LEADERSHIP

Leadership is the art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced
should be done. The origin of the word “Lead is a world meaning “to go”
The Verb “to lead” is also defined several ways to guide to run in specific
direction to direct to go at the head of , to be first, to open play, to tend towards a
definite result. As far as Nursing is concerned all of these actions are expected by a
Nurse leader.
Leaders typically are the ones who “go first”. They have a vision and
influence others by their actions and their comments. This ability is the essence of
leadership like the word “Lead” another word “Manage “ comes from a word
meaning “hand”. Managing them means “handling things”. In essence, managers
get other people to do, but leaders get other people to want to do. Leaders are most
often associated with times of turbulence, innovation, social transformation and
change. Whereas managers are more often associated with improving productivity,
establishing order and stability and making thins run smoothly. Management is the
process of getting work done through others. Nurse Managers at every hierarchical
level are expected to lead subordinates towards institutional objectives as
efficiently as possible.

Leadership is the process of influencing people to accomplish goals, i.e. it

is the ability to influence the behaviour or others, towards the achievement of a
mutually established goal. The leader and follower roles determined by people’s
interaction within groups. In contrast, the roles of Manager or Administrator are
jobs within the organisation. The role of the manger is to co-ordinate the efforts of
lower level employees, i.e. subordinates to advance the goals to the organisation.
The roles of the leader and manager and the roles of follower and subordinates
have common characteristics. For example, both are concerned with co-ordinating
individual efforts to achieve goals. The sources of their power (L/M),however are
very different. A leader’s power is informed and is give to the leader by followers.
Whereas the manager’s power base in formal and is given by the employing
agency/ organisation. Leaders and managers are need to make health care
institution function. All managers are to some extent leaders in that their actions
influences others. A nurse manager leads subsidiary employees by clarifying the
path forward agency goals and rewarding employees efforts to reach those goals.
For example a staff nurse’s major responsibilities are providing nursing care to
many clients effectively and efficiently. On the management sense, effectiveness
means that nurse assists the client and family to accomplish mutually agreed upon
goals that are consistent with the goals of the organisation. Efficiency means that
responsibilities are managed in a way that maximizes productivity. Productivity is
usually measured by the number of clients served per unit of time.

An effective leader is catalyst who facilitates effective interaction among

manpower, material and time. A skilful leader is a synergist, who co-ordinates the
efforts of multiple workers with diverse skills. Leadership is a social relations in
which one party has a greater ability to influence the behaviour of another that to
be influenced by him or her. Thus leadership is based on a power full differential
between interacting persons. Leadership is needed in a co-operative enterprise to
align employees in support of goals, to spark group interaction, to blend efforts of
diverse specialists. Thus nurse mangers at every organisational level select
leadership styles and methods that suit work force requirements.

Leadership Styles: Theories

The work style is the way in which the leader influences flowers. Styles is a
distinctive or characteristic manner of performance. Style is defined as the
exclusive privilege of the expert. With style, the end is attained without side issued
(Follet 1940). Style implies an elegance and economy of effort to be sought by
every professional manger. Style is general involves the way in which something
is said or done, including particular behaviours associated with an individual.
Leadership style specifically is the way that the leader influences the group to
accomplish goals. Let us have a look at the various studies that help us to
understand the leadership styles. Leadership may be described by style of theory.
Style refers to the way in which a person practices leadership.

Scientific Leaders/ Manager, Style Theory

This theory was developed by Frederic Winslow Taylor (1856-1915), he
emphasised technology as the basis of increasing productivity. He introduced time
and motion studies to analyze tasks based on the belief that improving the
performance of tasks would improve the efficiency of the organisation. He relied
on scientific study of time and movement spent and used for a job to improve the
performance of the worker and recommended careful selection and training of
workers, who could meet the established work standard. The leader utilizes the
Taylor’s principles. He will be the most competent individual in planning and
organizing the work subordinates.

Human Relations Theory

This theory was developed by Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger aftr
conducting series of studies from 1924 to 1932 at Howthrone Western Electric
Plan, Chicago, to test several assumptions of scientific management. They believe
that real power centers within the organisation are the interpersonal relationship
established within the work organisation. These studies aimed at finding out if
changes in illumination, rest period and lunch breaks can affect the productivity of
the workers. It was found that less light, shorter and fewer rest periods and shorter
lunch breaks resulted in increased productivity. Increase in productivity was
attributed to the attitude of workers towards each other their feeling of
togetherness. In addition, attention paid to the workers by researcher made them
feel important which resulted in improvement in their work performance. It
suggests that organisation should be developed around human relationship
including those between leaders/mangers and employees. The findings of this
study concludes that a leader not only should plan, decide organize, lead and
control but also consider the human element.

Henri Fayol Theory of Managerial Style

Henri Fayol (1841-1925) defined the functions of a manger in a theory that’s come
to be know as the management process which includes planning, organizing,
directing and controlling. These functions are similar in many ways to the
“Nursing process”. Manager /Leader, assesses the type and amount of work duties,
direct staff and customers and finally control the quality of the work by evaluating
and revising plans. These management functions constitute a set of behaviour
expected of a manger/leader. When it can be applied to nursing unit, where our
nurses assess their clients needs, plan and organize client care direct staff and
clients and control the quality of client care by evaluating and revising care plans.

Fayol defines the essential activities needed to maintain a functioning organisation

and his experience led him to develop following management principles.
1. These should be such a division of work and task specialization that
different workers consistently carry out different job responsibilities.
2. Each worker should be given authority commensurate with the amount of
his responsibility.
3. Each employee should receive orders from only one supervisor.
4. One person should direct all activities that support a simple objective.
5. The interest of the individual worker should be subordinated to interest of
the total work group.
 6. There should be an unbroken scalar chain of authority extending from the
top executive to the lowest level – level worker.
7. All employees should be treated with equity and justice.
8. Managers should help workers to develop team work and esprit de corps.

Behavioral Theory of Leadership style

According to the theory, a leader behaves according to the rose expectations of the
group. This theorist believes that leadership style like other behaviours can be
learned, regulated and developed. There is on one best leadership style. The
effectiveness of each leadership style depends upon the situation. As the situation
changes, the effective manger adapts by changing leadership behaviours. The more
mangers adapt their style of leader behaviours to meet the particular situations and
the needs of their followers, the more effective they will tend to be in reaching
personal and organisational goals. Research has identified four styles of leadership
in managers from various goals. Research has identified four styles of leadership
in mangers from various fields, autocratic, democratic participative and laissezz
faire

Autocratic Style: In this style leader takes all decisions all responsibilities to
himself, he is firm, insistent, self-assured and dominating (e.g. Aurangzeb, Tipu,
Ashoka, Shahjahan). Such a leader stresses prompt, orderly and predictable
performance. This style of leadership is always present in nursing. Where nurse
manager manages by giving orders and expecting staff members to accept them. It
is also called as directive leadership, where leader has to make immediate action
or to give direction without consulting subordinates.

In authorities style the leader is characterized by the following behaviour.

 Strong control is maintained over the groups.
 Others are motivated by coercion.
  Communication flows downwards.
 Decision making does not involve others
 Emphasis on difference and status
 Criticism is punitive.

In democratic style leader exhibits following behaviour

 Less control is maintained
 Economic and ego awards are used to motivate
 Others are directive through suggestions and guidance
 Communication flows up to down
 Decision making involves others
 Emphasis in we rather than I and you
 Criticism is constructive

Participation style: Participation style of leadership is a compromise between

autocratic and democratic styles. In this style, the manger presents her or his
analysis of problems and proposals for action to employees inviting their criticism
and comments. Having weighed the subordinates responses the manager makes
final decisions about the group future activities. Here the leader allows
subordinates to participate in decision-making; consequently the subordinates have
the feeling of satisfaction and freedom.

Leadership Skills
To be an effective leader, the nurses need the primary leadership skills that are as
follows:
1. Skills of personal behaviour
 Is sensitive of feelings of the group
 Identifies self with the needs of group
  Does not ridicule or criticise another’s suggestions.
 Helps others feel important and needed.
 Does not argue.

2. Skills of communication.
 Listen attentively
 Makes sure everyone understands what is needed and the reason why?
 Established positive communication with the group as a routine part of the
job.
 Recognizes that everyone’s contribution are important.

3. Skills of organisation: The effective leader helps the group to:

 Develop long and short range objectives
 Break big problems into small ones.
 Share responsibilities and opportunities.
 Plan, act follow up and evaluate.
 Be attentive to details.

4. Skills of self examination

 Is aware of personal motivations
 Is aware of the group members; level of hospitals for taking appropriate
countermeasures
 Helps the group to be aware of their attitudes and values.

S = Self reliant
E = Enthusiastic
L = Loyal
F = Factual
Leadership Activities
Leadership include variation of activities, which includes directing, supervising
and co-ordinating
1. Directing: it is possible by which actual performance of staff and people is
guided towards common goals. A leader uses assignments, orders, policies,
procedures, rules, regulations, standards, options, suggestions and questions to
direct subordinates behaviour

2. Supervising: Supervising is a continuous administrative and educative process

which enables the supervisor through the medium of his relationship with the
supervisors to contribute towards the continuous growth of the supervision which
includes inspecting another’s work, evaluating her of his performance, and
approving or correcting performance.

3. Co-ordinating: Co-ordinating includes all the activities that enable work group
members to work together harmoniously

Effective Leadership in Nursing

Leadership is to be effective in nursing; the nurses leader has to be possess certain
qualities of leader and has to apply certain techniques as follows.

Qualities of Nurses leaders

 Knowledge of self i.e. self awareness
 Personal qualities like integrity, honesty, ability to co-operate, ability to
attract, motivate enthusiastic and so on
 Initiative qualities like willingness to help and assist, self confidence
courage and decisiveness.
  Technical qualities like mastery over subject, expert knowledge and
expertise to work
 Teaching abilities i.e. ability to communicate
 Administrative abilities, i.e. managing organizing co-ordinating etc
 Intellectual skills
 Enthusiasm
 Tactful; ability to win the loyalty and support of others
 Emotional control
 Awareness of responsibilities and accountability
 Conscientiousness
 Quality of building human relations

Techniques
 Planning and organizing the work schedule according to availability of
personnel and materials.
 Assigning work to subordinates should defined and recorded with clear cut
directions.
 Proper teaching and guidance to subordinates.
 Good communication is needed for proper understanding co-operation and
unified action
 Co-operation and co-ordination between superior and subordinates.
 Identifying talented subordinates and involving them in planning
 Democratic supervision.
 Evaluation of performance of subordinates and self.