Leadership Resolutions for 2024

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

“Someone will write a resolution that says, I want to exercise more, or I want to lose 15 pounds – which is a great goal to have -, but every study tells us that if you pose things in abstract terms, it is much less likely that you will accomplish it than if you structure it as an actual activity”  Charles Duhigg, author of the Power of Habit.

We are now officially in a brand new year.  The great thing about a new year is that it gives us an opportunity to begin again or do a reset, especially if 2023 was challenging for us.  While it is not unusual to establish personal and professional goals that we hope to achieve during the year, the evidence indicates that most people abandon their goals. This often happens because our goals are too broad, and we don’t have small action steps to reach them successfully.  Writing your goals down and publicly announcing what you plan to do has been shown to be powerful tools for achieving success.

You may aim to return to school for your DNP, achieve specialty certification, or update your resume/LinkedIn profile to make yourself more competitive when interesting positions become available.  Many of us never move past the phase of thinking about what we want to achieve.  Here are five New Year’s resolution suggestions for current and aspiring nurse leaders:

1.  Challenge yourself to make at least one personal sacrifice this year for your long-term career success.

Giving something up, especially personal time, to achieve something better at an undetermined time in the future can seem very unappealing.  One truth about leadership is that it does not come without personal sacrifice.  This year, think about doing at least one thing that will advance your professional career but will require an investment of your personal time.  If you have avoided advancing your education to achieve long-term professional goals, this is the year to stop being defensive about what you have not done and focus on what you will gain by beginning the journey.  If you are interested in nursing leadership but have resisted taking a nurse manager or director role, this is the year to say yes.  If you have thought about taking a certification exam in your nursing specialty but never began the process, this is the year to do it.  Begin to see success as something that you need to incorporate into your life.  You may not always be successful in achieving your goals even when you sacrifice, but even these failures can provide tremendous growth.

2.  Commit yourself to become a continuous learner.

It is often said that the best leaders are the best learners.  This is especially true for nurse leaders working in a healthcare environment that is rapidly changing unexpectedly.  We know as a professional discipline that our practices should be based on the best current evidence available, but often, they are not because we don’t commit ourselves to reading journals, doing internet searches, or attending professional programs.  Challenging yourself to grow and learn is a professional and a personal responsibility.  Many healthcare organizations today provide great learning opportunities, but what is often disappointing is how few staff take advantage of those opportunities.  Outstanding leaders commit themselves to learning whether or not their organizations are paying for it or providing them with paid time off to do it.   What works for one person may not work as well for another.  The key is to find the way that you learn best and commit yourself to engaging in learning on a continuing basis.

3.  Find a mentor.

You may know you want to advance as a nurse leader but are unsure about your next career step.  A good mentor can open doors to new learning and help you grow as an emerging nurse leader.  They can also be valuable sounding boards when you make difficult decisions. Unlike the preceptor relationship you may be familiar with in the clinical setting, a mentor provides career guidance and helps you become more aware of your strengths and areas where you need development. Mentoring is an important career strategy.  This is the year to look for that person.

4.  Help to build a healthy work environment in your work setting.

Mahatma Gandhi is often quoted as saying, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”  Building a healthy work environment is not only an organizational responsibility but also the responsibility of every staff member who works in the setting.  Great leaders work hard to build strong, positive cultures.  With the turbulence in healthcare, it is easy to feel disillusioned and lose hope.  What is true is that the more that we focus on the positive aspects of our environment, the more we will notice them and start experiencing them in our work life.

5.   Set stronger professional boundaries and focus on self-care. 

Unlike in a staff nurse role where you work a set shift, nurse leaders must set boundaries around their work and decide when to leave at the end of the day. Failure to do this can quickly lead to burnout. Setting boundaries in our work can help us control our lives. Making decisions about where we invest our time and work hours and what we should delegate helps us preserve our physical and emotional energy and identify our limits. Choose a self-care activity in 2024 that you can commit to to promote your well-being.

2024 is now here.  Are there things that you would like to do differently in your life?  If the answer is yes, now is the time to take action, beginning with establishing a few powerful but achievable goals.

© emergingrnleader.com 2024

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