What does it mean to be a leader? In the past, I would think of a nurse leader as any nurse in a management position or an advanced practice nurse. After reading Finding the Leader Within: Thoughts on Leadership in Nursing, my perspective has changed. Let me share the following words of the authors to help you understand why we all can be, and should be, nurse leaders:

…real leadership is less about a title or institutionally granted power, and more about how we “show up” in the myriad of moments that make up our days.

…leadership is an “in the moment experience”

…being a leader is basically about constantly trying to be a better person.

The authors’ work has focused on helping individuals find the “leader within” and developing behaviors to share their leadership with others. To do this, they identified five “skill-cepts”, that is, skills derived from leadership concepts:

1. Know your stuff - have the knowledge and be confident in it
2. Have a goal - know where you are going
3. Stay “in role” - focus on your goals and how to achieve them; avoid taking things personally (you really must read this part of the article in its entirety!)
4. Love the fight - recognize resistance as a sign that you are making an impact
5. Cultivate gratitude - remember there is always something positive to gain, even when you are faced with challenges

I hope you find this article as inspiring as I did. You can read it free online until 7/1/11 as it is from our current featured journal. Let me know what you think!

Reference: Gordin, P.C. & Trey, B. (2011). Finding the Leader Within. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 25(2), pp. 115-118.