Nursing_Leadership

QUALITY LEADERS IN LEADING FOLLOWERS TOWARDS ACHEIVING OBJECTIF Leadership is a process in which an individual who have capabilities to influence the members of the group towards achieving the aims and objectives of the group. Yukl (1989) defines leadership as a process whereby an individual influences members of the group to achieve a particular goal or group of organizations. In other words, leadership is associated with the effect, in which a leader influences their followers to changing attitudes and behavior. Leaders can encourage individual and group capacity to comply voluntarily without pressure and coercion. Leaders are not merely those who control others, but they act as visionaries who help employees to plan, lead, control, and organize their activities (Jooste, 2004). Thus, the present of leaders is to create and manage change while the duties of a manager are to implement the strategy formulated by the leaders. As underline by Kotter (1990) where leadership is about creating change and management is about controlling and directing. In nursing leadership is recognized that a nurses who have leadership capabilities that can increase the motivation of other members in the work environment. Mahoney (2001) mention that a several important functions of a nurse leader are acting as a role model, collaboration to provide optimum care, provision of information and support, providing care based on theory and research, and being an advocate for patients and the health care organization. This effect will helps nurses had a positive attitudes about their work and more responsibility and effective in the daily task, able to treat other staff member and patient with respect and be able to reach personal goals and objectives. The responsibility as a leader in the nursing field is to understanding the needs of followers, able to encourage staff to empathize with the patient and provide the best care for the well being and progress in health. This able to obtain when the quality of leadership can be accepted and followed. The effect of this situation will give satisfaction to patients, establish a healthy relationship between nurses and patients and improve the recovery time. The goal here is not to put the leaders in senior positions for the sake of power, but to use for the growth of health care organizations. Leaders must understanding that they must relinquish their positions as senior nurse someday. In this paper, I will discuss the various leadership styles in my professional practice, compare and evaluate them in actual practice at my work place base on actual evidence and explore some model of leadership and qualities required in leading the followers towards achieving the objectives. I have over 12 years experience in nursing and at the beginning of my involvement has experience working with the leaders who practice autocratic style, which emphasizes only the followers to follow the instruction and not given opportunities in decision-making process. Faugier & Woolnough, (2002) stated that autocratic leaders set an end goal without allowing others to participate in the decision- making. This causes will decreased levels of motivation for staff to work in a stressful situation, especially to ensure that the daily-task in accordance with the requirements and as prescribed. In the era of modernization of the nursing field, many challenges exist in organizations that need leaders who are oriented to the current leadership style, in which the charismatic leader is required to perform the transformation or changes to the organization and transform the followers thinking and attitude. Hunsaker P.L. (1986) defines a Charismatic Leader is a leader of his behavior shows the essence of what an organization or social group striving to achieve. These types of leaders trying to assimilate the values of the organization and interpret, conserve and change these values. They should be able to present themselves, have a character of domination, have direction and goals remain, and reliable to influence their followers. Germany sociology, Max Weber saw this as an individual charismatic leader who has a very high self-nature, and endowed with personal qualities to guide others. Bass (1974) has stated that a charismatic leader, who is successful, will result in transformation. Transformational and transactional leadership is the current leadership style that able to make the change. Currently, many authors have discussed about a transactional and transformational leadership. Cook (2001) stated that transactional leadership is more related to daily tasks and providing daily care. While, Transformational leadership is more focused on the process to motivate followers to increase their potential to influence change and provide a sense of direction. Outhwaite (2003) as defined by Bass in 1990, Transformational leadership involves how the group is integrated to work together and make innovations in their works. Whereas, transactional leaderships involves the skills required to run the group effectively . In leadership, theoretical approaches are also linked to ensure a more effective leadership. Contingency approach may be associated with the leadership path goal approach. Professor Robert House also contributed to the theory of leadership from the perspective of the situation in which he state that the main function of a leader is to form a key focus of their followers or their employees and outlines the paths to achieve those goals. With passage of this theory called the theory of goals. Logically, this theory is easily understood and practiced. House (1971) stated that Path-goal theory analyzes diverse dimensions of leader behaviour such as initiating structure, consideration, authoritarianism, hierarchical influence, and closeness of supervision in terms of "path-goal" variables such as valence and instrumentality. In situations where there the structure is complex and confusing work, the task is to form leaders work for the workers to follow a clear path. On the other hand, if the worker’s duty is already evident, for example on ward task and the autocratic leader who trying add a task-oriented structure of the work, of course will not receive a good response from their subordinates. A leader is autocratic and task-oriented instead usually well received in situations where there are individual stress, stress and dissatisfaction among employees. If the work is repetitive and structured pathways to achieve the objective are clear, That means if the leaders try to add more structural work, this will not add to satisfaction or improve job performance. However, if the task is not clear, of course leaders need to act and resolve any such confusion. With this, the leaders of the two dimensions of effective leadership to clarify whether the path or make it easier to run. A good leader should know his followers, and the most important aspect knows how people behave in organizations. An example, might be to place individuals in accordance with their expertise, this will encourage the development of skills and individual intellectual. However, leaders must become an observer to identify and explore barriers and be able to collaborate with team members to resolve it. Outhwaite (2003) asserts that leaders must continue to be part of a team, sharing the job, always close to the operation and was able to understand the perspective of workers. According to Robert J. House, and Terence R. Mitchell, "The degree of satisfaction and motivation of subordinates depends on the extent to which leader’s behaviors affect the ability of subordinate to achieve goals." This shows that the leaders of the organization must show good example to his employees. For example, leaders of opinion "opinion leader" who was introduced by Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955), the leader has the characteristics of a model and template for the group, more knowledgeable than others for a referral in advice and guidance, full of information, good communication skills, high education and good social status. By having this characteristic, then its credibility as a leader of an organization will be respected and be followed by employees. Not only are accepted and respected status, but the nature of has openness also promoted communication among employees, colleagues and subordinates with the leader. Communication is the priority skill to become a good leader. How to communicate with either the light, precise or accurate will effect the behaviour and performance of followers. The ability to communicate effectively is a source of expertise. Many people believe two-way communication is very effective. Therefore, it is said that leaders should encourage the followers to give their views and make recommendations for changes. Feltner et. al (2008) was mentioned that an effective two way communication is important for a leader and his team to improve interactions and relationships between them. Unfortunately, the lens of leaderships theory, two-way communication is not necessary better, and be use in all situations. The key is the “situation”. In certain situations a two-way communication is not used wisely, because the time involved for too long. In a highly structured organization of the problem type routine, one-way communication is more than adequate if the surveillance is made. In my experience some of the leaders in my organization are not very good in communication skill, some of them are not sensitive and understanding. Faced with such a leader, resulted in staff lack of confidence to express opinions and are not keen to be involved in discussions. These conditions causes the quality required in work is difficult to achieve. Allen (1992) states that studies have found that interpersonal communication such as the ability of staff to give their views and opinions relating to issues around them and communicate with the superiors, colleagues and supervisors are among the factors contributing to organizational commitment. According to Pincus (1986) communication is the determining factor in strengthening the effectiveness of an organization. In the nursing field, An effective communication is not merely to share information and tell the team what to be done, but the communication style of a leader is important. Leaders must ensure that good communication constantly happen between colleague and all staff to encourage feedback, discussion and teamwork. Talking down into team members, showing frustration toward patients and out and talking doctors instead of listening to their instructions are all evidence of communication problems. The display of emotions as well as body language can all play a role in effective communication. The leader should have a matured thinking, critical, creative and innovative to generate a good idea, valuable, helpful and able to resolve the problems. A leader must strive to be a wise leader. The election of the leader must look to someone who really qualify based on excellence in mind not only to choose leaders who can talk, but do not know how to do the work and do not choose leader who are popular, but not able to contribute to the lead. In this context, a leader should possess skills in decision making to ensure that all decisions are fair and equitable. Leaders who are not skilled to make decisions that will lead to a group will lose direction, no clear goals and always topsy-turvy. They would be vulnerable to rupture because of the absence of leaders capable of solving problem of differences of ideas among members. This will cause problems and lead to no solution. In conclusion, a good leader is someone who able to motivate the followers to thinking, feeling, and act in certain ways. In other words, a leader should be Recognize, know the needs and motives of his followers, and should emphasize the achievement of group goals. Leaders should also be able to maintain the existing strength of the group to solve problems and achieve future goals. A leader can only highlighting his leadership through his involvement in the group. The group leader should also practice good communication with his followers to ensure the effectiveness of its leadership. If a leader is always in his room and did not have time to communicate with staff, the lack of effective leadership, and this, will cause the followers not to work well and cannot achieve the goals set. Leadership is not entirely dependent on the position. The success of leadership is a function of both the formal power of the position and who is not subordinate the non-formal for the post.