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intelligence? People who do not understand themselves are limited in their ability to understand people with whom they are working. They are far more likely to fool themselves than are self-aware people. For example, it is much easier to be fair with a coworker you like than with one you do not like. Recognizing that you like some people more than others is the first step in avoiding unfair treatment based on personal likes and dislikes. Behaviors of an Effective Leader Leadership requires action. The effective leader chooses the action carefully. Important leadership behaviors include setting priorities, thinking critically, solving problems, respecting people, communicating skillfully, communicating a vision for the future, and developing oneself and others. ■ Setting priorities. Whether planning care for a group of patients or creating a strategic plan for an organization, priorities continually shift and demand your attention. As a leader you will need to remember the three E’s of prioritization: evaluate, eliminate, and estimate. Continually evaluate what you need to do, eliminate tasks that someone else can do, and estimate how long your top priorities will take you to complete. ■ Thinking critically. Critical thinking is the careful, deliberate use of reasoned analysis to reach a decision about what to believe or what to do (Feldman, 2002). The essence of critical thinking is a willingness to ask questions and to be open to new ideas or new ways to do things. To avoid falling prey to assumptions and biases of your own or others, ask yourself frequently, “Do I have the information I need? Is it accurate? Am I prejudging a situation?” ( Jackson, Ignatavicius, & Case, 2004). ■ Solving problems. Patient problems, paperwork problems, staff problems: these and others occur frequently and need to be solved. The effective leader helps people identify problems and work through the problemsolving process to find a reasonable solution. ■ Respecting and valuing the individual. Although people have much in common, each individual has different wants and needs and has had different life experiences. For example, some people really value the psychological rewards of helping others; other people are more concerned about earning a decent salary. There is nothing wrong with either of these points of view; they are simply different. The effective leader recognizes these differences in people and helps them find the rewards in their work that mean the most to them. ■ Skillful communication. This includes listening to others, encouraging exchange of information, and providing feedback: 1. Listening to others. Listening is separate from talking with other people; listening involves both giving and receiving information. The only way to find out people’s individual wants and needs is to watch what they do and to listen to what they say. It is amazing how often leaders fail simply because they did not listen to what other people were trying to tell them. 2. Encouraging exchange of information. Many misunderstandings and mistakes occur because people fail to share enough information with each other. The leader’s role is to make sure that the channels of communication remain open and that people use them. 3. Providing feedback. Everyone needs some information about the effectiveness of their performance. Frequent feedback, both positive and negative, is needed so people can continually improve their performance. Some nurse leaders find it difficult to give negative feedback because they fear that they will upset the other person. How else can the person know where improvement is needed? Negative feedback can be given in a manner that is neither hurtful nor resented by the individual receiving it. In fact, it is often appreciated. Other nurse leaders, however, fail to give positive feedback, assuming that coworkers will know when they are doing a good job. This is also a mistake because everyone appreciates positive feedback. In fact, for some people, it is the most important reward they get from their jobs. 3663_Chapter 1_0003-0016.indd 10 663_Chapter 1_0003-0016.indd 10 9/15/2014 4:36:37 PM /15/2014 4:36:37 PM Process Cyan rocess CyanProcess Magenta rocess MagentaProcess Yellow rocess YellowProcess Black rocess Black chapter 1
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