Karen: A Democratic Nurse Manager with 37 Years of Healthcare Experience - Essay Sample

Introduction

Karen. BSN, CCRN is the Nurse Manager of the hospital, where I work as a registered nurse. She reports directly to the Director of Nursing, where she has been a nurse for 37 years. In her previous works, she was a shift supervisor and a unit manager before her current position as the hospital nurse manager. In the interview, I realized that her predominant model of leadership is the democratic style of leadership. Instead of controlling the followers, she works with registered nurses, she treats everyone fairly, without putting herself above the nurses. Even though she reports directly to the DON, she is well respected within the organization (hospital) she was awarded the Nurse Manager of the year award last year, went to the cooperate headquarters In Alabama to receive the award. My philosophy of the democratic model aligns well with her kind of leadership style. In terms of leadership behavior, Karen is well-liked, very respectful, dependable, and polite. Ideally, her strength includes excellent nursing skills and good judgment. However, Karen faces challenges like trying to please everyone all the time. Besides, she can hardly say no to anyone as she willing to share with everyone.

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Applications

As a democratic leader, Karen understands that the healthcare setting does not deprive not employees and clients. In most instances, Karen looks at her situation and compare with others in terms of the tasks instead of status, including a need to make their own decision without relying on other people's opinion. In this context, a leader is expected to have a trusted expert for further clarification (Akhu-Zaheya & Alloubani, 2018). Even though Karen comprehend the health care center as a profitable endeavor, she should identify the issues to overcome the repercussion of choice made.

Karen can apply her leadership not only to the executives, but also staff affiliates to evaluate the vision of an organization. She can exercise democratic leadership to allow individuals to concur and express how things are conducted and how the organization should be handled (Alloubani, 2018). If Karen carries the thought of every individual, the organization' potentials are augmented.

As a democratic leader, Karen needs to encourage the employee's participation and open communication in decisions. She gives staff members feedbacks, accountability, and responsibility based on performance. As a democratic leader, Karen needs to enhance the relationship to delve in quality improvement of processes and systems, rather than team members' mistake. Even though the managers make the ultimate decision, team members and stakeholders are allowed to give honest feedback.

Karen needs to understand that democratic leadership is most applicable when a nurse strives to create a stronger relationship with the employees based on accountability and trust, or when enhancing processes and systems is a top priority. A member can easily exchange ideas, and lengthy discussion is enhanced with a free flow of opinion. Karen needs to understand that she is bestowed with authority to exercise duty on the order of contribution. The approach is the most practical means in which high productivity is achieved to increase group morale. However, she must be aware of the challenge of gathering a quick response from team members.

Analysis

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, a diplomat, politician, bishop, and a French, claimed that "I am more afraid of an army of one hundred sheep led by a lion than an army of one hundred lions led by a sheep" (Alloubani & Akhu-Zaheya, 2018). From this perspective, democratic leaders are those who can influence a group towards realizing specific sets of goals. A leader should be an individual who can dramatically influence productivity, team, and group' effectiveness.

Democratic leaders allow members to be engaged in the decision-making process. In essence, democratic leadership creates a platform where every member's legitimate voice is heard in which relationship is fostered (Galston, 2018). Ideally, democratic leaders have a unique trademark, such as fairness, competence, creativity, courage, intelligence, and honesty. For instance, influential democratic leaders are expected to respect and inspire trust among staff members. From this perspective, the leaders tend to be sincere and decide on prevailing issues based on values and morals (Huber, 2017). Based on their leadership skills, team members are inspired to contribute and take action to the group. Good leaders strive to obtain diverse opinions from members and refute to silence dissenting opinions, including those with fewer ideas.

Since team members are allowed to share ideas, leaders can obtain better opinions and reach practical solutions to their challenges (Winn et al., 2017). In this context, group members become more committed and engaged in projects and make them have a high chance of realizing better outcomes. Although democratic leadership is a practical approach, it has other potential downsides. If the roles are not clearly defined, democratic leadership may be faced with uncompleted projects and communication failures.

In some instances, followers may lack the intended expertise or knowledge to make practical contributions in decision-making processes. Such that, followers may feel that their opinions and ideas are not appreciated, which may, in turn, lower their morale and satisfaction levels (Sarver et al., 2019). In essence, democratic leadership can be practically applied in a situation in which members are eager and skilled to share their opinions. In this context, time is highly needed to allow the group members to share ideas, develop a plan, and vote for the best course of action to be explored.

Employees and organizational members have equal opportunities to articulate issues that affect their lives. Every candidate and the member has the same style of values, collaboration, and affirmation. Members are also involved in creating laws. For that reason, democratic leadership is deemed as a traditional principle where there are cooperation and social order in human behavior' management (Guthrie & Jenkins, 2018). Every institution managed via democratic styles is elected based on social order and permanence. The democratic style is the most practical when a leader informs the group member’s matters that affect their general welfare. Ideally, the approach is practical when a leader intends to create some sense concerning job satisfaction and personal progress (Bromell, 2019). Complex or enormous problems may need a democratic solution as an intervention to solve them ardently. In other words, the democratic style is flawless when leaders encourage inclusive participation roles and team-building among workers.

Conversely, a democratic style of leadership cannot be applied when there is insufficient time to allow the input of each individual. Democratic decisions cannot be reached when managers can cost-effectively and efficiently make decisions by themselves. If employees feel threatened, the democratic style of leadership cannot be encouraged.

Democratic style of leadership is constructed on mutual respect (Alloubani & Akhu-Zaheya, 2018). For that reason, the leaders are given significant responsibilities to exercise on behalf of their staff. In essence, the democratic leadership style empowers workers to have a more substantial hand in handling the organization. Such that employees that approach their leaders need to have a vast experience to express self-confidence. Leaders should prevent and avoid pitfalls that can alter collaborative spirit among team members when they lose direction. Northouse (2018) asserted that leadership is based on a moral dimension where leaders are given a chance to exercise their power for the common good (Northouse, 2018). For a leader to have the intended respect, such a leader must display a conference between actions and character. From these contexts, a democratic leader must meet all the requirements.

A democratic leader should be willing to share and listen to external forces, such as clients and suppliers. In this context, they work in tandem to ensure they improve in international and network strategies (Raso, 2017). Democratic leaders must also allow the employees to share their opinion. If opinions are collected from both external and internal forces, they can be useful in building a more influential organization.

Comparison Perspective

Karen and I are both a democratic leader where sometimes, an individual can make their own decision without relying on other people's opinion. Just like Karen, I also a trusted expert who can provide me with further clarification. Even as I understand the health care center as a profitable endeavor, I usually identify the issues to overcome the consequences of the decisions I make.

Karen and I allow members to be engaged in the decision-making process. Both of us believe that good leadership is one that creates a platform where every member's legitimate voice is heard and addresses as well as fostering relationships. I possess unique traits such as fairness, competence, creativity, courage, intelligence, and honesty. However, Karen seems to be very respectful, dependable, and polite. Karen and I have excellent nursing skills that are effective in a healthcare setting to inspire trust among staff members. From this perspective, we tend to be sincere and decide on prevailing issues based on values and morals.

Karen and I believe in encouraging employee's participation and open communication in decisions. We both provide staff members' feedbacks, accountability, and responsibility based on individual performance. As democratic leaders, Karen and I seek to improve the relationship to render quality improvement of processes and systems, rather than team members' mistakes. We both encourage group members and stakeholders to provide honest feedback. We both can exercise leadership not only to the executives, but also staff affiliates to evaluate the vision of an organization. Karen and I exercise democratic leadership to enable members to concur and express how things are conducted and handled in an organization.

From these similarities, I believe that the perceptions presented about Karen are correct. In essence, the democratic style of leadership is grounded on mutual respect. Ideally, it is imperative to note that it is only through the respect that Karen can exercise responsibilities on behalf of her staff members (Bromell, 2019). In reality, the democratic leadership style empowers nurses to have a more substantial hand in handling health care services and facilities. Here, a nurse can approach their leaders based on vast experience and express self-confidence.

Evaluation

Leadership Behaviors

Karen has leadership behaviors such as well-liked, very respectful, dependable, and polite. If a leader is well-liked, it implies that such a leader embraces the opinion of every group member. Ideally, if Karen is not like by the staff members, it would imply that the working condition is hostile, and nobody is willing to share their opinion. Being loved is one of the significant traits of building trust between workers and the leader (Huber, 2017). Respect is needed in an organization to ensure that people cooperate without disregarding other people's opinions. By being respectful, Karen can collect information that ails every individual. Creating a respectful working condition is one of the pillars of establishing a workforce diversity. The trait of dependence is significant in evaluating their thoughts and decision. A dependable leader is needed to help employees in solving their complex tasks.