Transformational Leadership Paper

Hello professor and classmates,

As stated in Finkelman, effective communication, influencing behaviors, diversity, relationship management, shared decision making, medical staff relationships and community involvement are the nurse executive competencies (2016). The nurse executive I chose to write about is the director of nursing (DON) of the facility that I currently work. She possesses several years of experience in the healthcare industry. She believes strongly in continuous education and constant updating to stay informed on matters that involve healthcare. My DON tends to bend toward transformational leadership and I have personally observed her excellent communication and relationship management skills. She addresses the staff with courtesy,

“A director of nursing must achieve his goals through the work of others, which demands an ability to communicate clearly and effectively. He must be able to influence the behavior of those with whom he works….” (Greenwood, n.d.).

Transactional and transformational leadership are the two form of leadership that has been utilized in the healthcare industry. According to Finkelman (2016), transactional leadership is the method that exists in most healthcare settings because it is task oriented. However, the focus is moving towards transformational leadership, which is more applicable in today's dynamic health care system. Transactional leadership is the form of leadership that uses rewards and punishments to get the task done. Transactional leaders operate on the belief that workers are inspired when rewarded for accomplishing tasks and punished for their failure. They are authoritative leaders and expects their staff to follow their commands. An employee is only given a reward if they meet the leader’s expectations and scolded when goals are not met. (allnurse.com, 2012). On the