Introduction
The concept of leadership is complex and multidimensional that includes intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup and situational variables (Grohar-Murray & DiCroce, 2003). Grohar-Murray and DiCroce (2003) also state that a leader is a person who inspires, develops, gains trust, and relies on people . Nowadays, nurses at all levels of organization are expected to have and exercises leadership skills (Grohar-Murray & DiCroce, 2003) . In this paper, I have chosen Florence Nightingale as a leader to be discussed. I will explain why I have chosen her, what leadership style best describes her, and both positive and negative aspects of this style. I will also give examples where she demonstrated leadership and will analyze the examples using organizational and leadership theories.
Why I have chosen Florence Nightingale as a leader?
The founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale was born on 12th of May, 1820 in Italy (Pfettscher, 2006). Florence Nightingale was one of the most important people in the history of the world (Pfettscher, 2006). Nightingale assisted to raise the status of nursing, so that it became recognized as an appropriate profession for women outside the house (Ross-Kerr, 1940). Even if she did not purposely develop the theory of nursing, she delivered this theory, abstract models and structures that enlighten and guide trained nurses now (Pfettscher, 2006). For example, she is the first person to open a nurse training school in the world (McDonald, 2013).
The leadership style that best describes Florence Nightingale
The leadership style that best describes Florence Nightingale is Autocratic, meaning leaders’ makes all the decisions (Grohar-Murray & DiCroce, 2003, p. 26). Kelly (2012) stated that Florence Nightingale used to insist the nurses to be accountable to her. Kelly (2012) also adds that she has a personality that is able to control and manage other people. Florence Nightingale was an unapproachable person as she was difficult to get along (Stanley & Sherratt, 2010). Stanley and Sherratt (2010) agree; they mention that that one of Florence Nightingale’s best friends said treproving Florence was like pouring cold water on a red hot iron, and produced a terrible hissing.
The positive traits for Florence Nightingale were intelligence and effective communication skills (Stanley & Sherratt, 2010). Nightingale was a master in her written and verbal communication skills. She was able to influence relevant parties through the power of her intellectual writings, and soft and direct speech (Stanley & Sherratt, 2010). For example, she was women the first representative of her profession whom the government consulted concerning the introduction of legislation on the health care system (Owen, 2011).
Examples where she demonstrated leadership
Florence Nightingale should be remembered for her visions and her contributions to modern nursing (McDonald, 2013). Stanley and Sherratt (2010) wrote that, similarly to Florence Nightingale, clinical nurses should be supported and fostered to for them to develop their bedside leadership skills, as well as leadership in the academic, political and managerial fields. For example, Florence Nightingale served as a mentor for two generations of nursing leaders (Stanley & Sherratt, 2010). She promoted a hospital setting which decreases cross infection (McDonald, 2013). Nightingale used to work with representatives of other disciplines which had the possibility to improve the field of nursing such as doctors, statisticians, engineers, and even architects (McDonald, 2013). She also asked her colleagues to review her work before publishing it (McDonald, 2013). She promoted a better working and living conditions for nurses by providing them and adequate time-off, holidays and opportunities for advancement (McDonald, 2013). She used to collect and analyze data, a process called evidence-based medicine today (Florence nightingale museum, 2012). She also used to address person’s mental, physiological and physical well-being, a nursing-related process known today as holistic theory (Florence nightingale museum, 2012). For instance, as palliative care, she used to write letters to the families who lost their family members (McDonald, 2013). Finally, she used to fire nurses if they did not work according to Nightingale’s standards (Selanders et al., 2012).
Analysis of the examples using different types of organizational and leadership theories
There are six organizational theories: classical, systematical, humanistic, contingency, chaos and complexity (Sullivan, 2012). And there are eleven leadership theories: great man, traits, transactional, transformational, authentic, strength-based, situation-contingency, shared, emotional, quantum, and servant (Sullivan, 2012).
Nightingale’s leadership is a classical organizational theory where a chain of commands are given out to different levels of organization (Sullivan, 2012). For instance, she fired nurses who did not meet the Nightingale’s standards (Selanders et al., 2012).She also used contemporary theory which states leaders use additional skills, especially group and political leadership skills, to create collegial working environment (Sullivan, 2012, p.42). For instance, as mentioned above, Nightingale worked with specialists from other disciplines such as doctors, statisticians, engineers, and architects to improve the nursing working environment (McDonald, 2013). Moreover, she exercised transactional leadership theory which is based on the notation of a social exchange; leaders control followers’ behavior by imposing authority and power on the one hand, and satisfying followers’ needs on the other (Grohar-Murray & DiCroce, 2003). She promoted a better working and living conditions for nurses through adequate time-off, holidays, and opportunities for advancement (McDonald, 2013). She also applied transformational leadership theory where transformational leaders convert followers into leaders (Sullivan, 2012). As an example, Florence Nightingale served as a mentor for two generations of nursing leaders (Stanley & Sherratt, 2010). What is more, she asked her colleges to review her work (McDonald, 2013).
Concluding thoughts
All in all, I have chosen Florence Nightingale as a leader, because without her firm hand, intelligence, respectfulness and ethics, nursing would not exist in a state it exists today. She spent most of her life to improve nursing field, a field that modern health systems in different countries over the world could not exist without. Even though her leadership could be described as autocratic, and considering she was not a person to get along with easily, she provided thoughtful control over her workers, respected them and their working environment, and helped them to become leaders of their kind. She was a smart woman who laid the foundation for contemporary nursing, both theoretically and practically. Moreover, she developed the nursing environment and profession by cooperating with people from of professions; she also developed evidence-based medicine and holistic theory and palliative care. I must be honest, it is quite hard to evaluate the enormous impact Florence Nightingale has made on nursing after all. It is hard to believe that one person can change things so dramatically and improve the lives of millions of people not only of her generation, but future generations too. Nevertheless, what is most important, such luminous examples of leadership serve as a guiding light not only for nurses, but all people, give us strength to strive for our dreams, work harder and be individual leaders.
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