Running Head: LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY 1

Leadership Philosophy Paper

Alexis Leskovac

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 400: Nursing Leadership

Tammy Brown

February 23, 2021

Transformational Leadership is both a theory and style that focuses on leaders who

embrace change with creativity and utilize that change as opportunity for improvement

(Finkelman, 2016). Transformational leaders (TLs) recognize that staff are critical to success.

They are visionaries who inspire their future concepts for the organization. They ensure that even

during times of chaos and crisis, work is done effectively (Finkelman, 2016). The ultimate goal

of transformational leadership is for the leader and follower(s) to develop a sense of growth,

discover purpose in their work, and to exceed their own expectations (Mennella, 2016; Smith,

2011). This paper will discuss the theory and style of Transformational Leadership through the

lens of a nurse leader’s role. Topics such as, lifelong learning, patient advocacy, bedside nursing,

communication, patient outcomes, and organization outcomes will be related to the nurse’s role

as a transformational leader.

Healthcare is everchanging and ever growing, especially today. Therefore, it is vital that

nurse managers adopt a transformational leadership style. The TL can adapt to and overcome this

change, while simultaneously empowering their followers and inspiring a sense of commitment

to the vision (Smith, 2011). Empowering others to strive towards a shared vision develops a

sense of unity and purpose. Developing a shared vision to promote organizational goals, such as

improved patient outcomes, is a core concept of leadership (Mennella, 2016). Nurse managers

who adopt the transformational leadership theory are viewed as trustworthy, inspirational,

optimistic, and encouraging (Smith, 2011). This is imperative in clinical areas where new

graduate nurses are present. These characteristics promote a healthy environment for staff, which

subsequently improves staff satisfaction, retention, and patient satisfaction (Smith, 2011).

To develop a shared vision with their followers, nurse leaders should practice the four

components of TL: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and

individualized consideration (Mennella, 2016). TLs ideally influence their followers based on

their charisma, consistency, honesty, and ethical behavior, allowing followers to personally

identify with them. Followers trust and respect TLs, instilling a desire to emulate their leader

(Mennella, 2016; Steinmann et al., 2018). TLs inspirationally motivate followers to achieve

higher level performance and meet organizational goals by exhibiting confidence in their

follower’s abilities (Steinmann et al., 2018). This is done through clear communication and by

offering meaningful purpose to the follower’s work tasks (Mennella, 2016). TLs intellectually

stimulate their followers first, by evaluating their individual needs and abilities. Then, TLs

develop learning opportunities to provide necessary resources to enhance their follower’s skills

(Mennella, 2016). Intellectual stimulation encourages followers to question their own way of

working and take on new perspectives, subsequently increasing awareness of problems

(Steinmann et al., 2018). TLs practice individualized consideration by actively listening and

offering mentorship to each follower (Mennella, 2016). This allows followers to feel that their

individual concerns are heard, recognized, respected, and acted upon.

Strategies to help adopt the skill of idealized influence include being visible and

approachable. This could be done by offering an open-door policy and being present on the floor

during shift changes and interdisciplinary rounds. Other ways to ideally influence include

modeling the expectations that are consistent with the vision and holding all followers

accountable to the same standards (Mennella, 2016). Inspirational motivation can be

implemented by providing frequent feedback and acknowledging those who have achieved goals

(Mennella, 2016). Strategies to inspirationally motivate may include sending e-mails or posting

awards and photos where all staff members can recognize individuals who have accomplished

goals that are consistent with the organization’s vision. This will promote participation from
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others to foster teamwork and collaboration skills. Approaches to intellectual stimulation include

encouraging staff to participate in educational opportunities and allowing them to learn from

their mistakes. TLs should offer educational resources at staff meetings and create a trusting

work environment where staff feel comfortable expressing problem-solving ideas (Mennella,

2016). This can be done by opening the floor to discussion during meetings, allowing staff to

approach the TL with their ideas at a later time, and teaching staff rather than penalizing them for

mistakes. Strategies for effective individual consideration start with knowing each follower on a

personal level. TLs should express genuine care towards their followers (Mennella, 2016). Each

follower’s strengths should be recognized and matched with appropriate work tasks. This can be

achieved by conducting performance evaluations, being present on the floor, assisting staff at the

bedside, and by simply asking staff what they believe their own strengths/weaknesses are.

Overall, TLs should listen to their follower’s particular concerns, and attend to their needs

(Steinmann et al., 2018).

The quality of nurse leadership is directly related to the quality of care provided by

nursing staff (Mennella, 2015). Therefore, it is imperative that nurse managers receive proper

training to ensure improved patient outcomes and organizational success. Strategies to enhance

leadership performance include participation in leadership programs offered by professional

associations such as, the Magnet Recognition Program (Mennella, 2015). Developing

frameworks to implement evidence-based practice could be done by creating a Clinical Nurse

Educator role. Leadership modules that are established by national organizations such as, the

National Health Service, can be studied and adopted (Mennella, 2015). A master’s or doctorate

level of education that combines nursing knowledge with management of data and information

technology could be obtained (Mennella, 2015). Through continuing education, nurse leaders
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may also enhance their personal skill, risk and systems management, prioritizing, financial

propriety, data analysis, evaluation, and planning skills (Mennella, 2015). Nurse leaders are

expected to be well-versed in many fields. The development of nurse leadership skills can be

enhanced through a variety of methods. To enhance patient outcomes and staff performance, it is

crucial that nurse leaders remain devoted to lifelong learning and continuously build upon their

skills.

In addition to lifelong learning, nursing leaders are responsible for improving patient

outcomes by advocating for patients and improving bedside nursing. The National Database of

Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) is a nursing measurement program that provides

information on incidence of falls, pressure injuries, and ventilator-associated pneumonia

(Mennella, 2015). NDNQI can be used by nursing leaders to identify unit-specific areas for

improvement. For example, if there is an increased rate of pressure injuries occurring on the unit,

the nursing leader can arrange for the clinical nurse educator to collaborate with wound care

nurses to provide evidence-based practice knowledge to the staff. This might include turning

every two hours, accurately identifying stages of pressure injuries, and removing causes of skin

irritation. TLs can also improve bedside nursing by listening to the needs of the staff. For

example, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased number of intubated

patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Subsequently, there is an increased demand for

sedation. Dexmedetomidine (Precedex), a common sedative used in the ICU, comes in 50 mL

bottles which requires frequent room entry to change the bottles once they run out. Staff have

requested a supply of Precedex bottles with larger volumes to avoid frequently donning/doffing

personal protective equipment (PPE) to enter/exit rooms with COVID-19 precautions. As the

nurse leader, TLs can improve bedside nursing by advocating for the staff to secure Precedex
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bottles with increased volumes. Subsequently, this will also preserve PPE. Implementing the

appropriate educational resources instills confidence in nursing staff, meets individual learning

needs, and improves the overall quality of care. Advocating for staff improves staff satisfaction,

thereby improving quality of care at the bedside and patient satisfaction.

An essential skill of TLs is teamwork and collaboration. Nurse leaders must create an

environment where communication is open, and problem-solving ideas are encouraged,

acknowledged, and respected. Allowing for open communication and collaboration builds trust,

and fosters participation in the organization’s vision (Smith, 2011). TLs must learn to adapt their

communication style to the individual communication styles of their staff to meet individual

needs. To effectively communicate with staff, nurse managers should regularly meet with their

nursing staff so that concerns or recommendations can be discussed (Smith, 2011). Asking staff

who provide direct patient care for input and opinions fosters shared decision making (Mennella,

2016). By effectively communicating and collaborating with staff, TLs are able to support the

transformation of organizational beliefs and values (Mennella, 2016). Contributing to higher

levels of morale and committing to the organization through collaboration with nursing staff is a

key component of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition

Program for establishing Magnet status in nursing care (Mennella, 2016).

In healthcare, transformational leaders promote teamwork, encourage positive self-

esteem, motivate staff to function at optimal performance levels, and empower staff to become

more involved regarding the vision of the organization (Smith, 2011). Transformational leaders

use specific strategies to ideally influence, inspirationally motivate, intellectually stimulate, and

individually consider their followers. It is essential for nursing leaders to commit to lifelong

learning to continuously build upon their leadership skills because the quality of leadership is
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directly related to the quality of care and patient outcomes. The leadership style utilized by

nursing leaders has a direct effect on staff satisfaction, which ultimately effects patient

satisfaction. Transformational leaders remain committed to the vison despite organizational

change. Their respectable persona, trustworthiness, and optimism promotes a healthy work

environment for staff. As a result, transformational leadership increases staff satisfaction,

reduces staff turnover, improves retention rates, increases patient satisfaction, and improves

quality of care.
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References

Finkelman, A. (2016). Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for quality

care (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Mennella, H. (2015). Nursing leadership and patient outcomes. Cinahl Information Systems.

https://www.ebscohost.com/assets-sample-

content/Nursing_Leadership_and_Patient_Outcome_EBCS.pdf

Mennella, H. (2016). Transformational leadership in nursing. Cinahl Information Systems.

https://www.ebscohost.com/assets-sample-

content/Transformational_Leadership_in_Nursing.pdf

Smith, M. A. (2011). Are you a transformational leader? Nursing Management, 42(9), 44-50.

https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000403279.04379.6a

Steinmann, B., Klug, H. J. P., & Maier, G. W. (2018). The path is the goal: How

transformational leaders enhance followers' job attitudes and proactive behavior.

Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2338. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02338