AUGUST 1997, VOL 66, NO 2 P R E S I D E N T ‘ S M E S S A G E

We must empower our leaders to make a difference

here are they? Which way did they go? How many were there? How fast were

they going? I must find them. I am their leader.

Do you ever feel like this? Leadership is tough work. It is not for the faint of heart. Beverly Mal- one, FW, PhD, FAAN, president of the American Nurses Associa- tion, has suggested that leadership and target practice are related. “When you stick your head above the crowd, you become an auto- matic target,” she warns.’

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

difficult, that people need to be empowered to lead effectively, and that we need to invest in our leaders, we brought AOR”s chapter presidents to Denver in early June for a leadership confer- ence. The goal of this conference was to provide these individuals with tools that would help them be effective chapter presidents. In this “President’s Message,” I will share some of the information that we presented at the leadership conference.

Recognizing that leadership is

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD LEADERS What is a good leader? Leaders

are people who take us where we would not go by ourselves. Effec- tive leaders are honest, forward- thinking, inspiring, fair-minded, supportive, calm, credible, compe- tent, congruent, composed, consis- tent, courageous, and compassion- ate. Effective leaders value people, articulate visions, use power

appropriately, have good support systems, rely on their communica- tion and managerial skills, and employ effective conflict resolu- tion skills.

feel valued and empowered, the more effective they are in leading others. In a recent televised inter- view, a trio of experts on leader- ship noted that the essence of leading others is valuing the human factor. The experts-Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Disci- pline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization; Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; and Tom Peters, author of Thriving on Chaos-agreed that good leaders are distinguished by their deep understanding of how people can work together effectively. Senge suggested that leaders use learning approaches rather than problem- solving approaches and that learn- ing through self-discovery is what makes major changes possible. Covey advised leaders to get peo- ple involved by creating atmos- pheres of trust and open commu- nication. One way to develop trust among their team members, he noted, is by always modeling “loyalty to the absent” (ie, talking about people as if they were pre- sent). Peters advised leaders to “take the time to be human” and discover that life’s secrets “are in the little stuff’ (eg, thank-you notes, flowers). He noted that leadership is more important than time management, that effective- ness is more important than effi-

People value. The more people

ciency, and that people are more important than things?

Vision. An effective leader needs a clear vision to pro- mm vide direction for followers. When Dr Malone describes vision, she contrasts it with “navel gaz- ing” and states that the real vision for nursing has to be the delivery of quality patient care.3

SUppOft. Leadership involves risks, and leaders need support as they take these risks. Three types of support exist: top-down support from superiors, horizontal support from peers, and bottom-up support from followers. Leaders need two out of the three types of support at any time?

Power. Leaders must be com- fortable with power. Power comes in many forms and from various sources: incentive or reward power, coercive power, punish- ment, referential power, expertise, legitimate power, and information power. Power is neither good nor bad, but leaders need to use power effectively to influence others.

Communication skills. Good leaders are good communicators. They write clearly, and they are able to articulate their ideas. They also are good listeners.

Managerial skills. Leaders need to model the behaviors they expect. They need to give up what does not work and be willing to try new approaches.

213 AORN JOURNAL

AUGUST 1997, VOL 66, NO 2

Conflict-resolution skills. When effective leaders are faced with conflict, they ask “Whose problem is it?” Their motto is, “If you did not create it, give it back. Be selective about your battles. Do not be a slave to contention.” Remember that most conflict is about issues that have no eternal significance.

indomitable spirit. Effective leaders have emotional stamina that helps them recover rapidly from disappointments and bounce back from discouragement.s They also have good self-esteem, which correlates directly with their abili- ty to lead others. They create a presence and lead with power and savvy.

BECOMING GOOD LEADERS Now that we know what effec-

tive leaders look l i e , how do we develop and nurture our leadership potential? We can

start by focusing on people and building relationships, remem- bering that the essence of lead- ing others is the human factor; remember that good leaders manage “things” but lead people; be willing to make a commit- ment to leadership and remem- ber that being good leaders requires discipline and hard work; devote time and energy to our personal development (eg, pay attention to our physical, men-

tal, social, spiritual needs) because it is synonymous with our leadership development;

m transform our talents into tangi- ble accomplishments; and

s transfer skills that we have developed in our clinical prac- tice settings and personal lives to our leadership roles.

PITFALLS TO AVOID Why do some people fail in

leadership roles? Peter h c k e r , author of The ESfective Executive and Managing for Results, says that failure to take responsibility is the main reason that leaders fail.6 Other hindrances to leadership include the need to please, the desire to be liked, and the fear of making the wrong decisions. Pro- crastination, paralysis when action is needed, and perfectionism are other pitfalls to avoid if we want to be effective leaders.

LEADERS FOR AORN Leadership is vital in carrying

our professional organization for- ward into the preferred future. AORN chapter presidents are assuming vital leadership roles right now as they provide direc- tion in our analysis of the pro- posed comprehensive periopera- tive nursing practice model. As we prepare to bring this model to the House of Delegates at the 1998 Congress, we need to receive feedback from all AORN mem-

bers. We have established a task force that will review responses submitted by individual members and chapters. The Board then will approve any revisions of the model before it goes to the House.

The President’s Awards for 1997 will recognize leadership skills that influence members’ clin- ical practice settings and the volun- teer side of AORN. You can use the President’s Awards competi- tion to showcase your leadership skills. Design a one-hour presenta- tion that identifies the leadership skills that you and your fellow chapter members acquire by volun- teering at the local AORN level. Describe how these skills have affected patient care or periopera- tive nursing practice in your com- munity. The most descriptive, innovative presentations will receive President’s Awards.

READY TO LEAD? The 300-plus chapter presi-

dents who attended the June lead- ership conference were filled with enthusiasm for their roles as your leaders for the coming year. Give them your support, and learn from watching them in action. Hone your leadership skills so you can step into their shoes and lead peri- operative nursing into our pre- ferred future.

JEANNIE BOTSFORD RN, MS, C N O R

PRESIDENT

N O T E S 1. B Malone, “Empowering leaders to make a differ-

ence,” speech presented at the AORN chapter leadership meeting, Denver, 7 June 1997.

2. A I Mahoney, “Senge, Covey, and Peters on leader- ship lessons,” Association Munugemenr 49 (January 1997) 62-66.

3. Malone, “Empowering leaders to make a difference.” 4. lbid. 5. W Roberts, Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

(New York: Warner Books, Inc, 1990). 6. P F Drucker, The Eflective Executive (New York:

Harper Business, 1993); P F Drucker, Managingfor Results (New York: Harper Business, 1993).

214 AORN JOURNAL