Utilizing Transformational Leadership in Healthcare

Leadership in Health
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Institutional Affiliation
Leadership in Health
Leadership refers to the ability of an individual to organize and lead other individuals, teams or entire organizations. A leader is, therefore, a person who is able to motivate and inspire others to achieve certain set goals. The roles of a leader in an organization include setting a clear vision for the organization, as well as motivating and guiding the employees towards the achievement of the set vision. Good leadership in healthcare is important not only in financial management but also on the quality of care provided to the patients. For instance, leadership largely determines the level of stress among the employees in health institutions, which in turn affects the quality of care given to the patients (Smith, Fowler-Davis, Nancarrow, Aris, & Enderby, 2018). To bring about real change in any organization, the leader must have a deep knowledge of the leadership styles that lead to change. This paper seeks to discuss the transformational style of leadership and how it can be utilized to improve patient education upon discharge.
The argument on whether leadership is inborn or acquired after birth has been a subject of debate among scholars for centuries. However, there is a consensus that whether innate or acquired, leadership can be improved through training and experience. The major difference between leadership and management is that leaders use their charisma to get people to follow them, while managers use their authority to make people work for them. A good leader possesses both leadership and management skills. There exists a set of traits exhibited by all successful leaders. These skills include honesty, good communication skills, openness, optimism, among others (Nicholas, 2016). Different leaders use various styles of leadership with varying levels of success. Various leadership theories have been developed in an attempt to explain and demystify the various styles of leadership.
Transformational leadership is one of the various styles of leadership. Under this style, both the leader and the followers strive to raise each other to levels of higher motivation, morality, and achievement. This theory of leadership was introduced by James Downton, developed by James MacGregor Burns, and later expanded by Bernard Bass. Under the style, the leader can enhance the morale and motivation of the employees by connecting their identity to the project, giving them a greater ownership in the project, as well as being a role model to them. The leader must exhibit high levels of fairness and integrity. They must also set clear goals and have high expectations of the followers. The leader also encourages the followers by providing all the support and recognition required. The main traits associated with transformational leadership include extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Extraversion is the ability of a transformational leader to inspire change in the organization. Neuroticism gives an individual the anxiety and urge to achieve higher levels of productivity. Openness allows the leader to see the bigger picture and give a visionary leadership. Conscientiousness gives the leader a sense of di...