OmarPerezSandoval

Nursing362Leadership

ManagementStyleReflection
ThereisanoldChineseproverbthatItrulyfeelrepresentswhatatrueleaderisthatstates
thepeoplefollowtheexampleofthoseabovethem.Ihavealwaysfeltthatgoodleaderslead
byexample.Completingthemanagementstyleassessmenttoolreiteratesthedemocraticstyleof
leadershipthatIhavealwaysheldasmyfoundation.Ialsounderstandthatafterworkinginthe
healthcarefieldforseveralyearsnow,beingabletochangegearsandmanagementstyles
dependingonthesituationathandisalsovitalinbeingefficientandeffectiveinprovidingthe
bestpossiblecareforthepatient.
Havingthemanagementstyleofashepherdwhichissimilartothedemocraticstyleof
leadershiphasbothpositivesandnegatives.Fromapositivestandpoint,itencouragessharing
andparticipationindecisionmakingasaworkgroup.Itgetspeopleinvolved.Italsomotivates
individualsbypraisingandrewardingstaffforhardworkandachievements.Fromanegative
standpoint,havingashepherdmanagementstyleoftencausesprocrastinationandindecisiveness
whenmakingdecisions.Thismanagementstylealsohasatendencyofconflictavoidingwhen
decisionsandissuesneedtobeaddressed.
Numerousstudiesandarticleshavebeenpublishedinjournalsthataddressmanagement
stylesandleadershipinnursing.AnarticlepublishedintheJournalofNursingManagement
foundthatqualitiessuchaspassionfornursing,senseofoptimism,abilitytoconnectpersonally
withstaff,excellentrolemodellingandmentorship,andabilitytomanagecrisiswhileholdinga

2
setofmoralprinciples,werekeyqualitiesinnurseleaderstoeffectivelyassistandsupport
nursingstaffintheclinicalsetting(Anonson,Walker,Arries,Maposa,Telford,&Berry,2014).
AnotherarticlepublishedintheBritishJournalofNursingfocusesonadaptiveleadership
takingonatransformationalrole.Ititeratesthatnurseleadersneedtoberolemodelswhotheir
staffseekstoemulate(Doody&Doody,2012,p.1212).Havingrespect,trust,confidence,and
admirationempowersemployeestohaveasenseofmission.Leadersalsoneedtoinspireand
motivateotherstoachievegoalsoftheorganizationwhilealsoachievingtheirownpersonal
aspirations.Nursingleadersalsoneedtoencourageintellectualstimulationandstaffinnovation
toapproachproblemsinnewwaysusingevidencebasedpractice.
Inconclusion,withrecentchangesinhealthcarereformandthedownturninthe
economy,nursinghasbecomemorecomplexwithincreasedworkloadandshortagesofnursing
staffing.Asfuturenurses,itisvitalthatweadaptourleadershipandmanagementskillstomeet
theneedsofprovidinghighqualitycarethatisfoundedonevidencebasedpractice.InEllisand
Hartleysbook,NursinginTodaysWorld:Trends,Issues,AndManagement,several
suggestionshavebeenmadetoenhanceanddevelopanindividualsstyleofleadership(Ellis&
Hartley,2012,p.443).Itencouragesprofessionalnursestocontinuetolearnandgrowthrough
continuingeducationsuchasreadingnursingjournalsandattendingworkshops.Itencourages
individualstoseekoutarolemodelormentorthatcanguide,coach,andtutoranindividual
throughsupportandguidance.Itencouragesindividualstohavelifestylesthatrelieveoverall
stresssuchaseatinghealthy,gettingenoughsleep,exercise,andrelaxation.Individualsshould
alsobeflexibleandhaveanopenmindtonewideasandbeabletocopewithunpredictable
circumstancesintheworkenvironment.Anurseleadershouldbeguidedbythegoldenrule
anddemonstraterespectandconsiderationforothers.Andfinally,itsuggeststoalwaysbelieve

3
inyourselfandhaveselfconfidence.ThesesuggestionsIwilltakeatheartasIcontinueonmy
journeyofbecominganursethatwillprovidethebestpossiblecarethatisevidencebased.

4
References
Anonson,J.,Walker,M.,Arries,E.,Maposa,S.,Telford,P.,&Berry,L.(n.d.).Qualitiesof
exemplarynurseleaders:Perspectivesoffrontlinenurses.JournalofNursing
Management,N/aN/a.
Doody,O.,&Doody,C.M.(2012).Transformationalleadershipinnursingpractice.British
JournalOfNursing,21(20),12121218.
Ellis,J.,&Hartley,C.(2012).Nursingintoday'sworld:Trends,issues&management(10th
ed.).Philadelphia:WoltersKluwerHealth/LippincottWilliams&Wilkins.

Management Style Assessment*

Finding your Personal Management Style

The following exercises will help identify management styles and the typical behaviors that
accompany each. Completing the exercises will help you characterize your personal management
style.
Instructions: Using a five-point Likert type scale of 1-5, where 1 means very uncharacteristic
of me and 5 means very characteristic of me, describe to what extent the 40 attributes below
characterize your management style or preferred method of project completion. If you are unclear
on an attribute, ask 1-2 people close to you how they view your style.

Quality
1. decisive

I
Score
3

II
Quality
2. people-pleasing

Score
3

5. exhorter
9. controlling

2
1

6. spontaneous
10. informal

1
3

13. competitive

17. demanding

14. sharing &

participative
18. sensitive

21. perfectionist

25. confrontational

29. results-focused

22.
accommodating
26.
procrastinating
30. emotional

33. powerconscious
37. dominating

34. conflictavoiding
38. contemplative

Total Score

2
24

Total Score

4
2
3

16. visionary

20. nontraditional
24. questioning

7. efficient
11. politically
sensitive
15. closureoriented
19. concern for
routine
23. planner

IV
Quality
4. changeoriented
8. innovative
12. persuasive

27. formal

31. detached

35. informationfocused
39. detailintensive
Total Score

28. long-run
focused
32.
experimental
36. activist
40.
controversial
Total Score

3
29

III
Quality
3. organized

Score
3

2
28

Score
3
2
3

3
3

28