Leadership Profile
For any form of leadership to be effective, it has to have the backing of some power on a frequent basis. The power is necessary for both the regular work group and the informal social group (Burns, 2012). Power as we know it is the ability to exert influence on one’s beliefs, behavior or actions of other individuals. It means being capable of making or preventing change from happening. An influential leader with power can produce or prevent change (Northouse, 2013). In addition to a leader being powerful and influential, a good leader needs to be inspirational. The ability to inspire followers or employees to attain greater heights in their performance and success is an essential skill for nurse leaders.
Inspirational leaders possess the ability to communicate effectively. Secondly, inspirational leaders are people of integrity, inclusion and are sensitive to the needs of their employees. Finally, inspirational leaders depict passion and purpose in their work (Allio, 2012). The passion and purpose then rub off on their employees.
Effective leaders almost always possess a given set of characteristics. One is decisiveness, the core job of the leader is o make decisions; a highly efficient leader makes the tough decisions as quickly as they made the easy ones (Gill, 2013). Communication is second; knowing that knowledge is power; good leaders communicate information to their employees throughout the organization effectively. Additionally, good leaders are confident individuals. They believe in their ability and that of their employees to achieve set goals (Northouse, 2013). Their staff shares Their confidence. Failure to them is not an option. Finally, an effective leader can set goals and have visions. The employees depend on the leader to tell them where they are going.
References
Allio, R. (2012). Leaders and leadership – many theories, but what advice is reliable?. Strategy & Leadership, 41(1), 4-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10878571311290016
Burns, J. (2012). Leadership. New York, NY: Open Road Integrated Media.
Gill, R. (2013). Theory and practice of leadership. London: Sage.
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership; Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, Calofornia: SAGE Publications.
