NUR674 Week 4 Discussion Leadership in Health Care Systems Practicum

NUR674 Week 4 Discussion Leadership in Health Care Systems Practicum

NUR674 Week 4 Discussion Leadership in Health Care Systems Practicum

DQ1When one considers the word love as a verb instead of a feeling, the biblical worldview would state that this loving relationship is related to two principles: honor and protection. Explain how these two principles guide servant leadership in the workplace.

DQ2How do servant leaders, as compared with leaders using the transformational model of leadership, manage organization dynamics and lead change to ensure that the continued success of the stakeholders will be served? Is servant leadership or transformational leadership the best approach to these tasks? Why?

The 21st century has brought much in the way of turmoil and change to the world of business. As a consequence, ways of doing business that were once universally accepted now seem outdated and inflexible in an age where knowledge drives economies and socially responsible corporate attitudes influence stakeholders and shareholders alike.

With such changes have come new priorities and responsibilities and it is in this environment that the theory of servant leadership has flourished as a management style for the redefined business world of today, one that can serve as a cornerstone for organisations wishing to build corporate structures based on stewardship, empowerment and trust.

Former AT&T executive Robert K. Greenleaf coined the term servant leadership in 1970. After retiring in 1964 as director of management research, and inspired among other things by the supportive culture of AT&T, which to him exemplified his belief that an organisation could nurture the spirit of its employees whilst still making a profit, he set to work on his now seminal book The Servant as Leader.

Although it has taken four decades for his philosophies to have a real influence on mainstream management thinking, a number of companies riding high in the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For have adopted his principles to great effect by building cultures in which employees come first and leaders exist to facilitate their growth collectively and individually. Servant leadership is often misunderstood, possibly this is because people find it confusing to have the words servant and leadership together. To be a leader of people, executives often mistakenly believe, one always has to be the driving force that subordinates follow. Indeed, research tells us that to be an effective leader individuals must have a certain motivation to lead.

However, servant leadership requires a different approach and in addition to the motivation to lead, there must be the need to serve both employees and organisation.

The servant leader should feel a responsibility towards employees as individuals and must have a sense of stewardship for them and the organisation as a whole. Companies adopting servant leadership within their organisational culture give a lot of attention to developing environments and support structures that foster high levels of employee satisfaction.

In addition, the servant leader works toward building a learning organisation where individuals are encouraged to grow and be of unique value.

There is yet to be consensus in defining or providing a framework for servant leadership, and this is something I have sought to address. according to NUR674 Week 4 Discussion Leadership in Health Care Systems Practicum, through my research six key characteristics have been identified that when combined, provide a strong indication of how a servant leader should function. In short, servant leadership is demonstrated through empowerment and the development of people; by expressing humility, authenticity, interpersonal acceptance, and stewardship; and by providing direction. These characteristics are outlined below:

Empowering and developing people: giving people in the workplace responsibility for their own actions. Through empowerment, the servant leader acknowledges the talents and strengths of employees. In addition, the servant leader must encourage employees in their actions and in their personal growth. Underlying em