Authentic nursing leadership

FigureI COMMEND HUGHES and colleagues' insightful article “Exploring the Dimensions of Authentic Leadership and its Impact on Nursing Outcomes: An Integrative Review,” published in the September 2024 issue of Nursing Management.1 The authors provide insight into authentic leadership in nursing. As the article discusses, authentic leadership can be identified by self-awareness, moral/ethical behavior, balanced processing, and relational transparency.1 The authors' literature review focuses on authentic nursing leadership, which enhances our theoretical understanding and provides practical guidance for nursing professionals, particularly in the context of the post-COVID-19 pandemic healthcare environment. Authentic leadership is well-examined and conceptualized into four components. First, leaders should pursue truthful feedback and engage in mindful self-reflection. If you choose to lead, you must have the emotional intelligence and the ability to self-reflect. Personally, I frequently engage in self-reflection to assess whether my decisions benefit patients, staff, and the organization. This process allows me to manage my emotions and reconsider decisions when necessary. I've also learned the importance of acknowledging mistakes and collaborating with my team to identify alternative solutions. Second, being fair and ethical is one of the most critical aspects of team leadership. I believe teams closely observe how leaders treat everyone. A leader must consistently show morality, ethics, and fairness in their actions and decisions, which helps team members learn to trust their leader. The third component of authentic leadership is balanced processing, which entails examining all relevant information before making decisions. There are times in healthcare when nurse leaders must make quick decisions. However, you often have time to ensure you have all the information available to make an informed decision. As a nursing leader, I've used peer consults to help me stay grounded in my decision-making. My team frequently hears me say that I want to look more into a concern before moving forward with an action plan. So often, I find people make assumptions and don't understand the full magnitude of a problem. The final element, relational transparency, involves openly sharing thoughts and feelings to clarify the leader's perspective and intentions, promoting trust with your team. I've found that team members will follow you if they understand the “why,” even if they disagree with you. Your team also must feel heard. Transparency is another essential component of building trust. Teams need to know that their leader can be vulnerable, and I find this helps them feel comfortable being open about concerns and wins. I love having a reliable and valid tool to measure authentic nursing leadership.2 As outlined by Hughes and colleagues, authentic nursing leadership positively impacts nursing staff, work environments, and patient outcomes, which has been my experience.1 It also positively impacts team members' feelings of support and motivation, contributing to a safe culture, improved quality care, and reduced adverse events. I sincerely believe authentic leadership can be vital in decreasing burnout and improving staff retention while helping nursing leaders impact organizational performance. I agree with the authors that authentic leadership has the potential to transform healthcare teams and improve overall nursing outcomes. —Shawntel Willis, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, SCRN, CRRN Doctor of Nursing Practice student University of Louisiana at Lafayette