Being a Great Leader AbstractIn the healthcare workforce, leadership has always been a vital component of a running asuccessful organization. Being a great leader encompasses confidence, positivity, andmotivation. In an organization, a leader must strive to do his/ her best to achieve positiveoutcomes and to create a functional environment for employees. Operating and running anorganization takes a lot of skill and competence. It also includes having particular traits,attributes, or behaviors. Of course, having good traits or behaviors can for the most part be agreat thing. On the other hand, having bad traits or behaviors can be detrimental to leading anorganization. Also, having a proactive stance when leading, such as taking the initiative to getthings done, fosters teamwork. Many leaders, managers, or directors have their own way or styleof leading their team. In the end a good manager should lead by example and encourage his/ herteam to be great. This can be done by promoting positive and proactive behaviors. This paperwill discuss what it takes to be a great leader in healthcare and some of the traits and attributesone should possess. In addition to this, this paper will show a comparison of the theories thatsupport having good attributes and how it relates to being a good leader. For the purposes of thispaper in comparing, Leader 1 and Leader 2 will be used.Introduction Leadership is and will continue to be a popular issue in the management of operating acompany or organization. Leadership can be described as the behavior of anindividual when managing the tasks and activities of a group toward a shared goal (Abdulaziz,2013p. 285). Also, leadership encompasses having great traits and attributes in order to besuccessful. These may include being a great listener or role model, being fair, honest,welcoming, and a team player. In the healthcare workforce, there are great leaders and someleaders that possess bad traits. When leading a team, he or she should be that person an employeecan feel comfortable going to; be a listening ear, someone that is encouraging and helpful.Employees should not feel awkward or fearful to approach their leader.In the aspect of this paper, we will refer to the persons as Leader 1 and Leader 2. Leader1 is the ideal person to lead and manage employees. This leader possesses good behaviors and attributes. Honesty, fairness and a sense of confidence and competence is what makes Leader 1 suitable to lead an organization. Leader 2 is an example of a leader that would bring negativeenergy to a workplace. Leader 2 is one who does not listen to ones concerns, is not fair, anddoes not possess good behaviors with employees. In this paper, Leader 1 and leader 2will be compared and contrasted as it relates to behaviors, traits, and theories. Traits, Attributes and Behaviors of a Great Leader To be a great leader, he or she should possess certain qualities. In the healthcare settingthese behaviors are crucial in maintaining a functional environment. These traits or behaviorsinclude honesty, respect, integrity, being a team player, and having the ability to motivate others.Staff or employees respect a leader with these traits. Staff tend to be more productive in doingtheir work and produce better outcomes. They also tend to meet deadlines and accomplish setgoals. Leadership Styles Leadership styles are the approaches used to motivate followers (Chioma et al., 2016, p.20). Leaders depend on the leadership style that is adopted in a given situation to serve as aroadmap to the policy of the organization (Cummings, 2009, p.6). There are many differentleadership styles that aid in leading a team or organization. The styles that will be discussed areautocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Firstly, autocratic leadership is considered a type ofleadership when leaders have power over employees. With autocratic leadership, leaders makedecisions without talking with employees first and they make use of punishment and threats toget things done. An advantage to this leadership style is that decisions can be made quickly. Adisadvantage is that this leadership style can cause tension and resentment towards the leader.Secondly, democratic leadership is when leaders often include staff in decision making and goalsetting. This leadership style promotes team building and keeps staff informed about things.Democratic leadership style tends to foster responsibility, flexibility, and high morale that willresult to improved employees performance (Chioma et al., 2016, p.21). Lastly, the laissez faireleadership style is more laid back. The leader allows the staff to do their own thing. The leaderhas minimal participation with staff. This style can be detrimental to thestaff in terms of meeting deadlines, achieving goals, and being motivated. Leadership Theories During the 20th century, many leadership theories were evolved. According toBorkowski (2016), understanding the development and application of leadership theory preparesthe leader to fulfill the theory responsibilities of prediction, explanation, and control. Some ofthese theories included the Great Man theory, Trait theory, Behavioral theory, Houses Path-Goal Theory, and Fielders Contingency Theory. The Great Man theory states that Good leadersare born, not made. The great man theory of leadership states that some people are born withthe necessary attributes that set them apart from others and that these traits are responsible for their assuming positions of power and authority (Prachi, 2018). The trait theory is similar to theGreat Man theory in which it assumes that people naturally inherit certain traits and qualities inorder to be a leader. This in turn leads to effective leadership. Houses Path-Goal theorysuggests that effective leaders provide the path, support, and resources to assist subordinates inattaining organizational goals (Borkowski, 2016, p.211). Fielders Contingency theory saysthat a leaders success depends on leadership style and situation (Popp & Hadwich, 2018, p.44).This theory uses a questionnaire called the LPC (Least Preferred CoWorker) scale to assess whotheir most preferred coworker is and who their least preferred coworker is. Depending on theresults, the employee was either task-oriented or relations-oriented. All of these theoriesapply toleadership. Challenges in Promoting Good Leadership Qualities When working in healthcare, there are many challenges and obstacles in promoting goodqualities or behaviors. Some of these challenges may include attitudes of staff, tension betweenstaff and leaders, and negative energy from other staff members. For example, Leader 1 is apositive and motivating leader. This leader exemplifies working together and encourages othersto do their best in whatever it may be. The staff usually respects this leader and feels appreciated.If there are issues amongst staff and Leader 1 is trying to mediate it, then most likely the staffwill be receptive to Leader 1. Leader 1 possess the skills to effectively manage and resolve thesituation. On the other hand, Leader 2 is the opposite. This leader is more of an autocratic leader,meaning he or she usually controls everything. If there is an issue with the staff as mentionedwith Leader 1, Leader 2 will not help the situation. Leader 2 lacks communication skills and doesnot know or have to skills to diffuse the situation. This is usually disastrous and causesunnecessary tension between the staff and leader.Current Environment in Healthcare The current environment in healthcare is very demanding. With issues such as beingunderstaffed, poor management, and lack of things to foster retention, the healthcareenvironment is set up to create dangerous situations. While patient safety is a very importantissue and takes priority, the well-being of leaders and staff is just as important. Working inhealthcare makes one see the good, the bad, and the ugly. Being overworked and unappreciatedcan be overwhelming for an employee. In situations like this, leaders must have the skill as wellas competence to handle this. Ideally, many leaders and staff get frustrated with situations likethis but it takes dedication and faith to get through situations like this. About 3 years ago, on abusy med-surg unit, things were chaotic, patient census was high, and short-staffed. Leader 2,which in the paper is the negative leader, was very rude and did not take others feelings intoconsideration. Leader 2 did not show compassion or have regard for anyones schedule or life forthat matter. This leaders main concern was having someone to staff the unit by any meansnecessary. She would deny vacation requests that staff would put in, even if plans were alreadymade. She would harass and call to see if anyone would pick up to work which stressed the staffout. She literally made you feel guilty for not picking up a shift. This caused a great deal oftension which lead to some of the staff to resign. This leader was a poor example of what aleader should be. On the other hand, in this same situation, Leader 1 was the model leader. Leader 1ensured that the unit was running smoothly, despite all of the chaos going on. Leader 1 madesure the unit was staffed without all of the harassment. She held always held a positive attitudeeven though she was frustrated with the situation as well. She was admired by the staff andalways helped out when needed. She also worked it out for staff to be able to take requested timeoff. This type of leader is needed in any type of situation. With a leader like Leader 1, everythingwill operate in a positive way. The staff will be more respectful and receptive to things. To better help create a functional and positive environment, it is important to adopt someproactive behaviors. Proactive behaviors are aimed at improving work processes and achievinggoals to make a unit operate smoothly. Behaviors that are proactive can include taking theinitiative to get things done and proactively problem solve. By being proactive can greatly helpin the functions of a unit. These behaviors can also foster teamwork and motivation among staff. Conclusion In conclusion, it is known that a leader must adopt certain traits, attributes or behaviors inorder to be successful in running an organization. A successful leader cooperates with others tocreate a favorable atmosphere for achieving organizational goals (Zibert et al., 2018, p.210).These behaviors or traits include honesty, respect, being a team player, and the ability tomotivate others. Negative traits or behaviors such as being negative, rude, or being disrespectfulto staff can create a negative environment. This can be a recipe for disaster. It is important that aleader utilizes the skills and tools adopted to create a great dynamic between the leader and staff. All of the theories previously mentioned play a huge part in leadership. In mainly all ofthe theories, leadership is a process that involves a combination of traits orpersonality characteristics or certain behaviors. As far as challenges in promoting goodbehaviors, this will always be a factor. To goal is to promote and encourage good behaviors ortraits regardless of what the situation is. These theorists had a great influence on what leadershipis. It is because of these theories that leadership plays a big part in operating an organization. In regards to the current environment in healthcare, changes have to be made. Changestarts with leadership. A positive leader sets the tone for how an organization or unit will run.Issues like high patient census, overworked staff, and lack of support has been an issue inhealthcare for a long time and it does not seem like it will get better anytime soon. These issuescan be more manageable with the right leader. Every situation is not perfect but if there ismotivation and encouragement from a leader, it makes it a little better. Leadership will always bea very important topic. With a positive and skillful leader, everything is destined to be great. ReferencesAbdulaziz, A. (2013). Leadership of Healthcare Professionals: Where do we stand? Omar medical Journal, 28(4) pp.285-287Aladeen, M., Mohamamed, A. (2014). Review: Effects of Leadership Styles on Quality of services in healthcare. European Scientific Journal, 10(18)Baher, E. (2014). Leadership in Management- Guiding Principles, Best Practices, and Core Attributes. Journal of Public Health Management. 20(3) pp.356-357Borkowski, N. (2016). Organizational Behavior in Healthcare (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.Chioma, E., Japeth, A., Oluseyi, A. (20160 A Review of Leadership Theories, Principles, Styles and their relevance to management of health science libraries in Nigeria. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy, 1( 1) pp. 17-26Cummings, G. (2009) The influence of Authentic Leadership behaviors on trust and work outcomes on healthcare staff. Journal of Leadership Studies, 3(2) pp. 6-23Hoch, J., Bommer, W., Dalebohn, J. (2016) Do Ethical, Authentic, and Servant leadership explain variance above and beyond transformational leadership? A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Management, 44(2).Parker, S., Uta, K. (2010) Making Things Happen: A Model of Proactive Motivation. Journal of Management, 36(4)Prachi,J. (2018). Great Man Leadership of Theory. Retrieved from https://mamagementstudyguide.com/great-man-theory.htmZhang, J., Song, L. (2018). How authentic leadership influences employee proactivity: The sequential mediating effects of psychological empowerment and core self-evaluations and the moderating role of employee political skill. Frontiers of Business Research in ChinaGet Help With Your EssayIf you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!Find out more
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