Personal Principles and Values of Leadership

• Analyze your own principles, values, beliefs, and behaviors, citing examples and research to support your assessment.
• What are your fundamental principles (e.g., four universal principles)?
• What are your core values?
• What are your beliefs about people in organizations, people outside organizations, power, processes/policies, and profit?
• In what ways do your behaviors align (or don’t align) to your principles, values, and beliefs?
• From research, choose two leadership theories that you most relate to in terms of your own leadership. Provide a substantive synthesis of each leadership theory, including primary authors or researchers, the major points of each theory, and the similarities and differences between the two theories.
• Analyze your leadership in relation to each of the two leadership theories, discussing how your principles, values, beliefs, and behaviors align (or don’t align) with each of the theories.
• Compare your own leadership qualities with that of the famous leader (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.). Where are you similar to that leader and where are you different from that leader? Use examples and research to support your assessment.
• Using examples and research, justify at least three key insights from your study that you can use to enhance the ethical aspects of your leadership influence.

Solution

Every person, whether belonging to any race, region or religion has its roots dependent on some fundamental beliefs, principles, and values. These values, principles, and beliefs drive the behavior of a person and bind together a personality. These principles, values, beliefs and consequently our behavior counts; which shapes our lives and of the ones around us as well. The individuals with different backgrounds with their varying values, beliefs, and principles make up the unit which we call an organization, whether it is a small café or a big public hospital. These values and principles fundamental shape everything around us.

The four fundamental principles which would consider universal for me would be;

1. Respect: everyone has a right to get respect as a human and as the person; they are and not from what others think of them or want them to be. It implies that there should be equal respect for every person, withers they belong to a public office or are in detention.
2. Individualism: I am a very strong supporter of the right of individuals to be who they are, and want to be. I strongly condemn the societal notions of expectations from any member of the society. Everyone has the right to be a separate individual free from the expectations of others.
3. Acceptance: Every person should be accepted. Every person should feel accepted. It includes the acceptance of their differences, their disagreements, their culture, their skins, their beliefs, their dressing and their lifestyle.
4. Confidentiality: People have full right to their privacy. They have the right to have all information about them whether medical or educational to be kept private and confidential unless they approve to disclose and share it with others.

Core values

1. Honesty: My beliefs are firmly based on the values of honesty. Being honest with yourself and others is necessary for me to live a life in which I do not feel guilty of being dishonest to someone. Our feelings about ourselves, others, work we do, and others do have to be honest to remove any chances of misunderstanding and lack of trust.
2. Empathy: Empathy is really important to me. I am the type of person who wants to understand the other’s perspective, the circumstances in which a person is surrounded by. It has helped me get along with my colleagues and teammates effectively and understand their position.
3. Trust: Trust is important to me. I have been betrayed many times in my life. But it has made me put faith in trust more. I believe that we cannot earn someone’s trust if we are not willing to trust them ourselves. Even though there might be a risk of betrayal from your partners, still, one commits betrayal themselves by not trusting others.
4. Integrity: Moral uprightness, ethically right, honest and truthfulness are the core values without which one cannot consider itself as having the integrity.

Beliefs

Working within a nursing environment, one needs to be empathic about the organization, its people, its customers, its policies, and its position to make profits. I believe that the values, principles, and beliefs of the people make the culture of an organization. What type of people is brought into the organization depends on the values, principles, and beliefs of the organization and management? If the organization is pursuing high integrity in its employees, it will look for such people. Our work environment makes us work with integrity, honesty, and empathy for each other. We are very passionate about the organizational goals because it gives us the challenge to help the patients not only be providing them the service but also by making the hospital profitable as well. The policies of the organization are aligned with the core values of the organization and mine as well. It makes working easier and passionate for me. However, it is not the case with everyone. We know that only 30% of the workers in the US are inspired to work. And there are about 18% who are completely disengaged. I believe that organizations should identify these people and try to incorporate their values into their firms as well.

Alignment of behavior with principles, values, and beliefs

My core values, principles, and beliefs are very much evident to my coworkers and my management. It is because of the reason that my behavior is very much aligned with my beliefs. My behavior regarding what I do, what I prioritize, how I behave in situations, how I enjoy my leisure time, how I communicate, how I am passionate about the work is reflective of my values, principles, and beliefs. I am a very honest person. I do not lie ever. It has led me to difficult situations at work precisely when I am asked for other’s performance or their contribution to the organization. I always give every one person a chance to win my trust. I trust everyone at the first meeting and believe everything that they say or commit to. Their further behavior dependent on the fulfillment of their commitments or staying true to their word develops the trust. It does not mean that if a person failed to fulfill his commitment, I do not trust him from then onwards. I try to be empathic and consider their situation and circumstances. In my point of view, I don’t align with my beliefs of individualism. I tend to catch myself judging people when they do something different which seems wrong to me. I necessarily do not have to judge them as right or wrong.

Leadership Contingency Theory | Path-Goal Theory

Leadership matters for inspiring, and engaging peoples, stakeholders and colleagues. Without a satisfied workforce safety and quality is not achievable. The implementation of leadership theory in nursing has been found to have effective results. A study has shown that the clinical leadership in an effective manner can ensure that the health care system has the safety and efficient care that it requires. The identification of the relevant leadership styles and theories to their using practice can be instrumental (Hui Xu, 2017). One of these theories is the Path-goal theory which was put forward by Robert House in 1971 and later revised in 1996. The principal basis of the theory is that the behavior of the leader is contingent on the motivation, performance, and satisfaction of the subordinates (Wong, 2015). It means that the leader will engage in the behavior which best suits with the subordinates’ abilities and deficiencies. There are four leadership behaviors; the directive behavior, the participative behavior, the supportive behavior and the achievement-oriented behavior (Tengtrakul & Fernando, 2016).

Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid

It is another theory which related to the nursing profession. The theory was presented by the Robert Blake and Jane Mount in 1964. It shows five types of the leadership styles as dependent on the concern for people or the concern for production. The five leadership styles are the indifferent leadership style (impoverished), the accommodating leadership style (country club), the dictatorial leadership style (the produce-or perish style), the opportunistic leadership style (the exploit and manipulate style), the status-quo leadership style (the middle of the road style), the sound leadership style (the team style), and the paternalistic leadership style (prescribe and guide) (Burke, 2017).

Analysis of My Leadership Style in Light of the Theories

As per the path-goal theory, I would consider myself as the participative leader. Nursing calls for very tough situations in which the nurses are needed to involve their subordinates’ opinions, and suggestions before making a decision. Furthermore, the nature of the work makes it highly personal, thus participation of the leader in the work with the subordinates and asking them for their suggestions help build a team environment which is needed in nursing (Balsanelli & Cunha, 2016).

As per the Blake-Mouton Leadership Grid, the leadership style which would best suit the nursing work environment would be the sound leadership style or the team style with the location of 9,9 on the grid this leadership style calls for high concerns over both people and production. The team leadership style calls for commitment and contribution. This type of leadership raises motivation of the employees and encourages teamwork among them. These leaders ask for commitments from their subordinates and ask them to become a constructive part of the organization (Reyes, Andrusyszyn, Iwasiw, Forchuk, & Babenko‐Mould, 2015).

It is evident that the healthcare system is very much in change and chaos at the moment. The problems and situations of organizations are becoming increasingly complex. At these times the leaders are required to keep their staff motivated and inspired when there is instability surrounding them. These times call for the leaders who are adaptable and can identify on time the needs of the constituents of the uncertain environment (Roussel, Thomas, & Harris, 2016).

Now, more than ever, the nursing profession is in need of transformational leaders. These are the leaders who make the people commit to action and also convert their followers into leaders and agent of change.

Comparison of leadership qualities with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

The leadership qualities of Dr. Martin Luther King include his persistent efforts to remain inspired and consequently inspire lead and change other as well. He has an undeterred commitment to do more and more. His commitment to the end goal and in the presence of all the difficulties, his reiterating for the objective of the efforts was tremendous. As a leader, Martin Luther was committed to dreaming big and then deliver bigger. He believed in dreaming together to share the common interest and inspire others. The vision of the Kling enabled him to go on unchartered land, and his confidence to seek out these territories made him a leader who would lead to change. His high demand for respect and acceptance for everyone made him a loyal follower base which still exits. The quality of him to transform his followers into a leader was also phenomenal (Penn State, 2016). Out of all these qualities, I think I share a few as well. I am also a true believer in dreaming big and respecting everyone. I am the type of leader which asks for a commitment from the subordinates and make them inspired and motivated by participating with them. I also believe in transforming followers into leaders by empowering them and making them capable enough to lead others.

Three insights for enhancing the ethical aspects of leadership

After conducting this study, the three insights which I have identified would enhance the ethical aspects of the leadership influence includes;

1. Sustainability
2. Safety
3. Care

I believe that putting more emphasis on the sustainability of the efforts, and activities that are conducted within the profession of nursing is necessary to enhance the ethical aspect of the leadership. Moreover, the incorporation of the safety and care which is fundamental to the nursing profession is also instrumental in elevating the ethical standards of the leadership influence.

References

Balsanelli, A. P., & Cunha, I. C. (2016). Ideal and real leadership of nurses in intensive care units at private and public hospitals. Cogitare Enferm, 21(1), 1-7.

Burke, W. W. (2017). Robert R. Blake and Jane S. Mouton: Concern for People and Production. In The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers (pp. 157-166).

Hui Xu, J. (2017). Leadership theory in clinical practice. Chinese Nursing Research, 4(4), 155-157.

Penn State. (2016, October 19). The Traits of a Leader: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved May 3, 2018, from http://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2016/10/23/the-traits-of-a-leader-dr-martin-luther-king-jr/

Reyes, A. T., Andrusyszyn, M.‐A., Iwasiw, C., Forchuk, C., & Babenko‐Mould, Y. (2015). Reyes, Andrew Thomas, et al. “Nursing students’ understanding and enactment of resilience: a grounded theory study. Journal of advanced nursing, 71(11), 2622-2633.

Roussel, L., Thomas, P. L., & Harris, J. L. (2016). Leadership Theory and Application for Nurse Leaders (7 ed.). Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved from http://samples.jbpub.com/9781284067620/Sample_CH02_Roussel7e.pdf

Tengtrakul, A., & Fernando, M. S. (2016). Toward High Performance Organization Using Path-Goal Theory and Transformation Theories: A Case Study of St. Louis School Chachoengsao. Abac Odi Journal Vision. Action. Outcome, 3(1), 1-21.

Wong, C. A. (2015). Connecting nursing leadership and patient outcomes: state of the science. Journal of nursing management, 23(3), 275-278.