By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN
A colleague recently relayed a story from a Chief Nursing Officer about one of her most promising new young nurse managers. This young leader had made a serious mistake in her judgment about a situation. Her director who would normally have mentored her was out of town, and she had acted independently with some emotional immaturity. The CNO described herself as being very upset until she stopped and realized that this was a young leader with very little experience. Her anger then moved to a feeling of concern that she had not really extended herself as a mentor and coach, and that this leader must have felt like she was on her own to solve the problem.
In my work with young emerging nurse leaders, the top concern that they express about taking a leadership role is the fear of failure. Anecdotally, we do hear many stories of young leaders who take management roles and leave the positions within the first year although there has been no nursing research that has specifically looked at this issue. What we do know is that the role of the nurse leader in every healthcare organization has become much more complex over the past decade and spans of control have expanded. It is easy to forget that an experienced nurse leader has probably picked up these additional responsibilities incrementally but new leaders have to assume all of the role expectations today upon accepting the position. In looking to support our young nurse leaders, we should remember the following:
1. Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert continuum of competencies also applies to leadership roles.
Benner’s novice to expert model of competency development is the foundation for many new graduate transition programs. This model is also very useful in considering the development of young leaders and has been used as the foundation for the NMLCInventory. Competency in the leadership role is a journey. One does not move from being a novice to full competency over night.
2. New leaders will make mistakes and can learn and grow from them.
New leaders will make mistakes in their roles. It is inevitable but they also provide some very powerful teachable moments. Most experienced leaders acknowledge that they have learned more from their failures than from their success.
3. Coaching, mentoring and leadership development in the first year of leadership practice are critical success factors.
A consistent theme in leadership research is the importance of coaching and mentoring. Too often, young nurse leaders are selected for these roles and then struggle because there is no development plan or leadership classes.
4. Emotional reactions from young leaders are usually a result of high stress and anxiety.
Personal Mastery is a critical component for leadership success. Outstanding leaders demonstrate self-confidence and are able to trust and empower others. They know how their communication and actions impact others and are sensitive to watching the cues in an environment when things are not going well. When you see a young leader struggling with their emotions, it is often because they are experiencing stress and anxiety and need help.
5. Your nursing staff will closely watch how you mentor young leaders and it will affect their own willingness to accept leadership roles.
In a recent Charge Nurse Study, I learned that some worried about taking leadership roles because they had observed that organizations often did not support their new leaders and these roles were less secure than staff positions. Staff do closely watch what happens to leaders and if they observe a “sink or swim” approach to development, they will be less likely to aspire to leadership.
It is not uncommon to hear practicing nurse leaders lament over succession planning. Their concerns are a lack of dedicated, accountable, capable and educationally prepared future nurse leaders, willing to meet the challenges of the current complex state of health care. Supporting and developing emerging nurse leaders who can be innovative will help insure that well prepared nurse leaders are at the table in future healthcare reform planning. Kouzes and Posner, two prominent leadership experts in the field of business, have noted that the most significant contribution today’s leaders can make for the future is develop the leadership skills of others so they will adapt, prosper and grow. This is important advice for all nurse leaders to remember as we support our new young leaders in their development.
Read to Lead
Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo Park: Addison-Wesley.
Kouzes PA. & Posner BZ. A Leader’s Legacy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2006.
© emergingrnleader.com 2013
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