Leading Your Former Peers - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, Ed.D, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Many new nurse leaders have been promoted from within their current organization during these challenging times. Getting promoted from within has always been tricky. You may find yourself leading nurses with much more experience than you have who will question your readiness. Not all your peers will be thrilled with your selection as the leader. While having work experience in an organization when you accept a leadership role is often a tremendous advantage, it can also present some unique challenges. On the positive side, you will not have the steep learning curve about the unit/organizational culture or staff that a leader selected outside the unit might experience. On the negative side, managing former peers when you have been a co-worker can be challenging even when they supported your selection. Your former opinions about unit functioning and your work habits are well known to your co-workers.

In your new leadership role, you need to support and implement decisions made by your organizational leadership. Your relationship with your co-workers will inevitably change as you move from friend and confidant to manager and coach. These changes can lead to awkwardness as you seek a balance in a new and different relationship. There may also be a few staff who do not support your selection and may have even applied for the position themselves. Navigating these dynamics can be challenging. The following are some essential dos and don’ts.

The Dos

Meet individually with each staff member regardless of how well you know them. Inquire about their goals and expectations in the same way you would with new staff.
Tackle any awkwardness head-on by letting staff know that it can be challenging to switch from peer to nurse leader both for them and for you.
Acknowledge the disappointment of staff who may have applied for the role and were not selected.
Accept that some staff may decide to transfer or leave the unit because they are not happy with the change, including your selection.
Ask for the support of each staff member. Let them know that they are valued and that you need their assistance to be effective in your new role.
Talk with staff members that you have had close friendships with about how your relationship may need to change.

The Don’ts

Do not play favorites with former friends. Work to be consistently fair to everyone.
Be cautious about socializing with former peers. It is often best to maintain a distance, especially in the initial stages of your transition.
Resist taking a patient assignment or getting too involved in clinical care once you have moved into a management role. You will neglect other responsibilities.
Do not ignore performance problems in a former peer
Do not immediately de-friend everyone on your Facebook page, but consider transitioning to a professional site that does not include personal information.

Leading former peers takes diplomacy and emotional intelligence. You can be friendly without being a friend. When managed well, a time will come when people forget that you were a peer and see you as their leader.

Launch 2021 by giving your leadership team the gift of a highly rated webinar – Nursing Leadership in 2021: Rebooting after a Life-Quake A Nursing Leadership Reboot Workshop

Read the Nurse Leader Coach – Available at Amazon and Other Book Sellers.

Coming Soon a New Book to Strengthen Your Leadership in 2021 – The Nuts and Bolts of Nursing Leadership: Your Toolkit for Success