Self-Leadership: Leaders’ Intentionality, Influence, and Impact
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Nelson Tuazon, DNP, DBA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CPHQ, CPPS, CPXP, FNAP, FACHE, FAAN
Vice President and Associate Chief Nursing Officer, University Health
Director, District 8, Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership
When one observes the language that we use in response to the current societal influences and the environment in which we live, the tone and tenor signal a sense of urgency and anxiety. Words and phrases such as the new norm, surge, twindemic, infodemic, psychological safety, emotional PPE (personal protective equipment), resiliency, recovery, and the like, evoke various emotional, psychological, and intellectual responses. More than ever, nurse leaders must be open to new ways of coping, new approaches to learning, and new imperatives for leading (Fuchs, 2020; Lacey, 2020; Tuazon, 2020).
Information Overload in Times of VUCA
As leaders, we face an information war where we live, where we play, and where we work. The current pandemic has led to the constant pouring of data and deluge of information that could paralyze us in our decision-making. Information overload has been known to be associated with stress and can affect analytical and intuitive thinking and critical thinking disposition (Misra et al., 2020). Information comes fast and furious and on different platforms including traditional and digital media (Ahmed, 2020). Regardless of the position or title we hold and irrespective of the scope of our work, or role in a professional organization, we plunge and rummage through bits and bytes to direct our problem-solving and decision-making. The paperwork piles up – quality and safety reports, patient experience scores, financial accounts, and committee and task force meeting minutes, to name a few. The deadlines and timelines put additional pressure on the already hectic schedules of nursing leaders. This phenomenon could be equated to the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) world, a phenomenon with roots from the leadership theories of Bennis and Nanus (1985).
How to Manage in the VUCA World
The world of nurse leaders is characterized by increasing complexity and demands of time, energy, and resources, which often cause stress, fatigue, and burnout (Remegio et al., 2020). During times of crisis such as the COVID-19, gaps in leadership are magnified and intensified. The three factors that have impacted the current crisis include disruptions in operations that shifted organizational strategies, accelerated use of digital information and technology, and managing a workforce that may have been dispersed and work remotely (Study: COVID creates leadership gap, 2020). Engagement among leaders is crucial and essential to affect organizational change and foster organizational culture (Bywater & Lewis, 2019; Remegio et al., 2020).
Johansen (2012) adapted the original VUCA and offered the following to combat the chaos associated with this phenomenon: Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility. With the shift from the pervasive negative aspects of VUCA caused by the pandemic, leaders must lead with new and renewed perspectives. Lacey et al. (2020) advise leaders to acknowledge the reality of needing to endure this crisis. They urge leaders to decide with speed and be comfortable with the gray zone on imprecision. Effective leaders adapt with boldness and admit limitations and lack of knowledge of some things with humility. With the information and knowledge that is known at the moment, leaders deliver outcomes and results reliably. Bywater and Lewis (2019) challenge us to examine the competencies required to lead in a VUCA world. They acknowledge that leadership agilities, including context-setting agility, stakeholder agility, creative agility, and self-leadership agility, are critical competencies but require further examination, especially in times of high change such as the pandemic. Amidst the many challenges and adverse conditions that we face currently, visionary leaders have the convictions that these can lead to the rebirth of their organizations (Lacey et al., 2020).
Self-leadership Agility
The concepts behind self-leadership are not new. In the past four decades, scholars have examined the construct of self-leadership particularly because of its capacity to affect and influence personal effectiveness (Crisostomo & Giardino, 2020). Self-leadership is defined as a process that encompasses three major concepts, including self-knowledge, self-influence, and self-guidance (Ay et al., 2015). There are three generally accepted approaches to self-leadership. These include constructive thought strategies, behavior focused strategies, and natural reward strategies (Bryant & Kazan, 2012) (See table 1). The scope and scale of self-leadership encompass two paradigms – self-leadership in general and self-leadership within organizations (Manz, 2015). There is a plethora of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of self-leadership to the individual and the organization (Abid et al., 2020; Furtner et al., 2018; van Dorssen-Boog et al., 2020). To the individual, self-leadership is associated with heightened self-awareness, greater mindfulness, and enhanced self-confidence. On a personal level, self-leadership results in realizing meaning and purpose improved interpersonal relationships and increased happiness. To the organization, effective self-leadership yields increased engagement and empowerment, improved decision-making, improved work performance, and enhanced creativity and innovation (Abid et al., 2020; Ay et al., 2017; Bryant & Kazan, 2012; Kim & Sim, 2020; Sahi, 2017; Stewart et al., 2019).
Table 1. Self-Leadership Strategies, Characteristics, and Outcomes
| Self-Leadership Strategies | Characteristics | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
|
Constructive Thought Strategies |
|
Job autonomy, work engagement, and mindfulness. |
|
Behavior Focused Strategies |
|
Achievement and completion of difficult, tedious, or challenging tasks. |
|
Neutral Rewards Strategies |
|
Shifting of focus from unpleasant to positive and more rewarding experiences. |
Intentionality, Influence, and Impact
Intentions, influence, and impact intersect within the context of self-leadership. Intentions differ from intentionality. Whereas intentions pertain to the course of action that the individual takes, intentionality denotes consciousness of actions and the awareness of many potential perspectives and goes beyond one’s understanding of experience. The degree of consciousness not only involves rational thinking and critical reflection but also involves social awareness of others (McDonald, 2019). In other words, intentionality is more than having mere intentions. Influence pertains to the result of purposeful action. Self-leaders must have a positive influence on themselves and the world around them to enable them to affect change (Bryant & Kazan, 2012). Reynolds (2020) adopted the skills from the classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People and found these soft skills to improve a leader’s overall effectiveness. Impact is how intention and influence are measured (Bryant & Kazan, 2012). In an extensive review of literature on leadership published between 2008 and 2018, Hughes (2019) examined the measurable impact of nurse leaders on nursing staff and patient outcomes. She concluded that the most effective leadership strategies are those that have a well-established fit within the context of the organization and situations.
From Work-life Balance to Work-life Effectiveness
The concept of work-life effectiveness is not new. Work-life effectiveness is defined as a “specific set of organizational practices, policies, programs, and a philosophy that recommends aggressive support for the efforts of everyone who works to achieve success both at work and at home” (Alliance for Work-life Progress, 2005, p. 2). Doucette (2020) argues that achieving work-balance is a myth and is unattainable. Rather, one should focus on owning and defining what an effective work-life relationship should be. Chasing work-life balance may lead to more stress, whereas work-life effectiveness can change perceptions of leadership, relationships, and priorities. Ultimately, work-life effectiveness can increase one's sense of commitment and accomplishment (Doucette, 2020, p. 56). Work-life effectiveness covers a wide range of support systems including those that focus on individual effort and those the organization provides. These include work-life flexibility, paid and unpaid time-off, health and well-being, caring for dependents, financial support, community involvement, management involvement, and culture change interventions (Alliance for Work-life Progress, 2005).
There are No Leaders Like Nurse Leaders
Mary Ann Fuchs, president of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, reminds us that "although it is frightening, there is no profession better equipped than nursing to lead through this pandemic (2020, p. 1)." I would echo this sentiment. As the Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership continues to reach out to its members, it is making strides in defining a nurse leader, different from any kind of other leaders. Goldsby et al. (2020) sum this up with these words: Few professionals in our society make more critical and important decisions than nurse managers. Often, the decisions they make are framed under "life or death" situations and they must do so in collaboration with and the full cooperation of their frontline staff. As such, nurse managers and leaders must be provided with the assistance and support they need.
Parting Words
New competencies have emerged in response to the current healthcare environment. These include the ability to lead through uncertainty, cultivate trust, and reskilling for the opportunity (Study: COVID creates a leadership gap, 2020). Manz (2015) urges us to aim for the self-leadership high road, which encompasses authenticity, responsibility, and increasing capacity. Ultimately, self-leadership enables and empowers nurse leaders to improve their performance and achieve their goals by clearly understanding their intentions, recognizing their impact, and harnessing their influence! As we work toward self-leadership, let us be reminded by the wisdom of Robert Frost (Poetry Foundation, 2020): “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
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