Argumentative Essay: The Impact Of Ineffective Leaders

After completing the leadership self-assessment, the results shocked me a little. I do believe I have a strong leadership foundation, but not excellent.  I regard myself as an informal leader when it comes to the work aspect of my life. I have been at my job for a while, and I have been doing it well. It is great to be used as a resource and to know that your experience and ideas are respected. I have received praise for taking new employees under my wing, as well. You need to be a good leader when orienting new staff, not only so that they understand the job but to represent what you want in a colleague. 

My upbringing has possibly influenced my leadership practice. I was raised by my grandparents, both of whom grew up poor. Being raised by them, they instilled an outstanding work ethic in me. When I was in grade school, my grandfather lost his job, and I remember that unfortunate circumstance. That created a motivation in me to really strive to achieve as much as possible, as you may not know when things might change. This can bring more opportunities to become a leader by becoming excellent at what you do, as well as being a positive person.  

I scored myself on the lower side of communicating effectively. I would like to improve my verbal communication skills. I know what I want to say, but it is not always the way I want it to be. I find it much easier to get a better understanding using text or email. To improve my verbal communication, I need to write things down, so that I can make sure I hit on all the points that I want to make and not leave out important information. Also, I need to be a better active listener with communication. I am honest with people, and I ask them, “Can you say that again? I wasn’t really listening.” It is awful, but true. I am going to have to focus on the person speaking and not let my thoughts take over, and I am going to ensure that I repeat what I have been told so that I fully comprehend. I also scored low with engaging others by sharing the vision for change. Change is hard to initiate. Where I work there are processes that seem to change a lot, and there are instances where a few other coworkers and I have negatively discussed the changes. I will need to remember that change may not always be negative, and it can lead to positive outcomes.

I scored high in enabling the participation of others in decision-making and acknowledging and incorporating multiple perspectives in decision making. On the skills mentoring day, it was helpful having someone from our cohort come around with the other students. I learned another way of doing the demonstration from my peer that allowed for more time to complete the skills. It was suggested to explain the skill while the student performed it instead of me demonstrating it first. Also, someone suggested tips about assisting with a urinal, which would be useful in practice. For example, I learned sometimes turning the urinal the opposite way for some men may be helpful in making sure the urine gets into the urinal, or cutting a Styrofoam cup and placing it over the urinal could be useful also in preventing wet linens.  Listening to others that have more experience or just might be creative can create a better outcome.  

Communication techniques that I used were being polite with the students. I introduced myself and asked how they were doing. I think using this method showed respect and that we are equals. I also made myself available and would ask whether there were any questions about each skill after the demonstration. This helped get others to open up and ask questions. I had to use the redirection method a few times to get people back on track of why we were there as sometimes there would be conversations not focused on the skill. I would jump in and say, “Hey, you want to give it a try?”  It worked for the most part and redirected them onto why we were there. I provided acknowledgment after someone completed the task. Giving feedback will help with their knowledge and confidence to perform the skill correctly.

The mentorship experience and personalized assessment clarified my strengths and limitations in being a mentor. I do value others’ input and it is important that everyone is heard.  I found it useful to listen to the experience’s others have had while mentoring. By listening to others, I can learn new strategies, making my job easier, or I can see something another way even though I did not think of it that way. When I am in practice, I will always take the time to listen to others, but I will do so actively.  I am personable and open to discussions, but I will need to write ideas or feelings down so I can express my thoughts the way they are intended. Since being in school and learning about SBAR, I think this is an important activity to do and will continue doing so when I am in practice. Vital information is getting recorded and can be articulated without hesitancy.  

The impact of ineffective leaders can be detrimental regarding quality and safety in healthcare. Having a leader with poor communication skills can lead to the risk of someone's life.  For example, during a shift change, a nurse needs to take the lead and relay pertinent information to the nurse taking over if there is a deterioration in the patient’s condition. When this information is not told to the nurse arriving onboard, they may not know what to keep an eye out for, resulting in inadequate care and ultimately safety. They may also feel incompetent about their performance if a leader slanders them, or they may develop fear or anxiety that leads to more absenteeism and that may cause problems with staffing and poorer outcomes in patient care. Ineffective leaders can impact others adversely and set the tone for a functioning team. 

The impact of effective leaders can be instrumental in terms of quality and safety in healthcare. Having an approachable leader who provides encouragement, gives constructive criticism, and listens effectively can have an impact on patient care delivery. A preceptor for example works as a mentor, and this will show if the skills are not there, and the new trainee will not be able to work at their maximum potential.  Having an effective leader who listens will make it easier for team members to communicate with their leaders about issues or concerns they may have. The issues can then be addressed, and the changes could lead to better patient outcomes. Leaders also help shape the environment by setting positive examples, encouraging teamwork, and providing motivation by being supportive in the intended goals. An effective leader can help strengthen the individual, the team, or the organization while improving quality and safety.