Leadership Questions
Mandy Littlefield
NUR/492
August 27, 2012
Regina Phelps, MN, PhD, RN, NEA, BC

Leadership Questions Leadership is important in the nursing. Leaders assist in motivating, teaching, collaborating, and guiding others to reach a specific goal. Leaders must possess certain characteristics to be considered and effective leader. This paper will entail the difference between leaders and managers. Characteristics needed to be an effective leader will be identified and discussed.
Personal Views Leadership is guidance provided by individuals in authoritative position like managers and non-authoritative positions, like staff nurses. Leaders must obtain skills such as interpersonal communication, feedback through communication, and delegation. Other skills leaders must have are patience, compassion, and problem-solving and multi-tasking skills. Leaders must also possess the ability to be effective listeners and adaptive to multiple personalities and changes within the environment.
Leadership versus Management Leaders and managers are often mistaken as meaning the same thing. Sullivan and Decker (2009), defines leaders as individuals who use “interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish specific goals” (p. 329). Managers are individuals responsible for accomplishing organizational goals (Sullivan & Decker, 2009). Leaders can be in positions with authoritative and non-authoritative roles. The difference between leaders and managers is the goals in which the individuals desire to accomplish. Leaders choose to accomplish specific goals pertaining to a specific department. Leaders provide direction, clarity, and promote cohesion, satisfaction, and performance among the group. Managers are part of administration and seek to accomplish goals set for the organization. Managers seek to plan, organize, supervise staff, evaluate, negotiate, and