Personal Leadership Philosophy
Being a leader and having a position of leadership are two separate things. A position of leadership allows one to make executive decisions within an organization. This position gives them authority to manage employees, budgets, and company operations, to ensure the business runs smoothly. Leaders are aware of the organization’s mission and vision; this awareness creates space to envision what the company and its employees can look like in the future. Marshall & Broome (2017) describe leaders as having the discipline and art of guiding, motivating, and inspiring a group toward achieving a common goal. Leaders understand that it takes confident and capable team members to achieve that goal.
Core Values and Personal Mission/Vision Statement
Since I was fifteen years old, I wanted to be a nurse, wanting to be like my Granny, who worked as a “nurse” when I was a little girl. Later I found out that she was a Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA, but still, she was in the healthcare field, and she loved to take care of people. As a nurse, I lead with compassion, empathy, and courage. I am compassionate about the patients and their family members; it is easy for me to feel the pain, sorrow, joy, and happiness they feel. This empathy allows me to stand up and advocate for myself and my patients courageously, especially when no one else will stand for them. After witnessing the racial divide and civil unrest over the past year, I struggled with a plan to make the situation better. I couldn’t march in protest like others, but I realized I could make a difference in my community by providing a desperately needed service to a vulnerable population. Hence, my decision to pursue a Master’s in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. My vision is to provide high-quality mental health care to underserved minorities, serving with humility and empathy and a commitment to changing the stigma associated with mental health illness.
Analysis of Clifton Strengths Assessment
Learning what my five main themes are was very enlightening. The Clifton Strengths Assessment revealed five dominant talent themes: individualization, achiever, activator, communication, and belief. These five themes resonated with me, and after reading each description, I began to identify each trait within myself. Although possessing such qualities is considered an asset to my leadership style, I must note room for improvement. The two themes I can improve upon are achiever and communication. As an achiever, Gallup (2021) describes me as having an internal fire burning, pushing me to do more, to achieve more. Working at this pace has led to burnout before; I will gladly use this as an opportunity to improve in this area. Robbins & Davidhizar (2020) point out that communication is at the core of effective leadership, for it is the responsibility of the leader to communicate the vision and mission to every member of the team. Learning to communicate with different people from different backgrounds and levels of expertise is an area that I can improve on.
Improvement Plan
Even though I do not plan to pursue a leadership position upon graduation, I realize I have a responsibility to be prepared to lead should the need arise. Understanding that my blunt, straightforward communication style is not always received well by others, I will take a more reserved approach when communicating with colleagues. At times, I can appear aggressive or intimidating. Still, in my defence, I am just passionate about what I am doing, and sometimes my passion is mistaken for attitude or disapproval. I will be more considerate of my teammates by honouring their suggestions and input; also, I will be less emotional regarding work demands or projects, as this can be misconstrued as me not being a good team player. Dragon (2019) suggests nurse leaders encourage their teams to have a voice. Ensuring their voices are heard is the final step to improving my communication with my team. As an achiever, it is difficult for me to relinquish control to anyone, even when I know they are more than capable. K. Clark (personal communication, July 2, 2021), a colleague of mine, suggested that I enlist people with similar characteristics to help me complete projects. This advice seems simple, but it takes discipline; letting go of control and letting others help is something I am willing to learn. I do not want to achieve anything at a high cost to my mental and physical well-being. Cherry (2019) proposes that people who judge their worth solely upon their successes are most likely overachievers. Overachiever is a category I do not wish to associate with; therefore, I am implementing a system to ask for help before becoming overwhelmed with tasks or projects.
Conclusion
Developing a Personal Leadership Philosophy has helped me to prioritize my goals. Taking time to listen and communicate effectively, encouraging team members to have a voice, and understanding that their voices have value are traits of a transformational leader. Becoming a transformational leader is a process, one that takes time. It takes an ever-evolving style focused on self, others, the situation, and the common goal (Marshall & Bloome, 2017). I know now that I have to be a nurse leader, whether I hold the title officially or not.
References
Marshall, E.S., & Broome, M.E. (2017). Transformational leadership in nursing (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company, LLC
Maxwell, E. (2017). Good leadership in nursing: what is the most effective approach? Nursing Times, 113(8), 18-21. https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/leadership/good- leadership-in-nursing-what-is-the-most-effective-approach-17-07-2017/
Robbins, B., & Davidhizar, R. (2020). Transformational leadership in health care today. The Health Care Manager, 39(3), 117-121. https://doi.org/ 10.1097/HCM.0000000000000296
Dragon, N. (2019). Six C’s to effective nurse leadership. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal. https://anmj.org.au/six-cs-to-effective-nurse-leadership/
Cherry, K. (2020, July 16). Eleven signs you might be an overachiever. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/are-you-an-overachiever-4580606
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Question 
Review the Work Environment Assessment Template you completed for this Module’s Discussion.
Describe the results of the Work Environment Assessment you completed on your workplace.
Identify two things that surprised you about the results and one idea you believed prior to conducting the Assessment that was confirmed.
Personal Leadership Philosophy
Explain what the results of the Assessment suggest about the health and civility of your workplace.
Part 2: Reviewing the Literature (1-2 pages)
Briefly describe the theory or concept presented in the article(s) you selected.
Explain how the theory or concept presented in the article(s) relates to the results of your Work Environment Assessment.
Explain how your organization could apply the theory highlighted in your selected article(s) to improve organizational health and/or create stronger work teams. Be specific and provide examples.
Part 3: Evidence-Based Strategies to Create High-Performance Interprofessional Teams (1–2 pages)
Recommend at least two strategies, supported in the literature, that can be implemented to address any shortcomings revealed in your Work Environment Assessment.
Recommend at least two strategies that can be implemented to bolster successful practices revealed in your Work Environment Assessment.