What is an effective leader is the question for this week.  In MGT 500 we are talking about Leaders this week and what makes them effective.  One of the most important aspects I see to a good leader is honesty,  I read an article by Carol Huston (2008) that talks about Preparing nurse leaders for 2020.  One of the eight leadership competencies she noted was; Balancing authenticity and performance expectations.  Huston (2008) notes "Authentic leaders are those who are true to themselves and their values and act accordingly" (p. 909).  The article talks about the difference between "congruent leadership" and "traditional leadership".  Congruent or Authentic leadership is different from traditional leadership in that in traditional leadership the focus on the vision and goals, and the idea of external environment having to do with leading the team.  In congruent leadership it is about "the leader's principles and their conviction to act accordingly that inspires followers" (Huston, 2008, p. 909). 

In the year 2020 healthcare is going to look a lot different and this leadership competency is going to be important.  The list of competencies that Huston has identified is: 

1.      A global perspective or mindset regarding healthcare and professional nursing issues.

2.      Technology skills which facilitate mobility and portability of relationships, interactions, and operational processes.

3.      Expert decision-making skills rooted in empirical science.

4.      The ability to create organization cultures that permeate quality healthcare and patient/worker safety.

5.      Understanding and appropriately intervening in political processes.

6.      Highly developed collaborative and team building skills.

7.      The ability to balance authenticity and performance expectations.

8.      Being able to envision and proactively adapt to a healthcare system characterized by rapid change and chaos.

As a supervisor I strive to make sure I am honest/authentic in what I do.  I claim mistakes when I make them, and I don't claim to know things that I don't.  This may not be valued by all leaders but it is something that I value tremendously.  I hope my staff sees that I am authentic and I also hope that I can expect the same from them.

Reference:

Huston, C. (2008). Preparing nurse leaders for 2020. Journal Of Nursing Management, 16(8), 905-911.