Final Project Coursework: Transactional Leadership

Leadership theories
Name
Institution
Leadership Theories
Introduction
Leadership is one of the crucial factors that establish whether an organization will succeed or fail. Nurse leaders are constantly called to utilize all their knowledge as well as problem-solving abilities to come up with imaginative solutions to challenges facing the healthcare sector. There are varied leadership theories that the nurse leader can employ in various situations to bring about better outcomes. This is especially true for individuals in DNP programs who are constantly called to put the existing knowledge into practice. Applying the right leadership theories helps the nursing leader to take charge of situations for better institutional, personal, and patient outcomes.
A nursing leader should be able to come up with new solutions to intricate problems and utilize the mind and skill to relate the appropriate theory and concepts. The changing environmental trends in the contemporary world have made nursing leadership a prerequisite. As nursing conditions and the world itself become more intricate, so does the role of being a leader also become complex. To act as a nursing leader calls for the nurse to become familiar with the numerous theories and types of leadership. As a DNP degree holder, I have realized that I do not have to be formally appointed as a leader for me to lead. The major reason for this is because each day presents unique opportunities that call the nurse to apply leadership in order to save the patient’s life. This reality demands that each nurse be fully aware of the various leadership theories that guide the nursing profession (Burke, et al 2006).
Transactional Leadership
One of the leadership theories that are employed in the nursing profession is transactional leadership. This kind of leadership entails giving rewards to others in return for conformity. This kind of leadership is seen as one of the best ways to ensure that there is a positive effect on follower’s contentment and performance (Mahoney, 2001). In most cases, transactional leaders are more concerned with the management tasks and do not easily identify with the shared values of the team. This kind of leadership is more focused on the task and is more useful when there is a deadline to meet. In the nursing profession, transactional leadership is ideal in handling emergencies such as when there is a case of cardiac arrest. This kind of leadership is not the best for nurses in DNP programs like me since it brings about a non-holistic patient care due to its focus on the task that needs to be completed instead of the patient as a whole.
In the world today, most autocratic leaders are individuals that use transactional leadership approach. This kind of leaders are domineering, power minded and are not easy to change their mind once they set their mind to achieve a certain goal. Such kind of leadership demands total obedience, faithfulness and strict devotion to the guidelines. However, this might grow into affection once the followers see the end results. Although autocratic leaders might not be well liked by the team, they usually operate well under them. Research has shown that leaders that are well liked are not as efficient ...