Lifelong Learners

To be a leader, you have to make a commitment to learning, says Margaret Widner-Kolberg, RN, MA, BSN, CPN, a school nurse in Clarksville, MD, and Nursing Spectrum’s 1999 Nurse of the Year.

“People are not born leaders. They need formal training,” says Widner-Kolberg, who has been in nursing for 25 years. She envisions leadership as a journey of lifelong learning. The foundation of any leader is his or her knowledge and skills; and formal education and excellent clinical skills are only part of that base. Nurse leaders also possess an ability to effectively convey ideas in both the verbal and written form. And most important, says Widner-Kolberg, they have the ability to actively listen. Good leaders understand that communication is a dialogue, not a monologue.

Nurse leaders understand the value of continuing their education by attending meetings and seminars and participating in professional organizations. But they also continue their lifelong love of learning by being open to varied experiences in their personal life, which breath new life into their work environment.

The Big Picture

Leaders are those who work for the good of all. “Sometimes we tend to advocate for our patients and not think about our whole unit,” says Michael Nozdrovicky, RN, BSN, CCRN. An MICU nurse at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, Nozdrovicky was chosen as the Nursing Spectrum’s 1999 Nurse of the Year for the New York/New Jersey Metro area. Nozdrovicky identifies leadership with those who can see “the big picture” and advocate not just for their own best interests but for their coworkers as well.

“It’s like a basketball game,” Nozdrovicky explains. “It’s not just about you scoring. It’s also about what’s happening down the court.” Success is built upon a collaborative team, and a good leader understands how to be a good follower as well as a good teammate.

An Open Attitude

Leaders develop an attitude that inspires their coworkers, says Carolyn Beth Mazzella, RADM, chief nurse officer for the United States Public Health Service. As the highest ranking nurse in the Public Health Service, Mazzella leads the 6,000 nurses in her agency by example. “I think leadership is an attitude of openness and tolerance to ideas and people,” says Mazzella. “Leaders are people who have been able to move ideas forward by showing a tolerance of these differences. This is something you can learn. It is not a doing mode, it is a being mode.”

Often staff nurses feel manipulated and powerless by all the changes that are occurring. Cultivating leadership opens your mind to the concept that you can have input into these changes. An open attitude allows you to acknowledge that change is not only inevitable but even productive. Mazzella adds that there is something to be gained in the level of discomfort that change brings. It provides a new opportunity to learn and grow.

Turning Knowledge Into Practice

How can nurses take their understanding of the traits and skills of a leader and put it to work in their practices? Our nurse experts offer this advice:

Mentoring – The path to good leadership is mentoring, and the path to mentoring is good leadership. All of our nurse experts advocate the use of mentoring to promote leadership. Many institutions offer a formal mentoring program that allows nurses to further their education in clinical or management tracts with nurses who are leaders in their field.

In a more informal setting, working one on one with a nurse you identify as a leader is an excellent way to hone your leadership skills, says Nozdrovicky. “I frequently ask my manager, ‘Why did you handle it this way?’ ‘How did you do it?’ and ‘What should I have done?’ Observing leaders in action and reflecting on their actions promotes growth.

Say Yes – Leaders are open to new opportunities and are willing to try new things. “Learn to say yes to everything, but learn to say no responsibly” says Mazzella. She achieved her success by saying yes to the opportunities that were offered to her.

Mazzella suggests nurses should start small and make a daily commitment to experience new opportunities. Volunteer for committees or special projects. Accept new responsibilities. This allows you to acquire new skills and network with other people.

“Decisions are made and actions are done by the people who show up and say yes“ says Mazzella. Accept the challenge to cultivate the leader within.