A few years ago, a friend gifted me a copy of The Heart of a Nurse Leader: Values-Based Leadership for Healthcare Organizations by Bob Dent and Joe Tye.1 One of the authors wrote a message in the front of the book, personalized to me, "Jamesetta, Lead from the Heart & People will Follow." I could only assume then that my friend thought of me as a leader; she had told me many times that my presence in her life had made a great impact on her personal and professional growth. We were never in positions of hierarchy where one of us had power over the other. I had traditionally defined leaders as people in high positions who had the ability, authority, and responsibility to tell others what to do. Although I have held administrative positions during my career, I thought and still view myself as part of a team with no more privilege than any other team member-just maybe more responsibility. The first time the dean of my undergraduate nursing program met with the new class of students, she told us, "We [faculty] will not be just training you to be nurses but also to be leaders." What freshman believes that? When I graduated, I assumed I would be low on the totem pole in whatever work situation I entered. I was wrong. With my very first RN position, the day after my 1-month orientation ended, I was thrust into the role of charge nurse because I held the highest degree. Leader? No. But over the years, I learned the inaccuracy of my early perceptions of leadership and particularly of nurse leaders.
Purpose and intentionality
Dent and Tye present 12 core action values in the book: authenticity, integrity, awareness, courage, perseverance, faith, purpose, vision, focus, enthusiasm, service, and leadership. The authors stress that all nurses can lead from where they are, without a formal title, by modeling the way to a workplace environment void of toxic behaviors, where people can be and do their best. Within each core action value are different cornerstones. I focus here on intentionality, a cornerstone of purpose with this quote, "No one can empower you but you-it is an inside job. But once you have empowered yourself, no one can take that power away from you." The purpose you choose should be intentional. My lifetime mentor commented once to me that it might seem like she was making decisions about my career and directing my path, but in reality, she was only presenting options. I made decisions about where to invest my energies, what outcomes to seek, and how to achieve success. After many years I realized that she had actually helped me see what was possible, boosted my confidence to act, and supported my efforts to succeed.
Personal reflection
We are all leaders in some aspect of our lives, be it with family, friends, professional colleagues, community partners, or others with whom we engage. I regularly encourage students to formalize their philosophy of nursing in writing, to purposely reflect on their own core values. Why did they choose nursing? Having clarity about personal values can ultimately lead to getting that "almost" perfect position and greater career satisfaction. "Transforming leadership is ultimately spiritual leadership. It is encouraging people to be their best selves and to do their best work, not because they fear being held accountable but because they want to live their values. It is connecting them to the higher purpose and greater meaning of their everyday work." One's legacy is measured by the achievements of those one has helped, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Forgive all the quotations but sometimes the original words say it best. November 7-13 is National Nurse Practitioner Week. Celebrate the leaders in your life, which includes YOU.
Jamesetta A. Newland, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, DPNAP, FAAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected]
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