Running head: STRENGTHS BASED LEADERSHIP

Strengths Based Leadership

Katherine Sheppard
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
NUR 4241

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STRENGTHS BASED LEADERSHIP

Strength Based Leadership

As the Director of the Surgical Service department, there are many areas where growth
can be implemented. The situation in the health care workplace shows opportunity for
improvement with teamwork and relationships. In this scenario, there is a high turnover rate in
the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) and poor communication of needs with other departments.
Turnover rate in this department has occurred for over a year now without implementation of
hiring new nurses to replace them. With the needs of replaced registered nurses (RNs), poor
communication between other departments have begun. Assistance is needed from all areas to
ensure the unit operates smoothly. Some examples of assistance could be transferring patients,
helping with patient needs, and assisting coworkers when needed. Teamwork is a high priority at
this time when staff is short.
Recently the Nurse Manager of the department has put in her resignation, leaving an
opportunity to hire a new nurse manager for this department. In hopes, this new manager will be
able to improve teamwork between other departments such as PACU, pre-operative department
and phase two recovery. As the director of the department, a new nurse manger will be
interviewed using peer interviewing and behavioral interviewing to find the best fit.
Leader Profile and Application of Strengths
A leader profile that would exemplify strengths that are most important for this team
include: positivity, responsibility, empathy, consistency, and restorative. These strengths will help
improve the team morale. The five strengths found in the text, Strengths Based Leadership by
Tom Rath and Barry Conchie are reviewed in depth and explained with each scenario throughout
this paper.

STRENGTHS BASED LEADERSHIP

Positivity is described as a person with enthusiasm and can get others excited (Rath &
Conchie, 2008). The new manager must possess this strength coming into a new position with
employees who are eager for change. A nurse manager with positivity will help to bring light to
preconceptions of the unit. In the situation with low staff the new nurse manager will be able to
use her positivity to help influence others to be positive as well given their circumstances. The
positive leader will be able to see the good of the unit and help to improve areas of weakness.
Some examples that the nurse leader can use positivity is when encouraging others with
recognition. By recognizing staff that is working hard to complete daily tasks, this will help to
improve morale.
Responsibility is another strength that the new leader must possess. With many changes
and issues within the department the team leader will need to hold others accountable when
needed. Leaders who pose the strength of responsibility are committed to honesty and loyalty
(Rath & Conchie, 2008). Given the situation of high turnover, the nurse manager will be
responsible for fulfilling these positions. The nurse leader will need to hold others accountable
for duties that need to be done throughout the day. The nurse manager must share responsibility
with their unit to maintain patient safety.
The team will need a leader who shows empathy. Empathy is recognizing others and
sensing their feelings in any given situation (Rath & Conchie, 2008). It is important that the
leader understands how his/her peers are working in order to help improve situations. He/she
must be understanding in life circumstances in order to improve the communication within the
unit. The team must be able to trust the manager. The nurse manager can use empathy in her
situation when hiring new employees. He/she will be understanding of needs of the unit because

STRENGTHS BASED LEADERSHIP

the staff will be able to communicate them. A nurse manager that shows empathy for her
employees will have more response to change.
Consistency should be a strength that the leader possess when working with other
employees. Often managers have shown some bit of favoritism that would create more poor
communication. The new manager must show consistency on how he/she treats all employees.
By setting clear rules and regulations the nurse leader will be able to improve communication
with all departments. By using consistency the unit will be better with communication of needs.
Consistency could improve the situation of poor communication by making sure all staff
members know what is expected from them upfront decreasing the risk for conflict.
Finally, the nurse leader must possess the strength of restoration. The leader will be able
to take the problems of the unit and help to deal with them. He/she will be able to look at the
situation of high turnover rate and poor communication and be able to find solutions to them.
With restoration the nurse leader will see that there is a need to hire more RNs. Interviews will
be completed after hire to ensure that there is adequate staff. With the first problem of staffing
resolved, communication will be better on the unit. Everyone will be able to work as a team
without feeling short staffed and overworked.
Evaluation
The plan after hiring a new nurse manager is conducted to ensure there is a positive
change being implemented. After reviewing the characteristics of this new nurse, the director is
able to see how the nurse manager used the strength restoration by seeing the needs on the unit
and taking responsibility in assuring they were met. He/she should be able to hire staff to help

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fulfill the needs of the unit. A plan to evaluate the new nurse manager is could be done using a
private survey by all employees. Also, looking back at the situation to see if there has been
improvement on the unit will help reflect on the nurse manager. With the strengths chosen for
this new leader he/she should be successful in improving areas of growth.

STRENGTHS BASED LEADERSHIP

Reference
Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths Based Leadership . New York: Gallop Press.