Do You Lead from Behind the Desk? - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN

I recently read comments from young nurses about their nurse managers on a social media site. One talked about having a leader who was choosing to lead from behind her desk, rarely if ever coming out on the unit. This young nurse reported that she had not had a conversation with her leader since the day she was hired. It was obvious that she craved attention and feedback that she was not getting. The challenge for nurse managers today is that they are struggling with large spans of control and increasing responsibilities related to a variety of performance measures linked to value-based purchasing initiatives. Yet we know from generational research, that our young generation Y nurses want leaders who will coach and mentor them. They often have little understanding of the broad scope of the manager’s responsibilities. No one wants to be led by someone who rarely if ever comes out of their office. Visibility in leadership matters. Here are three strategies that you can use to improve your leadership visibility.

1. Purposeful Leadership Rounding

Purposeful nurse leader rounding on patients is quickly becoming a best practice in hospital throughout the United States. When it is done well, it can have a positive direct impact on both patients and staff. It has been shown to improve both patient and staff satisfaction. It is an organized way for nurse leaders to be visible in their areas of responsibility. This can lead to an openness with staff that will build trust and facilitate communication. As a leader, you will learn what is working well on your unit and department, and where there may be need for improvement. It provides a great opportunity to scan the environment for equipment and supply issues that concern staff. Nurses sometimes have the impression that when times get tough – their leaders withdraw. That is why consistency in rounding is so important and should be a regular part of every leader’s schedule.

2. Nurse Manager 5 Minute Huddles

There is so much changing in today’s environment that nursing staff can become quite anxious if a nurse manager isolates him/herself in their office. Brief daily huddles can be a great way to update staff on changes. How leaders use language to frame people, situations, and events has important consequences for the way individuals make sense of the world and their actions. Not all nurse leaders think about this when they communicate but it is important especially during turbulent times that we are now experiencing in health-care. The response of leaders to change or turbulence has a powerful effect on their staff. Leaders who remain calm, truthful and optimistic in their communications help to prevent the spread of misinformation and reduce staff anxiety. The words and non-verbal behaviors of leaders can be very powerful in a positive or a negative way.

3. Open Your Office Door and Be Approachable

Leaving your office door open at least some of the time sounds like an obvious strategy but one that is often not used. Nurse managers often worry that they will experience constant interruptions if they leave the door open. My own experience as a leader has been that if you do this often – staff are respectful of your time. Having the office door open is not enough, you must also appear approachable to staff so if they do want to talk with you, there is an openness to to it.

Sitting in an office and working on your reports no matter how important will not lead you to be effective as a leader and manager. No matter how challenged you are for time, you cannot lead from behind the desk. You must make time to be visible, to be seen and to listen.