Sample Answer for NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE Included After Question
Do you believe you have the traits to be an effective leader? Perhaps you are already in a supervisory role, but as has been discussed previously, appointment does not guarantee leadership skills.
How can you evaluate your own leadership skills and behaviors? You can start by analyzing your performance in specific areas of leadership. In this Discussion, you will complete Gallup’s StrengthsFinder assessment. This assessment will identify your personal strengths, which have been shown to improve motivation, engagement, and academic self-conference. Through this assessment, you will discover your top five themes—which you can reflect upon and use to leverage your talents for optimal success and examine how the results relate to your leadership traits.
To Prepare:
Complete the StrengthsFinder assessment instrument, per the instructions found in this Module’s Learning Resources.
Please Note: This Assessment will take roughly 30 minutes to complete.
- Once you have completed your assessment, you will receive your “Top 5 Signature Themes of Talent” on your screen.
- Click the Download button below Signature Theme Report, and then print and save the report. We also encourage you to select the Apply tab to review action items.
NOTE: Please keep your report. You will need your results for future courses. Technical Issues with Gallup:
If you have technical issues after registering, please contact the Gallup Education Support group by phone at +1.866-346-4408. Support is available 24 hours/day from 6:00 p.m. Sunday U.S. Central Time through 5:00 p.m. Friday U.S. Central Time.
- Reflect on the results of your Assessment, and consider how the results relate to your leadership traits.
- Download your Signature Theme Report to submit for this Discussion.
By Day 3 of Week 5
Post a brief description of your results from the StrengthsFinder assessment. Then, briefly describe two core values, two strengths, and two characteristics that you would like to strengthen based on the results of your StrengthsFinder assessment. Be specific. Note: Be sure to attach your Signature Theme Report to your Discussion post.
By Day 6 of Week 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days 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.
Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Title: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
In completing the Clifton Strengths Assessment and learning my top five dominant themes of talent, which include in the order learner, responsibility, achiever, relator, and belief (Gallup & Rath, 2007). I knew I had always loved learning but never related being a learner to strength in leadership or a theme of talent. Of course, nursing is where we never stop learning. To bring the most recent evidence-based care, we must continuously learn. Being responsible has always been a core value. I respect others that are responsible and demand responsibility in myself; I have always believed everyone should finish what they start. Being an achiever surprised me even though I love accomplishing things and feel I cannot do enough for my team, family, friends, and especially my patients. To me, this was just being myself. I have always wanted to be a nurse, and I believe that when you are responsible for others, you must give 100 plus percent. Overall, the Clifton Strengths Assessment surprised me with how well it fits the core values I have always believed in.
Core Values, Strengths, and Characteristics
The strengths and core values I would like to continue to build on are responsibility and the learner. Being responsible is a characteristic every nurse and every leader should possess as nurse leaders must be able to empower our team to adapt quickly to changing protocols and procedures. Being responsible is a trait of a transformational leader who leads by example and sets the exact expectations for the team (Collins et al., 2020). I want to build on my strength as a learner. For one, I love learning, and as a leader, I would inspire my team to continue learning and growing. Transformational leaders inspire others to reach for their goals or to develop new goals by coaching and empowering the team members to grow (Collins et al., 2020). The transformational leadership style has increased job satisfaction and decreased organizational turnover. Recent studies have shown that employees are more involved and want to achieve, are willing to participate, and are more accepting of change and learning. (Martins Abelha et al., 2018). These are the same traits and characteristics I want my patients to see in me as a nurse practitioner in primary care. These core strengths would help my patients believe in me and know that I want the best care for them and my team.
References
Collins, E., Owen, P., Digan, J., & Dunn, F. (2020). Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice. Nursing Standard, 35(5), 59–66. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2019.e11408
Gallup, & Rath, T. (2007). Strength Finders 2.0. United States: Gallup Press.
Martins Abelha, D., César da Costa Carneiro, P., & Cavazotte, F. (2018). Transformational leadership and job satisfaction: Assessing the influence of organizational contextual factors and individual characteristics. Review of Business Management, 20(4), 516–532. https://doi.org/10.7819/rbgn.v0i0.3949
signature-theme-501-0-78153452-20220927182843873000000-pHrndm.pdf (236.255 KB)
A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Title: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Great job describing your top themes from the assessment. I noticed we share the achiever and learner themes. Something beneficial I read in Rath (2007) that can help strengthen the achiever theme is remembering to build celebration into our lives as we accomplish things because achievers tend to move right along to the next undertaking without acknowledging successes. I found myself reflecting on some significant accomplishments of mine and realizing that I had, in fact, not celebrated or taken the time to recognize the work I put into those victories.
The belief theme is one I do not share with you, but as I read the description and reflected on your discussion post, I thought it sounded pretty accurate. For example, you mentioned that you have always wanted to be a nurse. Being a nurse, while rewarding, can be challenging, and Rath (2007) notes that for those with the belief theme, their work must be meaningful and matter to them. With that in mind, one way to strengthen this leadership behavior is to ensure that you take time to balance your work with your home life. This is crucial because, as Lonska et al. (2021) point out, a work-life imbalance can negatively affect work sustainability and employees’ physical and mental health.
References
Lonska, J., Mietule, I., Litavniece, L., Arbidane, I., Vanadzins, I., Matisane, L., & Paegle, L. (2021). Work-life balance of the employed population during the emergency situation of COVID-19 in Latvia. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(1), Article e682459. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682459
Rath, T. (2007). Strengthsfinder 2.0. Gallup Press.
A Sample Answer 3 For the Assignment: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Title: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
It was interesting to read about your talent for learning. Learning is definitely a talent that I would love to cultivate within myself. I probably should’ve written about learning in my discussion, but instead chose to touch on two other areas I would like to see improved. Learning involves discovery and the problem I have is that I don’t want to discover anything I am not interested in. “Nurses entering practice today must be prepared to meet continually increasing demands for rapid-cycle improvement within a turbulent environment of shifting demographics, advancing technology, and diminishing resources.” (Fischer, S. 2017) There is no way a nurse can prepare for these demands unless they are open to the never-ending process of learning. “Health care professionals need to update their skills regularly and continuing education, or continued professional development (CPD) enables the renewal and updating of skills in health care settings.” (Mlambo et al., 2021)
Fischer, S. A. (2017). Transformational Leadership in Nursing Education: Making the Case. NURSING SCIENCE QUARTERLY, 30(2), 124–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318417693309
Mlambo, M, Silen, C., McGrath, C., (2021) Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20 (62). Retrieved on September 28, 2022 from doi: 10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2
A Sample Answer 4 For the Assignment: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Title: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Do you think being an achiever could be detrimental if taken too far? You are a high achiever and expect as much from your staff, but how would you balance those expectations? In my assessment I also got achiever, and sometimes I feel that I am the only person who can do anything right. There needs to be a balance and asking for help.
The subject matter that interests me most will be determined by my other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, I will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for me. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what I have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices me.
Communication
I like to explain, describe, host, speak in public, and write. This is my communication theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. I feel a need to bring them to life, energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so, I turn events into stories and practice telling them. I take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. I believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. I want my information—whether an idea, an event, a product’s features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson—to survive. Simple opportunities for improvement present themselves if we just maintain an open mind (Paige, 2016).
Includer
This is the philosophy around which I orient my life. I want to include people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive groups, I actively avoid those groups that exclude others. I want to expand the group so that as many people as possible can benefit from its support. I hate the sight of someone on the outside looking in. I want to draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. I am an instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, I cast few judgments. Judgments can hurt a person’s feelings. Accepting nature does not necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important. Thus, no one should be ignored
Positivity
I am generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Some call me lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as mine, seems to be. But either way, people want to be around me. Their world looks better around me because my enthusiasm is contagious. Lacking my energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure. I seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. I inject drama into every project. I celebrate every achievement. Somehow I can’t quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one’s sense of humor.
Achiever
My Achiever theme helps explain my drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. I feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day, I must achieve something tangible to feel good about myself. And by “every day” I mean every single day—workdays, weekends, vacations. No matter how much I may feel I deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, I will feel dissatisfied. I have an internal fire burning inside me. It pushes me to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing me toward the next accomplishment. My relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with me.
Briefly describe two core values:
I am an altruistic person. As Swank, J. M., Ohrt, J. H., & Robinson wrote in a study posted in the National Library of Medicine, Altruism entails supporting patients’ and nurses’ concerns for their patient’s well-being within the scope of their professional responsibilities. In truth, altruism is defined as the act of caring for others without expecting anything in return. Altruistic action is driven by care for others or by internalized ideals, aspirations, and self-benefits rather than by a desire for tangible or social rewards or to avoid punishment. (Swank, J. M., Ohrt, J. H., & Robinson, 2013). Humanistic care and altruism are connected to empathy in that, after understanding another person’s circumstances, one is more likely to engage in an act of kindness and experience enjoyment as a consequence. Empathy is a prerequisite for charity. In other words, before engaging in a beneficial activity, one must be able to empathize with another.
Briefly describe two strengths in nursing leadership
Compassion and empathy. These skills may be used by nurse leaders not just while dealing with patients, but also when working with and training other nurses. Compassion and empathy enhance training and team communication while also assisting nurse leaders in understanding and reducing nursing job pressures. Also, the capacity to motivate, inspire, and engage nursing staff are leadership strengths in nursing which will drive health care personnel to collaborate in order to maximize their potential and achieve organizational goals. Nurses with high self-efficacy are more engaged in interprofessional collaboration (Costanzo et al., 2019).
For me, the two strengths I’d like to improve myself are patience and resistance to stress. Patience is essential when defining what true leadership skills are all about. If our direct reports show signs of strain or uncertainty, we need to be able to support them, not get irritated. If we think about what patience is, it’s having the ability to stay calm in the face of disappointment, adversity, or distress. Nurses who have a high sense of self-efficacy and patience are more likely to engage in interprofessional teamwork (Costanzo et al., 2019). As Maslach in one of the studies posted in the National Library of Medicine, stress creates Burnout over time, which is described as a psychological response to prolonged pressures by three independent but linked dimensions: emotional weariness, cynicism or depersonalization, and a perceived lack of personal success. (Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P, 2001). Being your best self means playing to your strengths at work and everywhere else (Gallup, 2019)
Reference:
Costanzo, A. J., Gormley, D. K., Hill-Clark, J., Israel, J., Goetz, J., Staubach, K., … Little, M (2019). Leadership Development and Interprofessional Nurse-Led Bedside Rounding
Improves Nurse Leadership Self-Efficacy. Nurse Leader, 17(3), 257–262. https://doiorg. ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2018.10.0
Gallup. 2019. Strengths finder. Retrieved from: https://walden.gallup.com/application/strengthsquest#home
Paige, A. (2016, October 26). How to Be Open-Minded in the Work Place. Retrieved from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/openminded-work-place-10166.html
Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397
Swank, J. M., Ohrt, J. H., & Robinson, E. H. M. (2013, March 31). A qualitative exploration of counseling students’ perception of altruism. Journal of Humanistic Counseling.
Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1003888
A Sample Answer 5 For the Assignment: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Title: NURS 6053 YOUR LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Your post is excellent and contains a great discussion point on the value of planning enough time to strategize for success. I enjoyed reading your assessment findings for the core values section, and how this relates to your professional role and goals. Realistically speaking, your analysis of values-based leadership provides us all with a great learning experience: leadership requires plenty of advanced planning, from the communication stage to the evaluation of the results, to maximize the talents and success of the staff, and all stakeholders who are focused on real-time changes in workplace settings. Great post and selection of scholarly sources supporting this discussion.
Thank you for sharing this insight with our class!
I believe those in a leadership role should have compassion and empathy for the patients and their staff. Leaders supporting their staff decrease stress and burnout and improve patient outcomes (Kiwanuka et al., 2020). Nurses who feel supported have higher job satisfaction and are less likely to leave their employment (Kiwanuka et al., 2020). Leadership has the power to make an organization great or to make it a terrible place. There is a balance between what is best for the staff and what is best for the organization.
Kiwanuka, F., Nanyonga, R. C., Sak‐Dankosky, N., Muwanguzi, P. A., & Kvist, T. (2020, September 21). Nursing leadership styles and their impact on intensive care unit quality measures: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(2), 133–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13151
First of all I would say I like the way you have put your assessment theme into the steps with its elaborations. I enjoy reading this post. I aslo had all five themes as yours but mine appeared in different steps. I had the Includer as my top and the achiever as my last step. We may have similarities in thoughs and behaviors. From the Gallup assessment, the Includer widens the gap and include everyone’s contributions into the mix. This I believe is a trait of the Transformational leadership style which is mostly appropraite for the nursing environment.
Transformational leadership is the leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow. The extent to which a leader is transformational, is measured first, in terms of his influence on the followers (Kotlyar & Karakowsky, 2007). The followers of such a leader feel trust, admiration, loyalty, and respect for the leader and because of the qualities of the transformational leader, people are willing to work harder than originally expected. This trait leads towards all the five themes most people got from their assessment.
Thank you for yourcontribution to the post. All the best.
Gallup. 2019. Strengths finder. Retrieved from https://walden.gallup.com/application/strengthsquest#home
Kotlyar, I., & Karakowsky, L. (2007). Falling Over Ourselves to Follow the Leader. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, 38-49