BUS 621 Faulkner University W 5 Leadership in Hard Times Essay Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadershi

BUS 621 Faulkner University W 5 Leadership in Hard Times Essay Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® Model (Links to an external site.), read the Transformational Leadership Can Improve Workforce Competencies article and watch the Week 5 Assignment video above with Dr. Williams G. Woods of Forbes School of Business and Technology.

As a leader, it is beneficial to have a core set of practices that can be effective in routine times and also during difficult or very challenging times. The leadership practices by Kouzes and Posner are based upon the transformational leadership model. Organizational leaders must plan to continually improve as leaders while also seeking to improve the performance of other leadership team members and of the rest of the organization. Adopting guiding principles or practices can help in the planning phases for leading when hard times occur.

In your paper,

Analyze a difficult leadership situation in the business world that has impacted a company or companies.
Develop a plan for positively increasing the performance of the organization, the leadership, and the teams within the organization using the five practices of exemplary leadership as developed by Kouzes and Posner.

The Leadership in Hard Times paper

Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.) resource.
Must include a separate title page with the following:
Title of paper
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Must utilize academic voice.
Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
Must use at least three scholarly sources
Must document any information used from sources in APA style BUS621 WEEK FIVE | ASSIGNMENT
Hello, MBA students. When everything is going according to plan at work, your self-esteem and
self-efficacy can have a great opportunity to grow. However, it is often not the good times that
find how effective you are as a leader.
Conversely, it is the exact opposite. It is the hard times that define your true ability to lead.
People like Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Dr. King, and George W. Bush are well known for how
they performed in some of the most difficult situations. Most of these public figures were
criticized while they led their followers through very hard times, but were later respected for
what they achieved during those hard times.
Feature
Transformational leadership can
improve workforce competencies
Managers are responsible for organising workloads and employees, and ensuring
wards have the right balance of skills. Juliana Thompson explains how senior
nurses can integrate their leadership and management roles to achieve these goals
Abstract
Staffing problems can arise because of poor delegation skills or a failure by leaders
to respond appropriately to economic factors and patient demographics. Training
dilemmas, meanwhile, can arise because of managers’ confusion about what
constitutes ‘training’ and what constitutes ‘education’, and where responsibility of
provision lies, with the consequence that they neglect these activities. This article
uses Kouzes and Posner’s (2009) transformational leadership model to show
how managers can respond. Leaders who challenge budgets, consider new ways
of working and engage effectively with the workforce can improve productivity
and care, while those who invest in appropriate learning will have a highly
trained workforce. The author explains how integration of leadership roles and
management functions can lead to innovative problem solving.
Keywords
Leadership, management, leadership model, staffing, training
Correspondence
juliana2.thompson@northumbria.
ac.uk
Juliana Thompson is a graduate
tutor in adult nursing at
Northumbria University School
of Health, Community and
Education, Newcastle upon Tyne
Date of acceptance
January 16 2012
Peer review
This article has been subject to
double-blind review and checked
using antiplagiarism software
Author guidelines
www.nursingmanagement.co.uk
Managers have a duty to provide adequate
numbers of skilled staff to meet patient needs
(Department of Health (DH) 2002). However,
the provision of an appropriately trained workforce
that has the right skill mix is an ongoing and
contentious issue (Flynn and McKeown 2009,
Sanford 2010).
Former health minister Lord Darzi’s vision for
the NHS (DH 2008) suggests that workforce quality
is enhanced when there is strong leadership and
management. However, not all managers have
accomplished leadership skills, so it is important for
organisations to develop the clinical leadership skills
of their managers.
Since the Darzi review (DH 2008) there have been
initiatives to improve leadership proficiency.
For example, the National Leadership Council
(DH 2011) has introduced frameworks and selfassessment tools to support all levels of staff to
develop self-awareness and teamworking skills
NURSING MANAGEMENT
on a personal level, and management and serviceimprovement strategies at an organisational level.
These initiatives build on the work of Kouzes
and Pozner’s transformational leadership model
(Kouzes and Pozner 2007, 2009). The approach
centres on the relationship between leaders and
their staff, so it is an appropriate method to explore
how leadership initiatives can address staffing and
training challenges.
Staffing challenges
White (2003) proposed that staffing problems
stem from:
?? Inattention.
?? Fluctuations in patient numbers and acuity of
patients’ conditions.
?? Lack of budget monitoring.
?? Inconsistency in using workload unit measurement
systems, namely tools that measure task needs,
direct and indirect care time requirements, or
patient dependency, to determine the required
skill mix and nurse-to-patient ratios.
Such problems can result in understaffing and
inappropriate skill mix. Patient numbers and acuity
of condition are hard to predict, making it difficult to
estimate accurately required workload units. Budget
cuts are likely to aggravate these difficulties further.
Research (Burke 2003, Rafferty et al 2007)
has shown that reductions in staffing levels due
to budgetary constraints ‘diminishes the commitment’
and ‘heightens the cynicism’ of nurses and nurse
managers. This has a negative effect on teamwork,
delegation and trust, which in turn has an adverse
effect on patient outcomes. The need for cost-effective
care also influences choice of patient care mode.
Weitzel et al (2004) suggest that functional nursing
is still applied on some wards. This care mode
March 2012 | Volume 18 | Number 10 21
Feature
can be used to provide care cheaply by assigning
functional tasks to ancillary staff, thereby minimising
the number of more costly, registered nurses. Other
authors, however, report that, although functional
nursing can be cheap, it can result in fragmented,
unsupervised care that overlooks patients’ holistic
needs and leaves healthcare workers understimulated
and dissatisfied with their roles (Tiedeman and
Lookinland 2004).
Castledine (2005) reports that certain aspects of
care, such as personal and nutritional support, can
be seen as unappealing or boring. Consequently
these tasks are frequently delegated to nursing
students or healthcare assistants (HCAs). However,
Kourdi (1999) suggests that this perception of
‘dustbin delegation’ can result in the delegators
losing the respect of those to whom they assign the
tasks, who end up dissatisfied with their roles and
indifferent to the quality of care.
Poor delegation decisions may also result from
a tendency to overdelegate because of the delegator’s
weak time-management skills or uncertainty in his
or her own abilities to perform the required task.
This leads to an excessive workload being placed
on others, which contributes to poor performance
(Curtis and Redmond 2009).
Lack of prior evaluation of either the situation
or the competency of those assigned to undertake
tasks is another common problem faced by managers
in charge of staffing. For example, there is an
assumption that all HCAs can perform all HCA tasks.
However, according to Fracaro (2004), many will often
comply with requests to undertake tasks outside
their competence because:
?? They do not want to alert their managers
to their limitations.
?? They are ambitious to develop their careers.
?? They fear that admitting their inability to do a
task will damage their work reputation.
?? They do not want to let down their colleagues at
times of staff shortages, despite knowing their
limitations (Marquis and Huston 2009).
Training challenges
Gaps in staff competency can arise when managers
misunderstand the role of formal education
providers (Marquis and Huston 2009). They may
confuse ‘training and socialisation’ – defined as
‘on-the-job’ acquisition and practice of practical skills
to perform tasks – with ‘education’ – which includes
comprehensive, ongoing, personal development.
As a result, managers assume that health
education departments in universities and colleges
are responsible for providing training as well as
education. Misunderstanding about these roles leads
22 March 2012 | Volume 18 | Number 10
managers to neglect their training and socialisation
duties. Tubre and Collins (2000) conclude that this
causes performance to suffer. In other words, if the
educating organisation and the training organisation
believe a particular clinical skill is the remit of the
other, instruction in that skill can be overlooked.
When employee training and socialisation are
neglected by ward management, staff can feel
devalued and dissatisfied, and become bored
and indifferent. When there is a gap between
people’s work roles and their aspirations, they can
become apathetic and standards will deteriorate
(McNeese-Smith 2000).
Leadership framework
Good management, defined by strong planning,
organisational skills and control, allows managers
to compare system behaviours with original plans
and intervene when these diverge (Kotter 2009).
But system improvement also requires planned
change, so successful implementation requires
leadership as well as management skills.
While management is associated with control
and organisation, leadership requires abilities in
both coping with challenge and motivating people
(Kotter 2009). There are a number of leadership
styles, but the most prevalent in the literature is
transformational leadership, an approach introduced
by Burns (1978).
This approach draws on leaders’ moral values and
exploits their ability to set examples and articulate
goals to instigate positive change within social
structures and individuals’ behaviours. As a result,
followers can perform to a higher standard and
develop their own leadership skills (Burns 1978).
Kouzes and Posner (2007, 2009) use the concept of
transformational leadership in their model, which is
founded on the premise that exemplary leaders foster
a culture in which relationships between aspiring
leaders and willing followers can thrive. The concept
embeds five principles, the ‘practices of exemplary
leadership’ (Box 1) (Kouzes and Posner 2007, 2009).
Using some or all of Kouzes and Posner’s model
can help managers develop their leadership abilities
to tackle the challenges posed by staffing and
education dilemmas. Some examples follow.
Staffing
Inspiring a shared vision Leaders achieve this by
stressing the importance of the delegated tasks to the
accomplishment of an entire project. They might, for
example, reiterate that practising basic skills such
as assisting patients with personal care contributes
to the assessment and monitoring of patients’
conditions. This not only increases co-operation,
NURSING MANAGEMENT
Feature
productivity and quality of care, but supports
personal growth and improves the self-worth and job
satisfaction of all staff members (Yukl and Fu 1999).
Challenging the process Managers who keep up to
date with health and social care trends at community
and national levels have the knowledge to design
an evidence-based needs assessment in their practice
areas that can enable them to:
?? Regularly review and challenge workload
unit measurement tools to determine
and fine tune their validity and reliability.
These tools that measure task needs, direct
and indirect care time requirements, or
patient dependency, to determine required
skill mix and nurse-to-patient ratio.
?? Regard staffing budgets as dynamic, continuous
processes open to informed negotiation, rather
than fixed annual events that dictate staff levels
(Barr 2005, Fagerstrom 2009).
Rather than accepting ineffective functional nursing
care, managers can challenge the process to bring
about change by adopting a more appropriate
modular care mode. In this scenario, staff collaborate
to provide care for a small group of patients under
the direction of a team leader, resulting in better
care and staff satisfaction. Familiarity between team
members means that they are aware of one another’s
abilities, helping ensure competent care delivery
(Tiedeman and Lookinland 2004).
Enabling others to act Successful delegation of
tasks will be demonstrated by managers who use
transformational leadership skills. These include being
sensitive to subordinates’ capabilities, being aware of
their training requirements and communicating task
details clearly and accurately (Quallich 2005).
For example, appraisals might include regular
manager-mentor sessions, in which managers set
aside time to work alongside individuals on specific
tasks or projects, or working alongside staff members
for designated periods of time. Such sessions can
also support manager-staff relationship building and
provide teaching and assessment opportunities.
‘Enabling others to act’ involves creating an open
environment in which staff feel able to approach
managers to raise difficulties or admit to limitations
without feeling they will be judged, and have their
performance objectively evaluated with a view
to improvement rather than censure (Axley 1992).
For example:
?? Manager-mentor sessions contribute to building
trust and openness.
?? Regular informal group discussions centred on
exploration and revision of skills allow staff
NURSING MANAGEMENT
Box 1 Five practices of exemplary leadership
Modelling the way
Initially involves leaders developing self-awareness
and examining and recognising their personal and
professional values. Once these ideals are clarified,
they can express their vision by synchronising their
behaviours with these values.
Inspiring a shared vision
ntails envisioning improvements and possibilities,
E
then enlisting the team to share and participate
in the aspirations.
Challenging the process
equires leaders to search for opportunities, take
R
the initiative, and experiment with new ideas and
alternative systems.
Enabling others to act
Includes fostering collaboration, interaction
and trust. The resulting ‘enabling environment’
promotes choice, accountability and power sharing.
Encouraging the heart
Means that others’ contributions are recognised,
appreciated and celebrated to develop community
spirit and common goals.
(Kouzes and Posner 2007, 2009)
to share experience and information, and address
gaps in knowledge and offer peer support.
?? Management ‘surgery sessions’ allow staff
to ‘drop in’ to discuss concerns.
Training
Modelling the way Managers can ‘model the way’
by participating in group teaching and coaching
sessions, sharing their experiences of events and
incidents, thereby providing material from which
everyone can learn.
Knowledge of the following seminal learning
theories will support the process:
?? The concept of andragogy, premised on fostering
an adult learning environment of openness,
opportunity, respect and shared direction
(Knowles 1980).
?? Social learning theory (Bandura 1977), which
recognises the importance of on-the-job training
through direct and vicarious experiences.
Furthermore, it is important to consider that:
?? Manager-mentor sessions support provision of
adequate mentoring and role modelling for all
staff to support the socialisation process.
?? Staff can be encouraged to research, prepare and
deliver training sessions to their peers.
Enabling others to act Managers who use
transformational leadership skills aim to encourage
staff by fostering an environment that embraces
March 2012 | Volume 18 | Number 10 23
Feature
education, training, and personal and professional
development. Marquis and Huston (2009) suggest
that this involves a willingness to collaborate with
education providers.
For example, on-site discussions with individual
staff together with their continuing professional
development or national vocational qualification
tutors would enable education and training to be
tailored to individual needs and work environments.
It would also ensure efficient use of available
resources, and define roles and role expectations.
Encouraging the heart Training and education
are most successful when motivational strategies
are integrated in learning programmes. Knowledge
and understanding of what motivates individual
employees can contribute to their own goals and that
of the organisation (McConnell 2005). To achieve this
managers can:
?? Hold regular one-to-one discussions and
appraisal sessions that might include planning
individuals’ workloads so that preferred tasks
and skills development, as well as basic tasks and
unappealing activities, are included.
?? Use the sessions to discuss and plan career goals
and pathways, inviting staff to suggest, participate
in or lead service improvement, peer support
projects or training sessions.
Attention to training, education and staff
development also contributes towards a climate of
‘joy’, as described by Manion (2003), which supports
Herzberg’s (2003) motivational theory. Manion (2003)
suggests that pathways to joy at work depend
on ‘love of work’, ‘achievement’ and ‘recognition’.
The challenges, potential and enhanced ability that
learning provides can add to feelings of excitement,
enthusiasm, pride and appreciation that are integral
to these pathways.
Managers can do this by:
?? Discussing, documenting and disseminating
staff achievements.
?? Engaging in group learning and group socialising
to create a community environment.
?? Celebrating staff achievements publicly to
demonstrate recognition of the significance of
their contributions and learning.
Conclusion
This article has used Kouzes and Posner’s
(2007, 2009) transformational leadership model to
illustrate how managers can use leadership skills to
inspire and support staff, with a view to promoting
better care.
While robust management skills are necessary
to implement the mechanics of planning, organisation
and control, leadership skills are essential to creating
a motivating, visionary and adaptable environment
in which staff can flourish. When leadership roles are
integrated with management functions, innovative
problem solving can be achieved.
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Conflict of interest
None declared
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