Becoming a Transformational Nurse Leader By Holly M. Owen, RN, BSN Leadership in Nursing Administration

What is a Transformational Leader? Transformational leadership theory was first introduced in 1978 by James McGregor Burns who described it as “leadership that occurs when the leader engages with followers in a way that raises their level of performance and motivation.” Those influenced by transformational leaders find meaning and value in their work, are able to make significant contributions to their organizations and are more likely to become leaders themselves (Sherman, 2012).

Why be a Transformational Leader? Transformational leaders are inspiring and facilitate their employees to solve problems by helping them identify these issues and develop the resources needed to overcome their problems. (Weberg, 2010) Transformational leaders hold the keys  to unlocking & discovering possibilities so that everyone around them can unleash their Greatest Potential. (Francis, 2017)

4 Characteristics of a Transformational Leader 1.  The leader serves as a role model and “walks the talks”. 2.  They inspire motivation in their followers by having a strong vision about their work. 3.  They are concerned about the individual and demonstrate genuine concern for their needs and feelings. 4.  The leader challenges and develops the followers to be innovative and creative nurturing independent thinking.

Developing transformational leadership skills requires that nurse leaders be honest and reflective about their current practices. 

5 Secrets to Activate Transformational Leadership Abilities to produce a winning team

1. Become A Leader of Influence “Leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less” It’s about influencing and empowering your interdisciplinary team to function at their best on a daily basis Its about creating the environment that’s conducive to the best Patient Outcomes as well as Growth & Productivity.

2. Encourage Decision Making Take time to empower, develop and guide your team.

3. Foster Trust Trust is the core and the cornerstone of every Great Leader. Trust must be felt throughout from everyone and every angle. As a leader you must exemplify character, connections and consistency. Don’t hide behind emails, and phone meetings-be present.

4. Become A Lifelong Learner Strive to understand all the healthcare changes so that you can be ready to educate and impact your team with knowledge. Empower your team to, learn & grow as well. You must establish a collaborative style which includes everyone on the team with the same goal, to improve patient outcome.

5. Listen to Your Team “Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing significant to say” Strive to establish a rich culture of communication with your team. Successful leaders have an exceptional ability to simply listen….. Creating an avenue that your team can bring new ideas to the table is paramount .

Is Transformational Leadership Really Successful?-YES! Historical Transformational Leaders Click on below link Susan B. Anthony John F. Kennedy, Jr. Martin Luther King Walt Disney https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=0lpCwgeRu8Q

Implications for Nurse Leaders Transformational leaders can improve work cultures and give voice to those who are silenced by poor and negative leadership techniques. The presence of increased satisfaction among nursing staff leads to an overall reduction in staff turnover, improved retention, and an increase in patient satisfaction.

References Francis, E. (2017). How to be a Transformational Nurse Leader to Maximize your Organizational Success. As retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-transformational-nurse-leader- maximize-your-francis-msn-rn-ccrn Sherman, R. (2012). Becoming a Transformational Leader. As retrieved from http://www.emergingrnleader.com/transformational- nurse-leader/. Walt Disney, Transformational leader as retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lpCwgeRu8Q Weberg, D. (2010).Transformational leadership and staff retention. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 34(3) 246-258.