1.4 Characteristics of Effective Leadership
Characteristics of Effective Leadership
Effective nursing leadership plays a significant role in the delivery of quality health care, subsequently impacting the success and viability of health care organizations. Nursing leaders who demonstrate effective leadership skills empower their teams, drive change, and subsequently improve client outcomes. Consider the following example to illustrate why effective leadership is needed across leadership roles at an institution.
Sarah is an LPN/VN working in a busy long-term care facility. Over the last two months, Sarah has identified several instances of resident care that was not performed due to misunderstandings regarding responsibilities and actions by LPN/VN and UAP staff. Sarah approaches the nurse manager to discuss the need for improved communication among team members to prevent these misunderstandings from occurring to improve resident care. She proposes an initiative to implement a “daily huddle” where all team members can discuss resident updates and concerns, share ideas, and clarify the implementation of nursing tasks. The nurse manager actively listens to Sarah’s concerns and implements her proposed initiative as a safety culture strategy. After implementing the strategy, the nurse manager reevaluates resident care outcomes and determines this initiative fosters improved team communication, collaboration, and coordination, resulting in improved resident care.
Table 1.4 describes characteristics of effective nursing leadership, along with examples of how leaders can demonstrate these qualities in their daily practice.[1],[2]
Table 1.4. Characteristics and Examples of Effective Leadership
| Characteristic | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Integrity | Outside actions align with internal beliefs, morals, and values. | A nursing leader consistently models honesty and transparency, ensuring their decisions and actions are in line with their ethical principles. |
| Courage | Willingness to take risks and face challenges. | A nursing leader advocates for innovative changes in client care practices, even when it involves stepping outside of their comfort zone and challenging traditional practices. |
| Initiative | Proactive in acting on good ideas and opportunities. | A nursing leader identifies a gap in client education and proactively develops a comprehensive program to address the issue, benefiting both clients and the nursing staff. |
| Energy | Efficient and effective utilization of energy and resources. | A nursing leader manages their time and energy efficiently, prioritizes tasks, and delegates responsibilities, thus ensuring the team’s efforts are focused on achieving the best outcomes for clients. |
| Optimism | Ability to see problems as opportunities for growth. | In the face of budget cuts, a nursing leader views it as an opportunity to streamline processes and increase efficiency. |
| Perseverance | Persistent and determined, not giving up easily. | A nursing leader faces numerous challenges in implementing a new electronic health record system but persists, providing support, training, and encouragement to the team until successful adoption and improved workflow are achieved. |
| Balance | Maintaining a healthy equilibrium between work and personal life. | A nursing leader sets boundaries and encourages their team to prioritize self-care, demonstrating a healthy work-life balance by actively engaging in hobbies, spending quality time with family members and other social supports, and encouraging others to do the same. |
| Ability to handle stress | Managing stress in a positive and healthy manner. | A nursing leader practices stress-reducing techniques such as mindfulness, exercise, and open communication, creating a supportive environment where team members feel comfortable discussing and managing their stress levels effectively. |
| Communication | Effectively communicates with team members. | An effective nursing leader listens to others’ perspectives and encourages shared decision-making, when feasible. |
By understanding and embodying these characteristics, leaders can create a positive work environment and drive team success.
- Cummings, G. G., MacGregor, T., Davey, M., Lee, H., Wong, C. A., Lo, E., & Muise, M. (2018). Characteristics of effective nursing leadership: A qualitative meta-synthesis. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(3), 331-340. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12629 ↵
- van der Haar, D., Aiken, L. H., & Busse, R. (2019). Exploring the characteristics of effective nurse leaders: A qualitative study. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(8), 1642-1650. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12934 ↵
