INFORMAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING FROM WHERE YOU AREJennifer O’Leary, BSc, MA, MLT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Learners will explore :
Common characteristics of leaders
Motivations for applying leadership attributes
Possibilities for informal leadership in their
own contexts
A framework for developing their leadership
competency
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
“a process through which an individual attempts to intentionally influence others to accomplish a goal” (Shortell & Kaluzny as cited in Downey et al., 2011)
“the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations” (Kouzes & Posner, 2012)
the sharing of power to serve the needs of others so as to leave them “healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous” (Greenleaf, Servant Leadership, n.d.)
ACTIVITY: LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS
Think about a person in your own life that you admired and respected as a leader and who you willingly followed
Woman Face Photo Montage by Geralt/ license CC0 Public Domain
DISCUSSION & REPORTING
Discuss with someone seated near you:Who was this person?What characteristics did this person possess
that made you want to follow them or perform at your best?
Text: JOLCAPA to 780-800-5606 Text a characteristic or characteristics you
identifyNOTE: you could incur charges if out of your area or limited in texts per month. If you have unlimited texting plan – you will be fine! Your number is private and you will not receive any spam.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ADMIRED LEADERS
(Kouzes & Posner, 2012)
HonestForward-looking
Inspiring Competent
INFORMAL LEADERS
Small “l” leaders Outside formal authority Subtle power and influence Undocumented network
How to spot these informal leaders? Professionals who want to share knowledge Those whose names come up to lead initiatives People who other staff gravitate towards Collaborators who can bring the team together High performing individuals recognized for their
abilities (Downey et. al, 2011)
INFORMAL LEADERS
Influence through relationship-building, knowledge and expertise
Communicate effectively Display excellent interpersonal skills Bring people together Coordinate efforts Negotiate team norms Think strategically - systems based practice Embody professionalism
(Downey et. al, 2011; Huckabee & Warner, 2008)
WHERE CAN YOU LEAD?
Self
ClinicHospital
Practice
Government
Professional Association
Training Programs
Organization
Profession
HealthCare System
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Image Attribution 1. CAPA Competency profile 2. CAPA Competency profile excerpt generated by Wordle 3. The Michener Institute 4. Medician images by audio-luci-store.com from Flickr (no changes)
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FOUNDATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE PA ROLE
Self: Professional development
Practice: CAPA Competency Profile Collaborator: “Leadership based on patient needs” (p.13) Health Advocate:“As Health Advocates, physician assistants responsibly use their expertise and influence to advance the health and well being of individual patients, communities, and populations” (p. 17)
Organization: Mentorship
Profession: Advocacy for the PA Role in the Healthcare System
the sharing of power to serve the needs of others so as to leave them “healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous”
SERVANT LEADERSHIP FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT TRAINEES (HUCKABEE & WHEELER, 2008 & 2011)
Alignment of servant leadership with PA role People with servant leadership characteristics
are attracted to the PA profession 5 key attributes of servant leaders:
Altruistic calling Emotional healing Wisdom Persuasive Mapping Organizational Stewardship
Enhanced through teaching strategies Leadership can be learned Obligation for educators to develop leadership
skills
HOW MIGHT YOU DEVELOP YOUR LEADERSHIP COMPETENCY?
Kouzes & Posner’s 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership (2012)
1. Model the Way
2. Inspire a Shared Vision
3. Challenge the Process
4. Enable Others to Act
5. Encourage the Heart
Enlist others in a common vision by communicating shared aspirations
Set an example by aligning your actions to shared values
Show appreciation by recognizing others’ excellence
Create new opportunities by seizing innovative ways to improve
Foster collaboration by building trusting relationships
WHAT I HOPE YOU ARE LEAVING WITH:
Appreciation for the power of informal
leaders
Awareness of the professional grounding for
developing your leadership competency
Recognition of some of leadership
characteristics that you can cultivate or
strengthen
Curiosity to learn more about how you can be
an effective leader in your PA role and
beyond
REFERENCES USED TO INFORM THIS PRESENTATION
Downey, M., Parslow, S., & Smart, M. (2011). The hidden treasure in nursing leadership: informal leaders. Journal of Nursing Management, 19(4), 517-521. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2011.01253.x
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. (n.d.) What is servant leadership? Retrieved from https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
Huckabee, M. J., & Wheeler, D. W. (2008). Defining leadership training for physician assistant education. Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 19(10), 24-28.
Huckabee, M. J., & Wheeler, D. W. (2011). Physician assistants as servant leaders: Meeting the needs of the underserved populations. Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 22(4), 6-14.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
For further Leadership Resources including books, articles, websites and multimedia, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/QD5PYZP