Discussion #5 replies
Respond to at least two of your colleagues by making recommendations for how they might strengthen the leadership behaviors profiled in their StrengthsFinder assessment, or by commenting on lessons to be learned from the results that can be applied to personal leadership philosophies and behaviors. Please use at least 2 current scholarly resources.
1) Post by Gwen Osong
Leadership Profile
Healthcare systems and organizations continue to evolve and significantly transform to meet the increasing demand for delivering the highest quality patient care. Therefore, healthcare practitioners, including nurses, have adopted transformational leadership and other management and leadership approaches to meet these demands. In nursing, transformational leadership has been instrumental since it motivates nurse practitioners to take ownership of their roles while performing beyond minimum expectations (Collins et al., 2020). As a nurse practitioner, I recognize the importance of leadership skills and their usefulness in delivering effective, safe, high-quality patient care.
Completing the Gallup Strengths Finder Assessment has proved vital in helping professionals identify their areas of strength. For example, Broome and Marshall (2021) noted that identifying individual leadership and management strengths is particularly vital. It helps nurses recognize their personalities and leverage these strengths while incorporating approaches to mitigate or improve core values fundamental to promoting effective leadership. Notably, this process allows nurses to maximize their potential, becoming the best on a professional and personal level.
Five Signature Themes
The Gallup Strengths Finder Assessment results revealed that my five signature themes include individualization, harmony, input, empathy, and development. For instance, a strength in harmony gives one the capacity for conflict resolution. Individualization and harmony are crucial since they promote collaboration, coordination, and conflict resolution. Research revealed that collaboration, coordination, and conflict resolution are vital aspects of nursing that ensure effective, safe, and high-quality care in nursing practice (Grubaugh & Flynn, 2018).
Similarly, Input categorically fosters nursing research which proves instrumental in ensuring the delivery of evidence-based and best-practice care and interventions (Schaefer & Welton, 2018). I recognize my strength in this area since I have always emphasized the need for nursing research in all aspects. Furthermore, the Gallup Strengths Finder Assessment reveals my input capacity to accumulate ideas, information, artifacts, and relationship. In addition, I have always deemed myself a caring and empathetic person, which helped in my pursuit of nursing practice, thereby supporting the empathy signature theme.
Core Values and Two Strengths
The Gallup Strengths Finder Assessment helped identify my core values and strengths in leadership. The core values that will make me an exceptional nurse include emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and integrity. These core values are evident in the five signature themes denoted by the Gallup Strengths Finder Assessment results. For instance, nurses care for increasingly vulnerable individuals due to their illnesses. Therefore, emotional intelligence gives one the capacity to help patients better cope with the stressors and challenges their illness presents. Notably, my maximum strengths denote my individualization and harmony. For instance, individualization allows me to identify unique qualities in others and figure out how different individuals can work together to promote productivity.
Two Characteristics I Would Like to Strengthen
The two characteristics that I would like to strengthen include focus and futuristic. On the one hand, developing a futuristic mentality will help in strategic planning and becoming inspired by future possibilities. Notably, nursing practice and processes are increasingly evolving and transforming. Therefore, developing strength in the futuristic theme would prove vital in helping me better adapt to and embrace changes. In contrast, the focus would increase my execution capacity, helping me better follow through, prioritize, and make corrections where necessary.
References
Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
Collins, E., Owen, P., Digan, J., & Dunn, F. (2020). Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice. Nurs Stand, 35(5), 59-66.
Grubaugh, M. L., & Flynn, L. (2018). Relationships among nurse manager leadership skills, conflict management, and unit teamwork. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 48(7/8), 383–388. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000633
Schaefer, J. D., & Welton, J. M. (2018). Evidence-based practice readiness: A concept analysis. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(6), 621-629. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12599
CliftonStrengths _ Gallup Access.pdf (39.389 KB)
2) Post by
RE: Discussion – Week 5 Main Discussion Post 
For my Strengthsfinder assessment many eye opening perspectives came through for me as I tried to understand my personality and leadership strengths and weaknesses after review.
Values, Strengths, and Characteristics Identified and Wish to Improve
Harmony was listed as one of the main guiding core values of mine that I would like to continue to strengthen. I do value peace and calmness. I will avoid arguing viewpoints, or claiming my opinions and hold my peace when others are voicing claims and opinionated. This report details that when others start to complain, I steer clear of debate. Making me reflect on the need to work on my debate skills. I feel it is possible to discuss, and debate in a calm, healthy way, that can show I am more able to speak as a leader and direct conversations and decisions without too much friction or conflict. Another noted core value centered around responsibility. I feel emotionally tied to make sure things are done right in my view for the sake of my clear conscience and values. I look for ways to make mistakes up to people if I feel as though I have made one. This report puts the idea of “my good name depends on it” well. This value of mine does not let me live with myself until I have made restitution. I appreciate this value in myself, especially as a practicing nurse, as nursing requires the utmost sense of responsibility to be successful.
Another Clifton strength from the report was labeled restorative. I love to solve problems. The summary of this strength was that I thrive with new problems arising because I thrive on analyzing and finding solutions. Having a knack for taking problems head on, enjoying the puzzle solving, and finding a way to please all parties in the conflict satisfies me, and I feel is a strength to try to continue to improve upon. I believe this desire comes from knowing the great satisfaction of finding the solution that is the basis of why more problems at work are not always a stressful time for me, but a more exciting time. I think it is also important to note that part of solving problems is knowing that I do not have all the solutions myself. A good leader should be able to enjoy solving problems but also enjoy continued input and learning on a constant basis in order to be successful as a leader. Leadership development is a constant must for all nurses and nurse leaders in order to make safe and rational decisions, especially when considering their patients and patient safety (Fardellone et al., 2014). Which is why I acknowledge the need to continue improving this strength of mine throughout my nursing career.
The second strength that came to note in this report is my ability to please others. I see that I have a desire to entertain and get others to like me. One benefit of this strength is that I do value striking up conversations with new people and engaging strangers when many others shy away from speaking to new people. After reflection I realize that I can possibly work on focusing less on winning others over through entertaining and chatting, and focus more on sticking true to my values, speaking when necessary and overshare less. There is a balance between having fun and sharing stories, and being able to showcase seriousness, confidence in my values, that is less driven to win others over all the time. The aim is to build valuable connections with co-workers. Exemplary nurse leaders possess the ability to form personal connections with staff (Anonson et al., 2013).
Characteristics that were noted and wished to be strengthened was my quality of being a person of seeking peace, and avoiding to rock the boat was a noted characteristic after reviewing the report. I look for areas of agreement. I do believe this to be true. I consider the path most are agreeable to when considering decisions affecting all. I prioritize keeping the peace on occasion. This report states that my opinion is there is not much to be gained from conflict and friction. However, I understand the value of healthy confrontation, although uncomfortable at times, when appropriate. I do agree however that I would prefer to steer clear of confrontation and learn toward harmony as a natural characteristic of mine. Sometimes I change my own objectives to go with the flow.
The second characteristic noted in this report was my attribute to stick closer to the people I know. A relator. Although I have a strength to strike up conversation, break ice and entertain people on occasion, I prefer to be in my comfort zone and stick to the few friends I know well, and tend to be lazy when trying to bond with numerous or new people.
Hopefully with continued assessment and reflection, my leadership skills can continue to refine and grow as I can view and acknowledge areas needing improvement and areas to continue. Quality engagement and leadership is vital for quality patient care and achieving patient safety (Daly et al., 2014).
References
Anonson, J., Walker, M. E., Arries, E., Maposa, S., Telford, P., & Berry, L. (2013). Qualities of exemplary nurse leaders: Perspectives of Frontline Nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 22(1), 127–136. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12092
Daly, J., Jackson, D., Mannix, J., Davidson, P., & Hutchinson, M. (2014). The importance of clinical leadership in the hospital setting. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 75. https://doi.org/10.2147/jhl.s46161
Fardellone, C., Musil, C. M., Smith, E., & Click, E. R. (2014). Leadership behaviors of frontline staff nurses. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(11), 506–513. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20141023-05
StrenghtsFinder 2.0 signature-theme-501-0-79412123-20220928190442779000000-84BXE1.pdf (236.16 KB)
