Power Sources for a Nurse Leader
The most important power sources of a nurse leader are expert power, legitimate and coercive power. Expert power comes with the experience and the skills that the leader has. That means that the decisions made by the leader possess knowledge and good judgment (Abudi, 2011). Legitimate power, on the other hand, depends on the position one holds in an organization. For a nurse leader, juniors recognize her or him as an authority. Therefore, any instructions given or decisions made will be respected. Coercive power is important whereby the leader creates the perception of a threat. For example, giving a bad performance review or being denied certain privileges.
The power sources demand unbiasedness when used, and only where the employees already know the code of ethics in their organization (Strategic Leadership Studies, 2014). The leader should also ensure that they set a good example to the juniors. In my work place, the leaders mostly display expert and coercive power. They get respect because they have more experience than everyone else. Also, the fact that they can fire people or give bad reviews makes them feared.
Personality Traits
I am team-oriented, and I can work easily with other people. That trait is important for a leader since one has to oversee the work of different people with different personalities and morals. I believe I am mature, and that is an important trait for a leader. When in such a position one has to make decisions not based on emotion, and must be for the good of everyone else (Wolinski, 2010). Self-confidence is also a trait found in leaders and is also one of my personality traits. It is important when leading people through difficult or trying times.
Since I am outspoken, I also tend to get perceived as intimidating by other people. That trait is not beneficial since it may discourage subordinates from pitching their ideas. Working with other people requires one to be patient and control their emotions. My short temper is, therefore, a trait that may hinder my ability to lead effectively.
For me to be a good leader, I would need to work on some of my personality traits. I can accomplish that by learning how to be more patient with people and being understanding so as not to scare away my subordinates. I would also try to involve more people in decision making so they can all feel involved and that their opinions are important to their leader.
References
Abudi, G. (2011, August 26). The 5 Types of Power in Leadership. The Fast Track. Retrieved from http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2011/08/26/the-5-types-of-power-in-leadership/
Strategic Leadership Studies. (2014, February 11). Leadership Development: Small Business Administration. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/sba/traits.htm
Wolinski, S. (2010, April 21). Leadership Theories. Retrieved from http://managementhelp.org/blogs/leadership/2010/04/21/leadership-theories/
