I will firstly review the prevailing leadership styles within my organization and assess the impact that these styles have on my organizations values and performance. I will then review and assess my own performance in applying different leadership styles in a range of situations, communicate the organizations values and goals to staff in my own area and assess my ability to motivate others and build commitment to the organizations values and goals. Understand leadership styles within an organization. Ill then consider the most effective leadership style to motivate staff within Bowman Low Secure Unit to achieve the organization’s values and goals and will attempt justify the most effective leadership style in order to motivate staff thin my team to ensure we achieve the organization’s values and goals and that they are implemented to improve our team’s performance. Leaders should, in my opinion, be flexible but assertive and directive and able to collaborate and engage with others in the making of decisions.
It is also of most importance that leaders are able to establish networks and work well with others teams as well as their own thus enhancing a gradient of support, shared understanding and process in which the develop and learn. Have been fairly subjective in my appraisal of prevailing leaderships styles thin Cornwall Partnership Foundation NASH Trust (CUFF). I have witnessed a quiver of leadership styles, some of which I feel have been effective and some of which have been unsuccessful.
I feel that historically there has been a lean to a more of an Transactional style of leadership with processes being driven more towards business and meeting targets rather than focusing on both patients and staffs wellbeing. As discussed I feel I have witnessed this style of Transactional leadership on a senior director level and varying styles in ward or team based levels, but generally pivoting around a participative or democratic styles set out thin the transformational style of leadership.
Of note easily identifiable and underpinning factor of all these differing styles of leadership is to motivate individuals towards achieving a common goal, which in the current economic climate have been driven towards monetary savings at the cost, in some cases, enhancing care. It would appear that in these times of austerity leaders within the NASH, as well as other governmental organizations have been placed in the very difficult and envious position of making cuts in these vital areas. This has, feel been at the detriment of staff morale, patient care and public trust, but hanged is afoot.
Of note and of pertinent importance, and a catalyst for this change, were the findings that were outlined within the Francis report in 201 3, whereby the senior leaders of the Mid Staffordshire NASH Foundation Trust found themselves proportioning meeting targets and performance related goals at the detriment of care provision, with what appeared to be, consciously or subconsciously, a solely Transactional, Pace setting style of leadership, with ‘ from the ward to board’ identify a need for a more collective approach to leadership with a more engaging style of leadership at a senior level.
In my opinion this is being, to a degree, mirrored within CUFF. It could be said that the senior managers, whom I appreciate have to make difficult and sometimes life changing decisions, have become far removed from the realities of working at frontline level, as they have become more embroiled in a business process over care.
In light of a pending Care Quality Commission inspection (ICQ) CUFF have developed a set of organizational goals to it sit alongside their mission statements of ‘Delivering High Quality Care’, these are good, well thought out, values and are as follows Empowering people’, ‘Compassionate services’, Achieving High Standards’ and ‘Respecting individuals’. All of these values, it could be argued, are qualities and traits that some would expect to find in strong leadership, but are yet to be demonstrated and delivered to staff on a meaningful level.
As discussed and already outlined, to a degree, the two prevailing type of leadership styles that I have witnessed within CUFF have appeared to perform within the realms of the Transactional or the Transformational styles of leadership, or indeed, in some cases a marriage of both, which could be argued s tailored to a more engaging style of leadership. Their is no doubt that the later, the transformational style, is more akin to the nursing process as it is more supportive and an empowering form of leadership where as the other has a more autocratic flavor.
There is no doubt these styles of leadership have a good pedigree and a successful history within a wide range of organizational settings, but are these necessarily best suited to modern healthcare, whereby there are great pressures of cost effectiveness and high expectations on care delivery . With this in hand, here has been, over recent years more of need for a more of a dynamic visionary process. Within this leaders are able to strive to change and develop the service in which we work.
Employing the evidence based and collective leadership models being developed for healthcare, which generally appears to encompass marriage of various types of leadership styles with the Transactional and Transformational leadership amongst them. These varying styles, along with evidence based practice, have been highlighted as more productive in forming a change for leadership within healthcare, thus working towards a more engaging style. This style sets itself towards challenging and changing cultures by encompassing a plethora of leadership styles.
This current trend in the development of leadership within the NASH has being driven towards the concept off collective leadership. Collective leadership has been felt a keystone in pushing forward a cultural change within the NASH. With this on board and when giving consideration towards the trusts values of delivering high quality care, empowering people, respecting individuals, compassionate services, achieving high standards a collective approach to adders would be more responsive approach to take.
With it appearing more weighed towards encouraging a diversity of leadership styles, focused around valuing staff and patients on a leveled playing flied. Be able to review effectiveness of own leadership capability and performance in meeting organizational values and goals. Before I attempt to appraise my own style/styles of leadership it is important to the identify that leadership is not effective with the absence of a team! It is, feel, of most importance that a leader creates an environment where by he individual members within a team feel valued and supported.
Also ensuring that as a leader there is a real sense of commonality between the team and the people that we care for. Feel that I have, throughout my own personal development and experience in both healthcare and the British Army, subconsciously pulled upon a varied degree of leadership models and styles. Whilst doing this hope that have strives in demonstrating a good level of self belief, self awareness, self management and integrity.
Placing great emphasis on empowering others enabling them to change and develop in ways in which possibly haven’t, specially when identifying individuals with the potential to become a leader within the team or to succeed myself as the Unit manager. Within our Unit I have the pleasure of working within functional multidisciplinary team. This team encompass a wide variation of allied health professionals as well as working closely with outside agencies such as the local Police Force.
This in itself can, if not managed efficiently, present a real challenge. Bringing with it its own set problems, which are can be overcome with collaboration, communication, transparency. Transposing this with regular business meetings, referral meetings, clinical supervisions encouraging a sense of wholeness as a team. Feel that I hold great sway on fostering and encouraging a level of autonomy within the team. Enabling staff to mange their own work loads, giving a high level of importance to actively involving the team in any decision making process.
This is a factor in which as a team we attempt to replicate to our service users. Doing this through inclusion, encouraging patients by openly engaging and empowering them at a ward level. Giving them opportunities in improving aspects of the service and their care within it. We will, in some cases empower and encourage certain patients to take on the role of Patient Representative to aid them in building confidence. Feel that gaining a conscious awareness of varying leadership styles have aided me in identifying areas for improvement.
I feel that I have no real allegiance to any particular style or model, with me dipping into one style or model to suit a particular need at that moment in time. Within my chosen profession as a nurse endeavourer to deliver high qualities of care and look to focus on a process of intended learning and improvement. This feel is conducted by promoting a positive climate in my clinical area by recognizing the contributions of others through feedback and supporting staff innovations. As a unit I feel that the team that I lead encourages a high level of debate and dialogue.
This dialogue ensures that we achieve a shared understanding of the everyday issues that, we as a team, are faced with. I feel that fostered within the team is an ability to identify and learn from errors. Viewing complaints as opportunities to learn and improve rather than as a source of blame. The trusts values of delivering high quality care, empowering people, respecting individuals, compassionate services, achieving high standards needs, should be a two way street with managers leading by example and imparting this values at every level of management.
I for one feel that I encompass these values in my delivery of both care and leadership. Be able to adopt an effective leadership style to motivate staff achieve organizational values and goals. For this next section I would like to consider two leadership models. Within the context of the assignment, and from reviewing various SOUrces literature and search, I have struggled to identify any particular style of leadership for myself.
Identifying, rightly or wrongly, that I could be somewhat off chameleon in this area, constantly changing and evolving my approach in dealing with certain situations. I am However, more than willing to learn and open to criticism. Both the models outlined below have areas that, I feel, would motivate and encourage staff in meeting or implementing organizational goals and values. As discussed previously, there appears to be an awakening in regards to leadership styles within the National health service.
One model/style of leadership discussed as part of this aforementioned change appears to be a shift from the ‘heroic’ model of leadership to that of a more engaging type. I was, when reading an article on the Guardian Online, attracted to certain facets of this Heroic style of leadership, with it’s emphasis on high levels of integrity, good levels of knowledge of a certain profession, uncommon commitment to tasks, transparency in declaring own future plans and high expectations of positive results whilst ensuring a balanced and emphatic approach to looking after the people they lead.
Placing a great deal of emphasis on leading from the front and putting themselves before others, which is factor that believe strongly in, especially when motivating and encouraging others towards a common goal or installing values and ensuring that these are implemented and would probably employ elements from this model of leadership, but would sway to a more, empowering and collective approach of management. Another model identified within the current NASH drive in developing and improving leadership which appeals to me is the ‘Change’ model.
This model indicates a necessity for leaders to demonstrate various personal qualities such as self awareness, self management, integrally and continued personal development. The change model also holds in high regard the need to work with others outside of your team in developing networks with patients, careers and various other professionals and public services. This model lends itself towards the building and maintaining trusting relationships throughout and showing support of others through a shared understanding.
These factors should lead towards creating an environment that would hopefully motivate a team. Conclusion. It is evident that leadership and management within the NASH has been slighted as an area for development following the release of the Francis report in 2013. With both the Care Quality Commission and the Kings Fund identifying the need to improve and implement radical change in which services are led.
I feel that present, there is no single model or style that fits within nursing I do however feel that a leaders within the NASH employ a wide verity of leadership styles, with the common goal of attempting to provide meaningful care throughout the organization. Of note and of a great deal of importance is the common factor that we as nurses are trained as nurses and when it comes to s attaining levels of management we tend learn and develop within ourselves with little or no direction in management styles of techniques.
