We are marching toward our amazing annual Congress, by far the most exciting face-to-face networking and educational opportunity we have as an organization. I am incredibly excited for our time to learn and grow together. I'm eager to see old friends and just as excited to meet new colleagues. The bridges throughout the city are a physical reminder of what we are building-our strong orthopaedic connections. I have challenged my fellow board members to be on the lookout and encourage our rising leaders. In my final President's message, I want to ignite your leadership desires and nudge you with a push to take the next steps to lead in our organization. There are various opportunities locally and nationally. We need you at the local level to cull other passionate orthopaedic nurses in your area. Perhaps, you are ready to step into a chapter or affiliate as an opportunity to advance your career and leadership. Congress is our big national opportunity where we can build on what's happening in your cities and regions.
I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my call to leadership, and I'd like to share a few thoughts on my leadership journey. I have had the pleasure to lead within orthopaedic nursing at the local and national levels. I remember seeing the president of NAON address the membership at my first Congress and feeling the call to someday become a national leader. The call to leadership can manifest in many ways. There is no one principle that can assure your readiness to lead; there are many areas to explore when considering moving beyond participation to leading. Here are some principles I have found to be essential during my nursing leadership experiences.
Courage
Leadership takes courage of many forms. Courage is needed to apply for a position or run for an elected position. Although colleagues can encourage you, only you can apply. Courage is knowing that you may not get the position but applying anyway. You never know what could be if you do not have the courage to take the first step. It also takes courage to make difficult leadership decisions and to speak up when you are in disagreement with others. Leadership will also require you to do new things that may be outside of your comfort zone like public speaking or writing for a publication. There are ways to get started and get more comfortable like running a meeting or sending email communication. These are only a few examples of why leaders need courage.
Passion, Dedication, and Commitment
Although these nouns can sometimes be used as synonyms, they are slightly nuanced when considering the readiness to lead. Leadership is hard work. Passion is a strong emotion that can sometimes be described as having the ability to take over the mind or judgment. Adoration and love can also be used as synonyms for passion. What are you passionate about? What do you love? It is the passion and love that will help you throughout the long hours that are sure to lie ahead. Dedication or the act of devoting yourself wholly and earnestly can be interchanged with faithfulness and loyalty. Commitment is another synonym for dedication but with a slightly different twist. Are you committed to the organization you are serving? Taken together, are you passionate, dedicated, and committed to set and keep a schedule? Are you so passionate about your work that you are willing to hold yourself accountable or find someone to help you remain accountable? Are you committed to keep your promises to others and the organization? Do you think you will become complacent with your work? If you do become complacent, are you willing to be held accountable and turn it around?
Vision
Leadership requires vision. It can be very difficult to get out of the day-to-day operations and think more broadly about where the organization is going or what should be offered to your group. Moving away from thinking "How am I going to get through today's tasks" and onto "Where are we going as an organization?" is not easy. Thankfully, we have mentors who can help us think and plan strategically to develop a vision for the organization. Did you ever wonder why strategic planning sessions are held off-site and possibly with a consultant? It is because of the difficulty of shifting from the daily tasks to the vision; a change in physical space helps open our minds to the possibilities needed for a strong vision. Vision informs strategies and plans and must come first. Do you have dreams about the possibilities of your organization? Do you see yourself moving away from the day-to-day work and more toward vision? One image to consider is a bike. Are you ready to shift your energy away from the pedals of the bike and take the handlebars? Do you know where you want to take the bike? Then you might be ready to lead.
Relationships/Network
Meaningful and enduring relationships and networks are also keys to leadership. You might consider relationships and networks in terms of mentors and mentees. In a more informal setting, you may consider who you can reach out to if you have a question or what experts you are connected to who can help you solve a problem. One thing is clear, you cannot be a leader unless you have a group of people who you trust and who also trust you. Having a network of people who believe in you, will celebrate and cheer you on, recognize your efforts, and give you open and honest feedback is essential. Can you name people who you can count on? Do people in your organization count on you?
Being a leader is incredibly powerful and rewarding. Taking an organization to new heights will require a combination of courage, passion, dedication, commitment, vision, and networking. Reflecting on how you interact with these principles and practices is a good start to exploring your readiness to lead.
A good next step is to write down examples of how you have already demonstrated these principles in your life. These examples will be helpful when applying and interviewing for leadership positions. If it is difficult to find examples in your own work, seek out ways to contribute to NAON or through other volunteering opportunities. How can you gain experience in these areas to help shape your leadership potential? With examples of how you have demonstrated your courage, passion, and vision along with trusting relationships, it will only be a matter of time before you are recognized by leaders and extended an invitation to leadership.
It has been the honor of my career to lead NAON this past year. There have been many challenges; during these challenges, I have seen multiple examples of courageous, dedicated, and visionary groups of leaders come to the table. It's time for you to join us-Your NAON leaders are looking for you. See you in Pittsburgh.