like to develop that would be important in healthcare is persuasion. Through persuasion, I would have the ability to influence others. As a leader, I would like to have the ability to stir confidence, encourage, and in the process influence people to see my point of view (Thorn, 2012). I would be able to guide others in healthcare through persuasion because through my power, they will listen to me. When change occurs, I would be able to guide and influence others through persuasion to adopt to the new circumstances. Further, I can use persuasion to guide and educate about the change that is coming because I would have the power to influence people to listen to me (Gitomer, 2004). For example, in the example of the new equipment, I would use persuasion to influence others by educating them on why they need to embrace the new equipment.
Developing Collaborative Relationships across Disciplines
Communication skills is a leadership attribute that will help me in building and maintaining collaborative relationships across disciplines. This is because when building collaborative disciplines, two-way communication is key (Gitomer, 2004). I will be able to communicate clearly and effectively with the other parties involved to ensure that we truly understand each other. Without sharing and understanding each other, collaboration would be impossible (Gitomer, 2004). The other attribute that will help me in building and maintaining collaborative relationships is adaptability. Ideally, in collaborative relationships, there is a need to learn about the operations and disciplines of the other parties involved. Adaptability will help me easily fit into the new environment and learn as much as possible about the other parties involved in the collaboration. Understanding each other well will help us build and maintain a strong collaboration because we will have a clear purpose and vision (Thorn, 2012).
The trait of persuasion will also help me in building and maintaining collaborative relationships because it will help create trust (Thorn, 2012). With the trait of persuasion, the other parties involved would feel confidence when they are influenced by what I bring to the table. This will build trust in the relationship as everyone is persuaded about the intentions of the collaboration (Gitomer, 2004). Finally, the trait of foresight will help me build collaborative relationships because of predicting the future growth of the relationship. By fore sighting good things about the collaboration, the relationship will grow and prosper.
Principles of Ethical Leadership
One principle of ethical leadership in healthcare is respect. According to Jack and Matthew (2014), ethical leadership calls leaders to understand how to treat others with respect. When it comes to healthcare, leaders can only instill confidence in followers if they respect them. For example, respect can be shown by showing gratitude even for the smallest efforts that subordinates make (Jack & Matthew, 2014). In transformational leadership, I would apply respect by being honest with followers so that they feel motivated to work with me. I can grow the quality of respect by associating with people from different backgrounds and taking time to know them.
The other principal of ethical leadership is to serve others. Service of others is an important ethical principle because it shows that the leader does not think that he/she is better than the subordinates. For example, in healthcare, a leader could serve others by ...