Developing a Leadership Plan in Nursing

Leadership Principles in Health Care Health leader competencies in terms of leadership knowledge are skills consist of communication, professionalism, understanding of the health care system, and a business skill set (Stefl, 2008). These competencies are essential because they allow a leader to be at the head of teams regarding knowledge, know-how, experience, administration and interaction. First off, communication is necessary because without it, lines can get crossed and important information left out.

Professionalism is also important because it serves as the framework for workplace behavior, projecting an image to the client and the staff of dignity, purpose, esteem, and knowledge. None of this would matter, of course, if the leader lacked understanding of the health care system, without which he or she is simply an empty suit, devoid of any usefulness whatsoever.

And finally a business skill set is required because, after all, the health care industry is a business and must be run like a business -- otherwise the works become gummed up and care providers are slowed by incompetence and a breakdown in the administrative ranks. The leadership cycle consists of awareness, development, maturity, reinvention and decline. Essentially, "every leader establishes his/her own knowledge cycle" which informs his/her own leadership style and leadership cycle (Sarabia, 2007, p.6).

The process of leadership assessment and research is rooted in the leader's development of a knowledge cycle, which supplements the leadership cycle by facilitating leadership awareness and development. Research and continued assessment build the leader in terms of maturity, and reinvention allows the leader to continue to evolve over time to meet the changing needs of followers. My personal leadership style is a combination of transformational leadership and servant leadership.

By utilizing an annual self-assessment test, moreover, I am able to develop a leadership plan for myself that includes preparing, transitioning, sustaining success and growing. My leadership plan includes taking part in lifelong continuing education and managing councils that promote shared leadership (Davis, Taylor, Reyes, 2014). These are important part of developing one's career and taking on more responsibility, and I am very active and supportive of both step. I also take part in "action learning" exercises that are used to problem-solve issues.

Another strength of mine is that I take time to actually reflect on these exercises and examine myself on a personal level to see whether the best decision was made. So I am particularly strong in the area of reflective practice, which is a good quality for a leader to have, and that is what I aim to be. My leadership development plan, therefore, consists in finishing school with a graduate degree, continuing lifelong education as I advance to a nurse educator and am able to teach and inspire others.

This timeline stretches over the next ten years, which is a reasonable amount of time considering my duties to my family and at work and at school. I will use my current leadership skill set to advocate for change in my workplace by supporting the notion of using simulation in nursing education, as this is a good practice advancing learning as well as promoting the idea of committing to a lifelong learning in nursing program for colleagues.

Lifelong learning is a very important step to prioritizing and staying abreast of current developments (Davis, Taylor et al., 2014). One personal goal I have for my leadership growth is to develop more fully the art of empowering other people, which is one of the most fantastic things about being a leader. My plan for doing this is to take part as a nurse educator and give lessons to others so that they can work to fulfill their goals of being a great nurse within the workplace environment.

To this end, I am taking continuing education myself and devoting myself to lifelong learning as well as taking part in council management. My leadership style of transformational leadership and servant leadership should help to support the success of my plan because the action steps involved in the plan are part of my style. The continuing education so that I can help to empower others is what servant leadership is all about -- putting other people first.

My transformational leadership skills, which consist of trust, transparency and emotional intelligence among other fine points, are effective in supporting this plan as well because they will be of service as I take part in committees and councils and as I develop my lifelong learning. EI is particularly helpful in developing my leadership plan because it.