Executive Leadership – Board to Ward ALL-IRELAND CHIEF NURSING OFFICERS’ CONFERENCE 2015 LEADING AND SHAPING THE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY AGENDA AN ALL IRELAND APPROACH 18 NOVEMBER 2015, TITANIC SUITE, BELFAST Executive Leadership – Board to Ward Dr Frank Dolphin Chairman Dublin Midlands Hospital Group

Leadership doesn't have a one-size-fits-all definition.

For some it’s about managing......................its about Me this means guiding or directing or manipulating others “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower.

While for others............ it’s about skills..........its collective Which includes motivating and inspiring people to do the task to the very best of their ability in order to achieve whatever the goal or vision is

And yet others again see it as personal.............it’s about you And emphasise the importance of listening, empowering and enabling as its key factors “If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more and become more, you are a leader” John Quincy Adams

Transactional Leaders   Is an exchange relationship between the leader and follower, whereby the leader sets tasks and goals with the reward contingent on their completion. Followers want the reward; therefore, they work toward completing the task. Management by KPI

Transformational Leaders   Empowering followers to work for the best interests of the organization and meet its goals. They communicate a compelling vision for the organization and explain how to achieve it. The vision gives employees’ work meaning and serves to guide decision-making. The leader’s behaviour affects follower feelings of competence, autonomy, and motivation

Followers have certain expectations of a leader. If the leader meets those expectations then followers ascribe respect, trustworthiness and authority to that leader

The opposite is also true... If a leader fails to meet followers’ expectations, mistrust develops and the relationship is strained.

What is followership? Followership is the response of people in subordinate positions to those in senior ones. It is a social relationship between the leader, followers and the group.

....... are accountable, influential and can mould the leader’s views. Active Followers ....... are accountable, influential and can mould the leader’s views.

Passive Followers ......... are not engaged with their organisation or task and do not apply independent critical thinking. They require constant motivation and direction and, consequently, can be a drain on the leader and the team.

Conformist Followers .......... support the task and are motivated but do not critically appraise what they are doing. They will always support the team leader and may work hard but they do not consider alternate options and may not make decisions without guidance from the leader.

Alienated Followers ...........have high levels of critical thinking but are disengaged from their organisation and task. These followers usually come across as sceptical or cynical. When the leader, or team, tries to move forward, they will voice the reasons why it shouldn’t happen. They may have good ideas but do not put these forward. Indeed, they may be negative and undermine the group.

Situational Followers ...........are pragmatists and move between the boxes in their followership style over the duration of the task.

Weak leadership and weak followership have the same outcome: Causing organizational confusion and poor performance

Good followers have their egos under control

How many nurses does it take to change a light bulb? How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?

Avoiding ‘group think’   This is where the culture of the group lends itself to thinking about and analysing things in the same way. Similar views, and a desire for unanimity, lead the group to concur too easily and overlook potential problems and alternative ideas or options.

In order to improve governance and prevent “Group Think” many businesses and organisations now appoint board members who are experienced but come with different fields of interest

Followership styles can have an important part to play in the onset of group think within teams

Both these styles of followership predispose a group to group think Passive followers agree and go with the flow just because it is the group’s view. Conformist followers will actively support any group decision and act on it as they don’t have the independent level of thinking required to consider the options. Both these styles of followership predispose a group to group think

Alienated followers demonstrate critical thinking, crucial for the prevention of group think, but due to their lack of participation in the group they may not be listened to and this again can allow group think from the other members.

Exemplary followers will question the status quo, and critically evaluate the facts and options before making a decision. They provide a level of independent thinking that is crucial to preventing group think, but they also bring a high level of energy to the group so are motivated to help see the best decision made.

Being a good follower Good followers must have the moral courage to express concerns. They should question why and understand the reason they do things. Followership is not only about the individuals who follow within a team; it is about the relationship between these individuals and their leader.

A good leader is responsible for creating an environment conducive to an exemplary followership style

Managing Up When followers take the initiative to motivate themselves they view the leader more as a partner and therefore desire to collaborate with the leader in a more autonomous relationship

The Challenge…

Know your Leadership Style Know your Followership Style The answer? Know your Leadership Style Know your Followership Style

Thank you And remember ..............