Leadership Theory and Style
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliations
Leadership Theory and Style
The healthcare sector is able to develop and grow with the support of good leadership. According to Sanders and Balcom (2021), there is a direct relationship between improved healthcare quality and effective leadership. Irrespective of the leadership theories and styles that they choose, healthcare leaders must ensure that they maintain adherence to relevant laws such as the Nurse Practice Acts of their respective states (Lockhart, 2020). This paper will describe a leadership theory for a new nurse graduate, how that leadership theory fits with personal style and strength, how it reflects leadership components of the registered nurse role, and how the theory enhances interprofessional practice, presentation skills, and teamwork.
Leadership Theory
Newly graduated nurses interested in assuming leadership roles in the future can benefit greatly from identifying their most preferred leadership theories early. As a new graduate nurse, the leadership theory that will be useful in creating an effective leadership path is servant leadership theory. Servant leadership theory assumes that an effective leader is one who applies a holistic approach to leadership that takes into consideration the interests of followers. A servant leader supports followers and stakeholders to utilize their strengths to reach their potential. Nurse leaders are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that healthcare providers perform their roles effectively to help patients recover from their illnesses (Canavesi & Minelli, 2021). Servant leadership theory will offer the best guidance for a newly graduated nurse to facilitate the formation of strong relationships with followers and the creation of a work environment where employees feel valued and empowered.
Style and Strengths
Servant leadership style adequately fits with the student’s style and strengths. The student’s leadership style encompasses enhanced follower engagement with the aim of understanding their needs that should be addressed to make them feel empowered (Smith & Bhavsar, 2021). Additionally, the student believes in a leadership style that advocates for team cohesion and the achievement of positive outcomes. Servant leadership theory assumes that leadership effectiveness is enhanced through increased employee engagement and teamwork. Such attributes promote the realization of positive outcomes both collectively and at the individual level (Canavesi & Minelli, 2021). Personal strengths that properly align the student’s leadership behavior to servant leadership theory include a proactive personality, humility, trustworthiness, receptive listening, and caring. These strengths will allow the nurse leader to listen to followers’ concerns, develop mutual trust with them, and provide the necessary assistance to them while also remaining humble and proactive.
NYS Nurse Practice Act
Registered nurses must adhere to the Nurse Practice Acts of their states when they are executing their leadership roles. The New York State Nurse Practice Act clearly outlines the scope of practice for registered nurses. The servant leadership style reflects the leadership component of the registered nurse’s role. For example, as supported by the Act, a registered professional nurse must ensure that a junior nurse possesses relevant competencies to perform specific tasks before assigning them such tasks to accomplish. However, a registered professional nurse can assign a more advanced role to another nurse with limited knowledge but must ensure that the nurse receives specific training related to the tasks being assigned (New York State Nurses Association, n.d.). Servant leadership theory advocates for the empowerment of followers by helping them to improve in their weak areas and perform to the best of their abilities (Canavesi & Minelli, 2021). Therefore, registered nurses who have been licensed to practice in New York can become great leaders when they adopt servant leadership theory.
Leadership Style and Interprofessional Practice
Nursing is a profession whose success largely depends on interprofessional practice and collaboration. Servant leadership theory and style will significantly enhance the student’s interprofessional practice with other stakeholders. According to Sanders and Balcom (2021), the servant leadership model guides leaders to engage in shared decision-making with professionals from other industries. The interdisciplinary collaboration supported by servant leadership theory promotes ethical behavior, improves healthcare delivery, and enhances professional growth. Today’s healthcare professionals adequately recognize the value of shared decision-making and interdisciplinary practice on the quality of care and patient outcomes. Servant leadership theory is the pillar for interprofessional practice because it creates a leadership structure that enhances clinical engagement and performance.
Presentation Skills and Teamwork
Servant leadership theory will enhance presentation skills and teamwork. Nurse leaders require presentation skills to use in relaying information to followers and stakeholders for enhanced communication. They need to be creative to be able to develop insightful presentations. According to Chen et al. (2022), servant leadership enhances creativity and strengthens knowledge sharing. Nurse leaders should work in teams and in collaboration with junior nurses for enhanced healthcare delivery. As Sanders and Balcom (2021) explain, servant leadership theory promotes team engagement and performance in healthcare settings. In this respect, newly graduated nurses should apply servant leadership theory in order to become effective leaders through enhanced communication and teamwork.
Conclusion
Healthcare leaders, like leaders in other sectors, utilize leadership theories to identify the best approaches to take to address various situations that they encounter. Servant leadership theory will be the most useful for a newly graduated nurse. The leadership theory will not only help the nurse to adhere to the requirements of the NYS Nurse Practice Act but it will also enhance interprofessional practice, presentation skills, and teamwork.
References
Canavesi, A., & Minelli, E. (2021). Servant leadership and employee engagement: a qualitative study. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 1–23. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-021-09389-9
Chen, M., Zada, M., Khan, J., & Saba, N. U. (2022). How does servant leadership influences creativity? Enhancing employee creativity via creative process engagement and knowledge sharing. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 947092. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.947092
Lockhart, L. (2020). Nurse practice acts and the provision of safe, competent care. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, 18(3). doi: 10.1097/01.NME.0000658204.89628.2a
New York State Nurses Association. (n.d.). Scope of practice. https://www.nysna.org/nursing-practice/practice-resources/scope-practice
Sanders, J., & Balcom, C. (2021). Clinical leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: Reflections and lessons learned. Healthcare Management Forum, 34(6), 316–319. https://doi.org/10.1177/08404704211044587
Smith, K., & Bhavsar, M. (2021). A new era of health leadership. Healthcare Management Forum, 34(6), 332–335. https://doi.org/10.1177/08404704211040817