Course Objective #1

Reflections on Course Content

• In the reading for our very first class, Leadership Styles in Nursing, I learned that there is a clear difference between a leader and a manager. Despite what I believed before starting this course, a leader does not necessarily have designated authority. Leaders can empower others, set visions, and mobilize the actors and resources needed to achieve their visions, without being managers or in positions of designated authority (Cope and Murray, 2017).

• During our first lecture, we discussed what it meant to “lead where you land”, and compared and contrasted the difference between autocratic and democratic leadership. I believe both styles of leadership could be seen in a manager (a person with designated authority) or in a leader in the nursing workplace. Autocratic leadership is definitely associated with a more “boss/management” based approach and a hierarchical workplace where there is a clear separation in “rank.” I believe democratic leadership is more common amongst informal leaders, as democratic leadership adopts a group-centered approach and frequent team collaboration. 

• In the Week 2 lecture, we discussed Kouzes and Posner’s (2003) 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership: Model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. These leadership practices relate to objective #1 because they provide an accessible framework for successful leadership in the work setting.

Reflections on Personally Discovered Content

Reflection #1

After Week 1, I found myself on a learning mission. As an introvert, I wanted to learn more about leadership strategies and development tailored to introverts. I was delighted to find that there was actually a breadth of research on introverted nurse leadership, including an excellent article entitled Look inward and lead: How to be a successful leader if you're an introvert. It shares the strengths of introverted leaders, such as great listening ability and excellent ability to process complex problems (Sherman, 2017). This article helped me interpret the concepts of leadership and management through an introverted lens.  

Reflection #2

As an extension to my learning on nursing leadership for introverts, I read a book by Susan Cain, one of the authors highlighted in the article above. It is called Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. This book helped me to better understand my strengths as an introvert in the workplace. It reinforced the idea that introverts can be effective leaders and managers and provided strategies to maximize my potential as a leader that did not involve faking extroverted qualities. I realized that introverted nurse leaders also have a unique opportunity to help other introverted nurses on their teams realize their strengths.