Discussion: Characteristics of Effective Leaders

Sergio has been working at Intermedical Regional Hospital for 14 years as a nurse. Over the course of his tenure, he has had two different bosses who starkly contrasted one another. Angel, his first boss, struggled to maintain authority over his charges. He allowed people to talk him into things, avoided conflict whenever possible, and was inconsistent. Angel was in his position for 4 years, and then Maria took over. Maria was a “rules person.” She held the nurses to high standards, intervened when things were not done properly, and offered praise when they were. Maria is clearly the better leader, but what makes her that way? Is leadership inherent in some people, or do the circumstances determine the success of leaders?

In this Discussion, you will consider a boss or manager who you have had in the past and analyze the characteristics that person possessed that made them either an effective or ineffective leader. You will consider the concepts of personality, skills, and relationships and examine their impact on effective leadership.

To prepare:

• Review Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in the textbook.
• Review the Learning Resources that deal with leadership
• Identify someone with whom you have worked in the past who served as a leader. (Note: Do not share the person’s real name; rather, make an alias for the person.)
• Evaluate that person’s leadership skills from the perspectives of personality, skills, and relationships.

By Day 4

Post a comprehensive response to the following:

• What characteristics made that person an effective or ineffective leader?
• Describe the person’s leadership qualities from the perspectives of personality (Chapter 4), skills (Chapter 5), and relationships (Chapter 6). Reference the textbook where appropriate.
• What conflicts and challenges arose during your work together?
• How did the leader assist in working through it?
• Did you play a role in resolving the issue? If so, describe the situation.
• What did you learn from this person’s effective or ineffective leadership that you can apply to your own interprofessional interactions?
• Your Discussion post should follow APA guidelines and have proper formatting.

350 words minimum