LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION OF NURSE EXECUTIVES 3
leadership as proactive and one that aims to alter and improve on the organizational culture.
The officer believes that leaders should use their expertise, knowledge, and vision to
transform both the followers and the organization. He believes that leaders in a hospital
setting influence employees to work beyond the expectations. On the other hand, the nurse
manager values democratic leadership. He considers leadership as one that encourages
participation of the subordinates (Germano, 2010). The nurse manager believes that the
hospital has employees with varied skills, and backgrounds, and knowledge. Thus, they
should be involved in the decision-making process.
Organizational design and related aspects limit the leader’s desired practices (Beeson,
2014). The hospital has a hierarchical structure with clear communication channels. The top
management makes critical and strategic decisions and communicates them down to the
bottom level-staff. This structure limits the ability of the nurse manager and chief nursing
officer to encourage participative leadership in which low-level staff is involved in the
decision-making process. As a result, the leaders find it difficult to foster their leadership
practices of collaboration and participation. The vision of the organization further constrains
the ability of leaders to exercise their desired practices. For instance, the nurse manager and
chief nursing officer may find obstacles in demonstrating their leadership styles if the
organization does not provide support for these practices (Beeson, 2014).
In summary, leadership is an important aspect in a hospital setting. Nurse executives
occupy important positions and influence key decisions and practices. However, they may
have different leadership styles and perspectives that ultimately impact the hospital setting. It
is imperative that the top nursing executives adopt leadership principles that allow them to
improve the work environment and ensure that the organization achieves its mission and
vision. Although leadership styles vary, successful leaders share one thing. They influence
the followers or those around them towards a shared goal.
