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Introduction to Leadership

Napoleon once said: “One bad general does better than two good ones.” It takes a moment

for the sense of this to register, but it is the same as our modern saying that “too many cooks

spoil the broth”. Having one set of instructions, even if they are flawed, is preferable to

having two sets of perfect directions that, when enacted together without reference to each

other, cause havoc.

This is the principle of leadership in a nutshell. It is all about maintaining focus and creating

positive outcomes.

The same can be applied to individuals who strive to become leaders. There needs to be focus

and determination. Advice can be given, but does not have to be heeded. History is full of

leaders whose beginnings were disastrous, and had they listened to the naysayers of this

world, the world would be a poorer place today.

Leadership can be learned. Some people are certainly born with leadership skills, but this is

not a prerequisite for becoming a leader. More important is dedication to the art of leadership.

Leadership involves understanding how to inspire, influence and control how people behave.

It is not a simple matter of shouting, or having a deep and booming voice; or being great in

physical stature; Gandhi possessed none of these attributes, but managed to lead a nation and

inspire millions around the world.

Sometimes, leadership may be no more than having a poignant message for a receptive

audience at an opportune moment. Of itself, leadership is neither good nor bad; the world has

known more than its fair share of evil and charismatic dictators.

In the world of business, the perception of leadership has changed from its early days when it

largely mirrored the military model of leadership from the top down, with powerful

individuals dominating large groups of less powerful people.

Nowadays, leadership in business is far more knowledge-driven. The lowliest employee may

end up effectively leading the direction of a vast corporation through his or her innovative

ideas. Anyone with critical knowledge can show leadership. This is known as thought-

leadership. In other situations, leadership can be about taking a stand for what you believe in,

and trying to convince people to think and act differently.

Leadership has been variously described as the “process of social influence in which one

person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”;

“creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen”; “the

ability to successfully integrate and maximize available resources within the internal and

external environment for the attainment of organizational or societal goals”; and “the capacity

of leaders to listen and observe, to use their expertise as a starting point to encourage

dialogue between all levels of decision-making, to establish processes and transparency in

decision-making, to articulate their own values and visions clearly but not impose them.

Leadership is about setting and not just reacting to agendas, identifying problems, and

initiating change that makes for substantive improvement rather than managing change”.

There is truth to all of the above definitions, but they all apply to the ideals of leadership.

So what of leadership gone awry?

Understanding the Dark Side

The dark side of any individual when allowed to go unchecked can create a rigid and

dysfunctional personality that stifles creativity, and taints or ruins relationships. When such

characteristics are given reign in a leader, a self-righteous and bombastic person can result,

who alienates the very people they are meant to inspire.

The Compulsive Leader

Compulsive leaders feel like they have to do everything themselves. They try to manage

every aspect of their business, often refusing to delegate, and cannot resist having their say on

everything. As they lack trust in others, they cannot let anyone else take responsibility,

therefore they restrict personal growth in their team.

Compulsive leaders have many other traits. They are perfectionists who must follow highly

rigid and systematized daily routines, and are concerned with status. Thus they strive to

impress their superiors with their diligence and efficiency and continually look for

reassurance and approval. This can lead to them becoming workaholics, and their team is

viewed as failing if they don’t keep pace. Spontaneity is not encouraged as this bucks the

routine.

Despite this appearance of total control, such leaders can be fit to explode on the inside, and

this can be the result of a childhood environment where unrealistic expectations were placed

on them. Their attempts to keep control are linked to their attempts to suppress anger and

resentment, which makes them susceptible to outbursts of temper if they perceive they are

losing their grip

The Narcissistic Leader

Narcissistic leaders are focused on themselves. Life and the world revolve around them, and

they must be at the centre of all that is happening. Whilst they exaggerate their own merits,

they will try to ignore the merits of others, or seek to devalue them, because other people’s

accomplishments are seen as a threat to their own standing. The worst type of narcissistic

leader cannot tolerate even a hint of criticism and disagreement, and avoid their self-

delusions and fantasies being undermined by surrounding themselves with sycophants.

Where possible, they will attempt to use the merits of others for their own advancement, and

think nothing of stepping on people to get ahead. Their own feeling of self-importance means

they are unable to empathize with those in their team, because they cannot feel any

connection. Their only focus is on receiving plaudits that further bolster their sense of

greatness. Such an attitude is often the result of a deep-seated inferiority complex, and thus

no matter how much they are achieving, they will never feel it is enough.

Some narcissistic leaders take on a sidekick, but this person is expected to toe the line at all

times, and serves only to reflect glory onto them and loudly approve of all that they do.

Clever sidekicks can subtly manipulate the leader into focusing on the operational outcome of

their plans, rather than just their own self-aggrandizement. Ultimately, this type of leader can

be very successful if their vision is strong and they get the organization to identify with them

and think like they do. Such productive narcissists have more perspective, and can step back

and even laugh at their own irrational needs.

The Paranoid Leader

Paranoid leaders are exactly as they sound: paranoid that other people are better than they are,

and thus they view even the mildest criticism as devastating. They are liable to overreact if

they sense they are being attacked, especially in front of other people. This can manifest itself

in open hostility.

This attitude is the result of an inferiority complex that perceives even the most constructive

criticism in the wrong way. The paranoid leader will be guarded in their dealings with other

people because they do not want to reveal too much of themselves in case they display their

weaknesses and are attacked or undermined. They may be scared that their position is

undeserved, therefore can be deeply suspicious of colleagues who may steal their limelight or

perhaps challenge for their position.

This is not always a wholly negative trait, however. A healthy dose of paranoia can be key to

success in business, because it helps keep leaders on their toes, always aware of opportunities

not to be missed. It is the opposite end of the spectrum to being complacent, and can make for

a very successful venture.

The Codependent Leader

Co-dependent leaders do not enjoy taking the lead, and instead seek to copy what others have

done or are doing. They avoid confrontation and would rather cover up problems than face

them head-on. Planning ahead is not their forte. They tend instead to react to whatever comes

their way, rather than acting to alter outcomes or achieve goals.

Co-dependent leaders, therefore, are not leaders at all. They are reactionary and have the

habit of keeping important information to themselves because they are not prepared to act

upon it. This can clearly lead to poor outcomes because all the pertinent facts are not known

to those below the leader who may be charged with making decisions.

This type of leader avoids confrontation and is thus liable to accept a greater workload for

themselves rather than respond negatively to any request. They are also prone to accepting

the blame for situations they have not caused.

The Passive-Aggressive Leader

Passive-aggressive leaders feel like they need to control everything, and when they can’t they

cause problems for those who are in control. However, they are sneaky in their ploys, and are

very difficult to catch out. Their main characteristics are that they can be stubborn, purposely

forgetful, intentionally inefficient, complaining (behind closed doors), and they parry

demands put on them through procrastination.

Typically, if they feel they are not firmly in the driving seat, they will jump out and puncture

the tires when no one is looking, then feign horror and pretend to search around for a tire

iron.

This type of leader has two speeds: full speed ahead and stopped. When situations do not go

their way, they will offer their full support for whatever has been decided, then gossip and

back stab, willfully cause delays, and generally create upset. When confronted, they claim to

have been misinterpreted. Passive aggressive leader are often chronically late for

appointments, using any excuse to dominate and regain some control of the situation.

Dealing with passive-aggressive leaders is thus a draining and frustrating affair that saps

energy. They are not averse to short outbursts of sadness or anger to regain some control, but

are ultimately fearful of success since it leads to higher expectations.

How to Lead and Influence People

Leading people has nothing to do with managing them. Too many managers are trying to

micro-manage their staff, all the while forgetting to lead them effectively.

If you want to become a strong leader you need to lead by example. This means you have to

show your team that you are perfectly capable to set examples. By doing so you will earn

their respect, and create lifelong devotees who would move mountains to please you!

Conversely, a manager who hides behind his office door while commanding staff isn't going

to gain much respect in the work place.

Ultimately the success of any business venture lies in the hands of its employees and NOT

the managers. A manager's responsibility is to organize and manage business systems,

systems that will see to the successful finalization of projects.

If your staff are unhappy it will soon show in their lack of productivity. This will influence

your bottom line. Chances are customer complaints will start to amass and office gossip will

run hot. This is counterproductive to running a well-oiled machine – your business.

It's All About Relationships

No organization can function for very long without the co-operation of its employees.

Unfortunately, the necessity in any organization is that there are various levels of status

within the team, and this can lead to conflicts if not managed properly.

The effective leader has to realize that the team under them is there because they have to be.

Most employees work to earn money, not because they enjoy the daily grind of a nine-to-five.

For this reason, there must be an effort to build healthy relationships, or life in the workplace

can become untenable for everyone, and productivity will decline.

Leaders need to make their workplace society function positively, with co-operation and

respect. In this way everyone is working for the common good and towards a common

purpose. This demands that effective relationships are built upon an understanding of each

other’s needs. It is no different to how things should be in the home; no personal relationship

will last very long if there is a sense that one or both parties are being selfish.

The most effective way to understand how other people are feeling is to listen to what they

have to say. This must be done without judging, and not as though you are being forced to do

so by some higher authority. Very often, teams will have the same goals as their leaders, but

may just want to know that they are not seen as automatons that have no creative input.

Quality workplace relationships make people feel happy. One of the major reasons why

employees move on from a company is because of relationship clashes with leaders or other

colleagues.

Leaders should also make sure that they create the circumstances for understanding within

their team, and this means asking questions. Assuming that your team will simply pipe up

and express their feelings is not enough; many people will not feel it is their place to speak up

unless they are specifically asked to do so.

Listening should be done attentively, not glancing at your watch every couple of minutes or

trying not to look bored. This means you listen without interrupting or fidgeting, and with the

correct expression. Your expression, by the way, should be genuine or you will be found out

very quickly and the situation will become worse than had you not asked in the first place.

A great way to foster healthy relationships with your team is by meeting them in a more

social environment on regular occasions. Some companies choose to send their staff to

regular golfing outings while others prefer to host a monthly BBQ or weekend trips.

Regardless what you end up choosing, the key lies in giving your team a chance to connect

away from the daily grind.

Building effective relationships means that neither party must make any assumptions. As a

leader, you cannot expect people to understand exactly what we want and why you want it.

Sometimes it is this lack of comprehension that causes problems. As much as you must trust

your team members to have intelligence, if they are not party to the goals you are working

towards they can become resistant. As far as possible, your team should be conversant with

your goals and how their actions are contributing to their successful outcome. Humans are

inquisitive and function better when not kept in the dark.

Respect is the key ingredient of any good relationship, and this means respect for yourself as

well as others. Genuinely listening and understanding are the ways in which you show that

you respect the person you are talking to. Quickly judging based on preconceived ideas or

prejudice is the opposite of having respect. Bear in mind that not everyone will respond in

100% perfect fashion to all that occurs in the workplace. Although it is not the leader’s job to

be a permanent shoulder to cry on, it is important to accept that your team is made up of

individuals whose lives may not be as perfect as their coffee-break banter might lead you to

believe.

Whilst creating a healthy working relationship is a crucial goal, the smart leader will always

bear in mind that conflict is inevitable and must be managed, rather than ignored for the sake

of apparent peace.

Relationships can never improve unless problems are identified and confronted. Differences

between people are inevitable, and hearing them aired can lead to some very useful

resolutions that produce ideas beyond the expected. The alternative is highly detrimental: to

let problems fester and build, and ruin the atmosphere in a workplace, if not productivity

levels.

Keys for success in working relationships:

1. One party at least should value the relationship – This may start off as a one-way street, but

this can lead to a meeting of minds later on.

2. Listen effectively, without judging – Listening in this way will promote mutual

understanding and mutual respect.

3. Have informal chats – Chatting over a coffee can encourage a more frank exchange of

views than meeting officially with a desk between you.

4. Create an open culture – Your team should know they can speak freely, no matter if that is

to express happiness, joy, contentment, anger, irritation, sadness or fear. Negative feelings

that are hoarded cause significant problems.

Changing Mindsets by Empowering Others

Leaders must take responsibility for their team’s performance, which means leaders must be

happy that the direction of their team is one which the leader thinks is best. Although it is

useful to have creative sessions with team members to bat around a few ideas, the

overarching goals that the team must fulfill are most often set by the leader, or some authority

above the leader.

The challenge is therefore to get the team “onside” with the given aims, even when some

team members may wholeheartedly disagree with them, or baulk at the idea that these have

been imposed on them from above.

Despite the accepted hierarchy of any workplace, for a team to work most efficiently, its

members – especially higher level ones – may want to feel they are contributing more then

the spade work; they may like to feel that they have chosen where some of the plots should be

dug.

This presents a challenge for the leader who cannot just let his or her subordinates have free

play. The team must be made to feel involved and motivated. Or perhaps the situation is

worse, and your team is beginning to show a little disobedience. How then to provoke a

positive response in them?

The answer is by empowering your team, as far as possible. Short of handing over the reigns

and heading off home, the motivational leader must be able to create a sense that their team is

actively involved in the process and contributing in a real sense to the overall outcome of the

project. This can involve learning how to make your suggestions appeal to them. This may

mean you solicit their opinions and take the best ideas on board. Or you may have to

convince them that your goals are shared and that their futures are tied to your overall

success. It may be a simple matter of making an employee understand that their job will be

safer if they perform well; reminding them that they are working for themselves and their

family, and not just for a company.

However, empowering others does not just mean employing tactics that persuade other

people to your own opinion or goals. It can also mean demonstrating leadership qualities that

inspire others to act at their very best, no matter what is asked of them. Such leadership

qualities would be most in evidence in the armed services, where the end result of potentially

being killed is rarely going to elicit a whoop and a cheer. Soldiers are empowered to

greatness by the examples set by their commanding officers.

Sometimes, it is just a matter of being an admirable and inspirational human being. Of

course, some are born with more of these qualities than others, but we can all strive to lead by

example, so that others will feel empowered to make great things happen.

Getting the Most from Your Team

Start Right

When a staff member joins your team, give them time to become fully acclimatized to your

company. The sooner they settle, the sooner you can start to reap rewards. It will help if you

complete an induction and a detailed contract of employment, which outlines what you

expect from them.

Create Expectations

Strange as it may sound, some employees do not have a clear sense of their role. Such

confusion can cause arguments, or even duplication or omission of tasks. This is clearly bad

for productivity. Your team needs to know their job and responsibilities; a job description

will help.

Stand Back

Part of empowering your team is trusting they can get on with the job without you peering

over their shoulder every fifteen minutes. If you want staff members to flourish, they should

be allowed to get on with their job. Of course you need to keep a watchful eye, but there is a

happy medium where they know you trust them. Your team is more likely to over-perform if

they feel good about what they are doing. Motivated staff work harder. Money is often not

the prime motivator. They want to know what is expected of them, and then they want to be

allowed to get on with it. This is far easier if the right people are employed in the first place.

Communication

Effective communication is the lifeblood of any organization, regardless of its size. That may

mean face-to-face talks or pinning notes on a board.

Provided your team knows what’s going on, you are being an effective leader. Try asking

your team how they prefer communication to happen. This helps to empower them.

Keep Communicating

It can happen that there is a sincere intention to improve communication, and it all starts off

positively: team briefs, newsletters; intranets, etc. Then things start to slow down. As a leader

you should not let this happen. It may mean important information is not imparted, or you are

viewed as not bothered how the team is getting on.

Be Honest

Communication is not much use if your team believes it is not getting the whole picture. Bad

news is still news, and you must trust that your people are mature enough to handle it, or you

may find they are insulted and no longer believe what you tell them. This does not mean

shouting every piece of office gossip from the rooftop, but it does mean keeping your team

abreast of all that is pertinent to them.

Consultation

Effective consultation is a vital tool to improving performance. Your team members have

specific roles. Your collective overview may be more knowledgeable, but there may be team

members whose specific knowledge is greater than yours. Asking for their opinion is not

weak; it is sensible, and it serves to empower that team member. The more facts you have,

the easier and more effective your decision-making will be. Getting the most out of your team

is greatly aided by effective consultation and it demonstrates respect from you to them.

Training

Training is a boon if it is relevant to the team members receiving it. You are guaranteed to

alienate staff by sending them on courses that bear no relevance to their role. Training for the

sake of training is counter-productive. You need to ask: Will the training help the business? Is

it geared to the priorities of the business? Are the right individuals and teams within your

organization receiving the training? How can I quantify any improvement?

Training must be organized and delivered effectively or you should not commit to it in the

first place. Ensure that the agreed priorities are met. Once this happens, think how you can

help individual team members in their personal development. This can be a real aid towards

improving performance and motivation.

When the training is over, try and evaluate its worth. Where do you expect to see

improvements? If you evaluate effectively, you can judge where further investment in

training will pay off.

Organizations of all sizes invest in their people through effective training. Your team is your

most valuable asset and their performance has an impact on the company’s bottom line.

Staff Appraisals

All companies should review performance of their staff on a regular basis. When staff

appraisals do not work, it is for the following reasons: There is no system in place for

undertaking reviews on a regular basis; there is no paper trail to follow so people don’t know

where to start; they are used purely to air grievances so become a negative thing; the

appraiser isn’t trained to appraise so the results are unreliable; there is no follow-up so

improvements are missed.

10 Ways To Be A Better Leader

1. Ask to be judged

Finding out what others think of your leadership skills can really help you change for the

better. Sometimes leaders can be so wrapped up in appraising others, that they do not seek

appraisal from below, only from their own superiors. Your team is the best source of

feedback, because they are on the receiving end of your “skills” every day. Honesty should

be encouraged, but bear in mind that it may only be anonymous feedback that holds the truth

if your team believes you are going to use it against them, or become defensive about what

they say. If you have created a trusting and open environment, this should not be a problem.

2. Don’t abuse your power

If people are questioning why certain things are done, or the logic of decisions, never pull

rank in response. Your team should feel empowered, if only by you taking the time to explain

the rationale for any decisions that have been made. Your team must be on your side. This

will not happen by you telling them that the decision is the right one because you are the

boss. Your team may not agree, but they should know why a situation is how it is.

3. Your team is intelligent and can be trusted

Your team should be allowed to take actions and make decisions. Trust is a vital component

of leadership skills. If you can’t trust people to do their jobs, then you have the wrong people,

or you’re not managing them properly. Let them do what they are there to do without peering

over their shoulders every fifteen minutes, asking what they are doing with their time.

4. Listen

Truly listening to your team is one of the greatest leadership skills. Good listeners come

across as genuinely interested, empathetic, and concerned to find out what’s going on. All

great leaders have great communication skills. Unhappy team members can only exist where

their problems have not been aired. Create an environment where problems can be discussed

so that solutions can be found.

5. Stop being an expert on everything

Leaders often achieve their positions by being proficient in a certain area, and thus will have

an opinion on how to fix problems. They believe it’s better to tell someone what to do, or

even to do it themselves, than give their team the opportunity to develop their own solutions,

and therefore exercise their creativity.

6. Be constructive

Negativity breeds negativity. How you communicate has a profound effect on your team, as a

whole and individually. Criticisms will always need to be made by leaders, but try to make

them constructive, and deliver them without emotional attachment.

7. Judge your success by your team’s Performance

The true success of a leader can be measured by the success of the people who work for

them. You cannot be a successful leader of a failing team, just as you cannot be a successful

general of a defeated army. Your focus should always be on building your team’s skills and

removing obstacles in their way.

8. Don’t be a narcissist

Nothing is more annoying for team members than leaders who make their decisions based on

how good it will make them appear to their superiors. A key leadership skill is integrity.

Integrity is about doing the right thing, and allowing praise where praise is due, even if that is

not at your door.

9. Have a sense of humour

People work better when they are enjoying themselves. The work itself may be dull, but the

environment does not have to be. Stifling fun also means stifling creativity. Team members

love it when the leader joins in and has fun. This does not have to create a flippant

atmosphere; on the contrary, this is a tenet of team-building.

10. Don’t be too distant

Without revealing you innermost secrets, it is possible for leaders to show a more human

side. If mutual respect exists, this should not be seen as vulnerability, rather a sign that you

are a sentient human being, just as your team members are. Only when your team gets to

know the real you will the true foundations of good leadership be properly established – trust

and respect.

How To Become A Winner: Secrets Of Nurse Leaders:

1. Be A Visionary: Become a visionary, by thinking for the future, create opportunities

and possibilities in nursing.

"If you are working on something exciting you really care about; you don’t have to be

pushed. The vision pulls you.” Steve Jobs

2. Believe in Yourself: Success in nursing, is about doing the right things, and believing

in your skills, to do an excellent job every day.

“To be a champ, you have to believe in yourself, when nobody will.” Sugar Ray

Robinson

3. Have Purpose: If you don’t have a meaningful purpose in nursing, you must be

prepared to stay at the bottom, because nobody is going to give you a free ride to the

top.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be

compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph

Waldo Emerson

4. Dream Big: Think smart, get aggressive in your pursuits, and always dream big.

“All our dreams can come true-if you have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney

5. Set Goals: The only thing that separates great nurses from average nurses are goals.

“People with clear written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people

without them could ever imagine.” Brian Tracy

6. Have A Plan: When you plan your career, you ‘ll always know the best expected

outcomes.

“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.”

Earl Nightingale

7. Be Committed: You must be committed in nursing, by devoting your time, to do

whatever it takes to get the right results.

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to unrelenting

pursuit of your goal-a commitment to excellence- that will enable you to attain the success

you seek.” Mario Andretti

8. Be Passionate: You must never waste time, and you must be passionate doing

nursing.

“Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don’t let

anyone limit your dreams.” Donovan Bailey

9. Be Humble: Being a humble nurse, means living a simple life, not arrogant, not

proud, and not thinking, you’re more important than anyone else.

“Many people look at me and think they know me but they don’t at all. This is the real me, I

am a humble person, a feeling person. A person who cares about others, who want to help

others.” Christiana Ronaldo

10. Be A Good Listener: If you want to succeed as a nurse in the 21st century, you must

become a better listener.

“Encouragement to others is something everyone can give. Somebody needs what you have to

give. It may not be your money; it may be your time. It may be your listening ear. It may be

your arms to encourage. It may be your smile to uplift. Who knows?” Joel Osteen

11. Be Flexible: Learn to be flexible with your patients and colleagues. Always do your

best to help people every day.

“What I don’t underestimate is everybody’s deal makes it difficult. And so it is incumbent

upon employers to create flexible work environments that allows people to fulfil their

professional and personal lives in a way that works for themselves.” Beth Brooke

12. Have A Good Attitude: When you have a good attitude, more new opportunities ‘ll

open for you.

“We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We

cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and

that is our attitude.” Charles R. Swindoll.

13. Take Responsibility: You must take 100% responsibility for all your actions in

nursing.

“We are made wise not by recollection of past, but by the responsibility for our future.”

George Bernard Shaw

14. Be Confident: You must be confident, to do a fantastic job in nursing.

“If you don’t have confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.” Marcus

Garvey

15. Be A Leader: You have to be tough, and have good leadership skills to succeed in

nursing.

“A leader is someone who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John C.

Maxwell

16. Face Your Fears: Stop worrying about the negative opinions of others, you just have

to embrace your fears, and do the right things in nursing.

“If you don’t stand up to your fears, have bravery, loyalty, and you don’t have friends, you’ll

never win. You’ll never feel better about yourself.” Luke Benward.

17. Be Respectful: If you want to reach the top, you have to respect people.

“Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.”

Lawrence Sterne

18. Be Ambitious: Ambition is the fuel, that drives you to the top.

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our

community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of

others, for their sakes and for our own.” Cesar Chavez

19. Be Truthful: Develop the reputation of being a truthful person.

“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we

must be truthful.” Edward R. Murrow

20. Be A Role Model: Develop a strong character, be helpful, and become a role model

in nursing.

“If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you

can influence a person's life in a positive light, and that's what I want to do. That's what it's

all about.” Tiger Woods.

21: Always Smile: When you smile big in nursing, it conveys the message that, you

know, what you ‘re doing.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an

honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life

around.” Leo Buscaglia

22. Be Competent: People who get ahead in nursing, are usually very competent, doing

an excellent job.

“I have seen good nurses and bad nurses. They existed along a continuum: from hard-

working, kind and competent people, to office-hugging, bone-idle types, to apathetic,

disengaged automatons.” Jo Brand.

23. Say Thank You: It is the little things like ‘Saying Thank You’ that makes nursing

more exciting.

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without

the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find

many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it.”

Ralph Marston

24. Don’t Be A Bully: People who bully others in nursing, have a very short career life.

“Sometimes it's easy to see the negative side of things or question why people bully you. You

could think, 'Maybe they're right. Maybe I'm not worth it. Maybe I should just quit.' But that's

when you should fight the hardest. Now I don't mean fight physically, but mentally. Keep

being you”. Raini Rodriguez

25. Manage Your Time: If you can’t manage your time efficiently, you ‘ll always earn

less incomes.

“You've got to know what you want. This is central to acting on your intentions. When you

know what you want, you realize that all there is left then is time management. You'll manage

your time to achieve your goals because you clearly know what you're trying to achieve in

your life.” Patch Adams

26. Be Accountable: You must be professionally accountable to patients, and help them

feel safer in hospital.

“A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either

case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.” John Stuart Mill

27. Be Proactive: You don’t have to be a prisoner in your own cage, being proactive in

nursing means, getting to know people who can help you.

“Real freedom is creative, proactive, and will take me into new territories. I am not free if

my freedom is predicated on reacting to my past.” Kenny Loggins

28. Understand Social Media: Be careful about what you write on social media, it is a

great tool that can make or break your nursing career.

“Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both

positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are

contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand.” Amy Jo Martin

29. Share Your Knowledge: If you want to become a top notch nurse in your field, you

must share your expertise.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great

deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool.

But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” Charles Spurgeon

30. Control Your Emotions: Control your emotions at work. Never let anyone know

your personal matters, that can be used against you.

“Never be ashamed of what you feel. You have the right to feel any emotion that you want,

and to do what makes you happy. That's my life motto.” Demi Lovato

31. Don’t Do It For Money: You must never do nursing, just for money.

“A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.”

John Ruskin

32. Ask For Feedback: Ask for a feedback, because it can help you fast track your

nursing career.

“I think it's very important to have a feedback loop, where you're constantly thinking about

what you've done and how you could be doing it better. I think that's the single best piece of

advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning

yourself.” Elon Musk

33. Learn From Mistakes: Learn from past mistakes, by showing the desire to become a

better nurse.

“If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better

person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit,

never quit, never quit.” William J. Clinton

34. Be A Team Player: Nobody ever succeeds alone in nursing, have a good working

relationships with colleagues.

“The team with the best players wins.” Jack Welch

35. Be Creative: Learn to be creative in nursing, by adding more value at work.

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” Franklin D.

Roosevelt.

36. Be Inspiring: Great nurses are inspiring to patients and colleagues.

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration” Thomas A.

Edison.

37. Apply The 80-20 Rule: You must never waste time, and efforts on people, who don’t

deserve it.

“I live by the 80/20 rule: I'm 80 percent healthy, and then 20 percent indulgent.” Miranda

Kerr

38. Ask Good Questions: Asking good questions, and getting better answers, can help

you climb the career ladder.

“No decisions should ever be made without asking the question, is this for the common

good?” Michael Moore

39. Have Humility: Learn to win and influence your patients and colleagues.

“Humility is the true key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often

embrace and overindulge from the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-

indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to

continue the journey of success.” Rick Pitino

40. Be Assertive: Always be assertive, and speak your mind.

“I've worked very hard at understanding myself, learning to be assertive. I'm past the point

where I worry about people liking me.” Palm Dawber

50. Embrace The Challenge: Learn to embrace difficult assignments in nursing.

“To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It's not about winning and losing;

it's about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It's about embracing the

pain that you'll experience at the end of a race and not being afraid. I think people think too

hard and get afraid of a certain challenge.” Summer Sanders.

51. Seek New Opportunities: Never settle for less in nursing, keep looking for the next

bigger opportunities.

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people

are always asking, What's in it for me?” Brian Tracy

52. Be Caring: The quality of your care rendered, determines how far you can get ahead

in nursing.

“Caring - about people, about things, about life - is an act of maturity.” Tracy McMillan

53.Work Hard: Be known as the nurse, who's always a hard worker.

“Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you without a fight. You have to be

strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. If somebody

puts you down or criticizes you, just keep on believing in yourself and turn it into something

positive.” Leah LaBelle”

54. Be Compassionate: Be compassionate to people you meet, you never know, whether

that’s all they need in life.

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.”

Albert Schweitzer

55. Ask For Help: If you don’t ask for what you want, nobody can help you.

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't

hurt them.” Dalai Lama

56. Be Positive: Positive thinking, can help you become a better person.

“Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly

believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around

me better.” Harvey Mackay

57. Dress For Success: People judge you, based on how you dress, it’s important to dress

well, and look good.

“The only rule is don't be boring and dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to blend

in.” Paris Hilton

58. Have Enough Sleep: Take care of your health, by having 8 hours of sleep.

“We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy

on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time

off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile.”

Earl Nightingale

59. Be A Good Communicator: Learn to speak in a language, that everyone can

understand.

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive

the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Tony

Robbins

60. Be Bold: Being bold, doesn’t mean you have to be rude to others. It means standing

against all forms of injustices, and crusading for good a cause.

“Many people who try to do big bold things in the world find out it's not about the money or

the technology: It's about the regulatory hurdles that will try and stop you.”

Peter Diamandis

60. Apply Parkinson’s Law: Never start any tasks, without an agenda, and a deadline,

to avoid time wasters.

“The Law of Triviality... briefly stated, it means that the time spent on any item of the agenda

will be in inverse proportion to the sum involved.” Northcote Parkinson

61. Be Patient: It takes a brave person to be patient enough, when dealing with people.

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”

Napoleon Hill

62. Find A Mentor: If you have good mentors, you have 1000% chance of achieving

goals.

“What you want in a mentor is someone who truly cares for you and who will look after your

interests and not just their own. When you do come across the right person to mentor you,

start by showing them that the time they spend with you is worthwhile.” Vivek Wadhwa

63. Learn New Skills: You must never stop learning new skills each day.

“You can't build any kind of organization if you're not going to surround yourself with people

who have experience and skill base beyond your own.” Howard Schultz

64. Be Approachable: Be nice and approachable, it’s one of the qualities of being a

successful person.

“Trust leads to approachability and open communications.” Scott Weiss

65. Learn To Forgive: Life is too short to hold grudges against people. Just forgive and

move on with life.

“It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” Maya

Angelou

66. Be Adaptable: Become a fast learner, and adaptable to new environments.

“I don't think of myself as unbreakable. Perhaps I'm just rather flexible and adaptable.”

Aung San Suu Kyi

67. Be Organised: If you can organise your work, you ‘ll be efficient in your job.

“Deadlines aren't bad. They help you organize your time. They help you set priorities. They

make you get going when you might not feel like it.” Harvey Mackay

68. Stay Motivated: Learn to stay motivated every day at work.

“Wanting something is not enough. You must have hunger for it. Your motivation must be

absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your

way.” Les Brown

69. Be Decisive: Always make sound decisions, because your future depends on it.

“If you call yourself a leader, then you have to be decisive. If you're decisive, then you have

the chance to be a leader. These are two sides to the same coin.” Narendra Modi

70. Have Empathy: Great nurses have empathy for their patients.

“If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not

able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective

relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.” Daniel

Goleman

71. Create Value: If you can help many people, you will do well in life.

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” Albert

Einstein

72. Don’t Gossip: Learn to focus on your job, never spread rumours or participate in

gossips at work.

“Be Impeccable with Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using

the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in

the direction of truth and love.” Don Miguel Ruiz

73. Stay Focus: When you focus on what you want, you ‘ll always achieve your goals.

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them.

They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next

action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than

all the other distractions that life presents to them.” Jack Canfield

74. Build Connections: Learn to build connections, and surround yourself with smart

people.

“Your competition is not other people but the time you kill, the ill will you create, the

knowledge you neglect to learn, the connections you fail to build, the health you sacrifice

along the path, your inability to generate ideas, the people around you who don't support and

love your efforts, and whatever god you curse for your bad luck.” James Altucher

75. Eat Healthy: If you eat healthy, you ‘ll nurse patients to speedy recovery.

“I think it's very expensive to not eat healthy. Eating healthy is the only affordable option we

have left.” Marcus Samuelsson

76. Never Give Up: You must never give up in nursing.

“Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be

sunshine.” Jack Ma

77. Be Productive: If you can manage your time, you’ll enhance your productivity at

work.

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence,

intelligent planning, and focused effort.” Paul J. Meyer

78. Document Your Work: If you don’t document things in nursing, it means nothing is

done in the court of law.

“Lack of documentation is becoming a problem for acceptance.” Wietse Venema

79. Have Sense Of Humour: Enjoy your work, with a good sense of humour.

“Good planning is important. I've also regarded a sense of humour as one of the most

important things on a big expedition. When you're in a difficult or dangerous situation, or

when you're depressed about the chances of success, someone who can make you laugh eases

the tension.” Edmund Hillary

80. Volunteering: You become a better nurse by volunteering for a good cause.

“Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make

time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of

empowerment than being of service to someone in need.” Gillian Anderson

81. Say Please: Treat people with respect and dignity by saying please.

“No one will ever shine in conversation, who thinks of saying fine things: to please, one must

say many things indifferent, and many very bad.” Francis Lockier

82. Be Happy: If you can control your thinking, you’ll always be happy.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

Mahatma Gandhi

83. Be Self-Less: Great nurses are always dedicated and selfless to duty.

“With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you

cannot achieve.” Muhammad Ali Jinnah

84. Don’t Play Politics: Responsible nurses, don’t waste energy playing politics at work.

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and

applying the wrong remedies.” Groucho Marx

85. Don’t Be Lazy: Great nurses always focus on results, and the lazy nurses blame the

system, and employers.

“Great things come out of being hungry and cold. Once you're pampered, you get lazy.” Rob

Zombie

86. Become A Winner: If you work hard enough, you ‘ll become a winner in nursing.

“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner.

The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.” Paul Bryant.

87. Know The Rules: You have professional accountability, and is important to know

the rules.

“We learned about honesty and integrity-that the truth matters…that you don’t take shortcuts

or play by your own set of rules…and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and

square.” Michelle Obama

88. Fight Injustice: Never ignore bad practices or behaviours at work.

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly

rest.” Nelson Mandela

89. Have Fun: Live a good life, by having enough fun and relaxation.

“When you start recognising that you’re having fun, life can be delightful.” Jane Birkin

90. Be Inclusive: Treat people equally, without holding any grudges.

“Standing as a witness in all things means being kind in all things, being the first to say

hello, being the first to smile, being the first to make the stranger feel a part of things, being

helpful, thinking of others' feelings, being inclusive.” Margaret D. Nadauld

91. Never Stop Learning: The more you learn, the more your income goes up!

“You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”

Richard Branson

92. Be Appreciative: Always give credits, to nurses who deserve it.

“By appreciation, we make excellence in others our own property.” Voltaire.

93. Be Punctual: Always be punctual at work. Never assume you ‘re cheating your employer

by coming to work late.

“Obviously, your family life is the priority, but there's still other stuff you have to get done in

a day. I think the way I make it work is by taking care of myself, and that includes fitness and

eating right and all those things, but also by being very organized and punctual.” Cindy

Crawford

94. Be Resourceful: Always find creative ways to add value to others.

“Life’s too short to hang out with people aren’t resourceful.” Jeff Bezos

95. Give Hope To Hopeless: Never stop smiling and helping others. It maybe all they

want in life.

“We all have the same destiny. The difference is opening ourselves up to possibilities to joy,

hope, and happiness along the way. Give yourself and others a chance to take advantage of

what's out there and available.” Diane Ladd.

96. Be Sincere: It’s nice to be sincere to people, but you owe no apologies to anyone for

doing well in life.

“Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of

the heart.” Basil Rathbone

97. Keep Family Matters Private: Never disclose your private matters at work, no

matter what!

“I’m one of those people who fiercely guards their privacy, so I hate doing interviews.”

Megan Fox

98. Know Your Industry: If you want to become a top nursing expert, you first need to

know your industry.

“Make sure you meet the right people, people who know that industry and are willing to help

you. Do your homework - read books about the industry, talk to people. If you don't know

something, ask.” Anwar Robinson

99. Climb The Career Ladder: You cannot be stagnant at one place all the time. Aim

higher in nursing.

“Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top

of your career.” A.P.J Abdul Kalam

100. Be Empowering: Always empower others, people ‘ll appreciate you, and they ‘ll

return the favours when you need them.

“As we look head to the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”

Bill Gates.

101. Don’t Take Bribe: Never allow anyone to influence your decisions through bribery.

“In the modern-day world, where time is premium and battle for subsistence is unimaginably

tough, the hapless common man simply gives in and pays the bribe just to get on with life.”

Shaffi Mather.

102. Be Grateful: Always be grateful to colleagues, and appreciate your achievements in

nursing.

“Whatever we are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of

simple abundance - it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an

open and grateful heart.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

103. Be Interesting: Don’t be a boring nurse, always have nice and interesting things to

share.

“When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.” Walt Disney.

104. Be Loyal: Be known as someone, who is caring and loyal to colleagues.

“If you're not loyal to your team, you can get by for a while, but eventually you will need to

rely on their loyalty to you, and it just won't be there.” Tim Schafer

105. Manage Your Finances: Be careful, and control your expenses at work, set a

written budget, and stop worrying, about the opinions of your broke colleagues.

“Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are

subtracted from your good ones.” Benjamin Franklin

106. Show Perseverance: You won’t go far in nursing, if you cannot sacrifice and

persevere during hard times.

“As long as we persevere and endure, we can get anything we want.” Mike Tyson

107. Be Courageous: Be courageous in your nursing duties, and is always good to have

professional disagreements at times.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -

which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others'

opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow

your heart and intuition.” Steve Jobs

Conclusion

Sun Tzu, writing in the 5th century BC in The Art of War said: “What enables the wise

sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer and achieve things beyond the reach of

ordinary men is foreknowledge.”

This is an as-yet-unmentioned attribute of a great leader – the ability to predict. No matter

how many managerial and people skills the business leader possesses, they will all be

jeopardized if he or she cannot anticipate the effects of the plans they put in place, and the

actions they take. In this respect, it may be that their age and experience must take

precedence over consultation with the “troops”, who may little understand the ramifications

of what is about to take place.

This is where the genuine leader comes to the fore and truly claims their title. When all

around are scratching their heads and reluctant to make a decision, old-style leadership must

come into play. The modern leader may utterly fail in this scenario for lack of guts and an

over-familiarity with their team.

As Sun Tzu says “Some leaders are generous, but cannot use their men. They love their

men, but cannot command them… These leaders create spoiled children. Their soldiers are

useless.”

Leadership may have become a different beast over the years, but it is still, at its heart, about

leading.

With the help of this eBook you too can become a great leader. By following the leadership

principles within you will be respected for your fairness, your skills and your ability to lead

people in a humane but necessary way to achieve greatness with your team.

Leading people can be one of the most rewarding things you've ever done if you do it right.

Do it wrong, and leadership can quickly become a nightmare you hope to wake up from

sooner than later.

I trust you enjoyed learning from Leadership - Becoming a Better Leader and look forward

to seeing you succeed.

Good Luck!

Committed To Your Success…

Thanks!

Foday K. Ceesay

www.nursepublishers.com