1 Leadership Journey Assignment Tina Campbell Galen College of Nursing 2 Introduction Leadership is a foundation course in almost all business programs and is also commonly included in degree programs across many other academic disciplines. In addition, many organizations throughout the world offer professional development seminars and executive training sessions on the topic of leadership in order to facilitate the growth and promotability of their employees (Schoenfeld et al., 2018). Having an understanding your own particular values is one of the first steps to having self-awareness and that can be an important area of self-reflection in an assessment of your leadership style (Neale, 2019). Greatest Strengths While taking several work type assessment tests, I have discovered that I lean toward a democratic or participative style of leadership. When supervising a group this leader likes to set the parameters for the work and have the final say on decisions. They also are likely to actively involve my team members in the processes. Using this style, it can help build trust between coworkers. It is likely they’ll feel engaged and valued. If it's not great in a high-pressure situation that requires a fast turnaround, it can slow one down. One with this style of leadership may also dislike disagreement or conflict and tend to scuffle with how people respond to consultation. With this approach, one can set goals, guide team discussions, and make the final decision. But one can also acknowledge that their people can have valuable insight into a problem or process, so you should actively consult them. As a result, you'll likely gain creative input and fresh ideas that you wouldn't have come up with if you were working alone (Dyczkowska & Dyczkowski, 2018). 3 I have found that some of my greatest strengths are mainly in the promotion and monitoring of workplace safety requirements, practicing ethics and ethical behaviors, promotion of intra/interdepartmental communication in departments. Other strengths include promotion of my professional development through education. I also have worked hard in practicing a cultural competence, realizing human social justice, and in generational diversities in the workplace (American Organization for Nursing Leadership, 2021). Opportunities for Improvement New managers should understand what is essential to the staff and provide feedback. Managers should also seek input from superiors and staff nurses for a greater understanding of organizational needs. components of communication include the use of active listening skills, in the practice of using positive body language, by paraphrasing comments for clarity, and in avoiding negative messages (Duquesne School of Nursing, 2020). One goal I would need to learn be to build a culture in which people can have healthy debates with one another. I should set an example by being open and flexible myself. I can make supervision of mutual acceptance a priority, to ensure everyone's participation. Another goal would be giving mutual respect because is based on a shared belief in the benefits of diversity, the variety of backgrounds, abilities, and viewpoints within a team. One in my position would also need to learn conflict resolution skills and how to manage the emotion reactions in their team (American Organization for Nursing Leadership, 2021). One should also be aware that processes could become dangerously slow if they involve their team members in each decision. One will need to judge cautiously whether if they need to adopt a more autocratic approach, even if it's only briefly (American Organization for Nursing Leadership, 2021). 4 Conclusion Having an understanding your own particular values is one of the first steps to having self-awareness and that can be an important area of self-reflection in an assessment of your leadership style (Neale, 2019). The nursing workforce and their clients can benefit from an attentive leadership. When healthcare establishments have watchful nursing leaders, patient outcomes and staff retention increase. Attentive and knowledgeable leaders can help employees improve equanimity and have better communication skills (Olsen, 2019). 5 References American Organization for Nursing Leadership. (2021). Nurse leader competency assessment tool: Self-assessment. https://www.aonl.org/resources/self-assessment Duquesne School of Nursing. (2020). Six tips for success as a nurse manager. https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/blog/6-tips-for-success-as-a-nurse-manager/ Dyczkowska, J., & Dyczkowski, T. (2018). Democratic or autocratic leadership style? Participative management and its links to rewarding strategies and job satisfaction in SMEs. Athens Journal of Business & Economics, 4(2), 193– 218. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajbe.4.2.4 Mind Tools. (2021). Conflict resolution: Move from harmful to healthy conflict. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_81.htm Neale, P. (2019). Self-reflection in leadership – Part 1: Ambitions, values and personality. Unabridged Leadership.com. https://unabridgedleadership.com/selfreflection-in-leadership/ Olsen, N. C. (2019). Mindful leaders are effective leaders. Reflections on Nursing Leadership, 45(3), 74– 77. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=139807327&site= nrc-live 6 Rubens, A., Schoenfeld, G. A., Schaffer, B. S., & Leah, J. S. (2018). Self-awareness and leadership: Developing an individual strategic professional development plan in an MBA leadership course. The International Journal of Management Education, 16(1), 1– 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2017.11.001.
