آیا رهبری، یک کار گروهی است؟ Does Your Leadership Team Work?

Benefits of a Leadership Team First, let us address the question of why shared leadership is such a hot topic. Increasing complexity in the workplace, dwindling resources, generational issues including a surge of baby boomer retirements and cultural value changes in younger staff members, as well as significant changes in the health care business environment all create tremendous pressure on today’s nursing leaders. Years ago, I was conducting interviews and focus groups of managers about the many changes in their health care system. As a consultant, I had worked with their system for 4 years, helping them become a team-based organization. I was surprised to find that they were handling the current pressures so effectively. When I asked if the number of changes they were facing had decreased, they laughed and assured me that, if anything, the pace of change was faster than ever. I asked them why they seemed so calm and in control. To my surprise, I heard this response from manager after manager: ‘‘Since I implemented a leadership team, this is the first time in my management experience I don’t feel like I’m alone! I feel like I have others to help me with the leadership load.’’ What testimony to the benefit of a leadership team! None of our current challenges are going to go away and our leadership load is not likely to lessen. It may be that the only realistic hope for help and support is to embrace the concept of shared leadership. Although it can require more effort to establish, in the long run, it pays off exponentially. When the leadership role in your department or work group (eg, on your shift or in your clinical area) is shared, needed results can be greatly improved. Other important benefits include: greater alignment with organizational values and purpose; improved communication and decision making; decreased ‘‘silo’’ behavior; increased support of each other; stronger personal commitment and engagement of members; and the deliberate development of future leaders. These benefits are realized only if the leadership team is a true team, working in concert with each other for the benefit of the whole. A dysfunctional work group is more likely to increase the work for the leader rather than decrease it. For this reason, it is important you have the key assessment points at your fingertips to determine whether your team is effective or not!