Leadership Theories in Practice Discussion NURS 6053 Example 2 Leadership Theories in Practice

Leadership Theories in Practice Discussion NURS 6053 Example 2

Leadership Theories in Practice

Leadership theories are constructs that explain why certain people become leaders. The major focus of leadership theories is the behaviors and traits that individuals can adopt to increase their leadership abilities (Frasier, 2019). There are different formal and informal leadership theories. Formal leadership theories include the great man, transactional, situational, transformational, trait, and behavioral theories. This discussion examines formal leadership theories against behaviors I have observed in my organization and their effectiveness in impacting my organization.

Formal leadership theories propose that leaders should demonstrate behaviors and skills such as active listening, trustworthiness, inspiration, effective communication, and recognition of diverse perspectives from followers (Vidman & Strömberg, 2020). The two key insights drawn from the week’s reading and external scholarly resources on the impact of formal leadership behavior in creating healthy work environments are that leadership behavior impacts conflict resolution and problem-solving in the workplace (Cummings et al., 2021) and promotes employees’ morale and engagement. 

I have witnessed situations whereby a leader in my practice setting utilized these leadership behaviors and skills. For instance, there have been continuous multigenerational conflicts in the workplace. The nurse manager in my unit used active listening and effective communication to solve the problem and resolve the conflicts. In another situation where the unit had sub-performed, the leader used rewards and recognition to support the staff and promote their morale.

The application of these leadership skills was considerably effective and positively impacted practice in the workplace. The staff began respecting each other regardless of generational differences, thus preventing conflicts. More so, the staff became open to sharing their issues with the nurse manager, considering he demonstrated active listening and effective problem-solving in resolving conflicts. In addition, the practice of motivating staff and encouraging them based on their performance enhanced active engagement and empowered staff to perform better.

Leadership theories promote different behaviors and traits that individuals can cultivate to become effective leaders. These behaviors include active listening and effective communication. The key insights on leadership behaviors from this week’s reading were leadership behaviors and skills that promote conflict resolution and employee morale. These behaviors have been applied in my work setting in the two situations mentioned above. The application of leadership behavior and skills positively impacts practice in a workplace setting.

References

Cummings, G. G., Lee, S., Tate, K., Penconek, T., Micaroni, S. P. M., Paananen, T., & Chatterjee, G. E. (2021). The essentials of nursing leadership: A systematic review of factors and educational interventions influencing nursing leadership. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 115, 103842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103842

Frasier N. (2019). Preparing Nurse Managers for Authentic Leadership: A Pilot Leadership Development Program. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(2), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000714

Vidman, Å., & Strömberg, A. (2020). Leadership for a healthy work environment – a question about who, what, and how. Leadership in Health Services (Bradford, England), 34(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-06-2020-0041