[Sharon]

Pick one of the Leadership characteristics in the chapter you read above that you feel is the most important in a leader. Describe a personal situation about yourself or a leader that supports why you feel that characteristic is the most important.

[Jessica]

I believe one of the most important characteristics of a leader that was described in the chapter is the ability to adapt and be optimistic (see possibilities).
A leader should be open-minded, an active listener and be willing to consider all possibilities in order to align with others opinions/beliefs. This is an important characteristic to be able to work cohesively as a team and guide a team to be successful.

One of the things I love most about my current manager (who I consider a leader), is that they include our entire team in decision making. Although my team is small, it provides an opportunity to build a strong relationship and ensures we are all on the same page. We feel heard and have the opportunity to voice our opinions and come to conclusions together. It also allows the opportunity to share ideas or opinions that may not have otherwise been considered. Being an active listener and open to change is a very important skill because it builds trust and strengthens relationships.

[Stephanie]

Hi Jessica!

I really enjoyed your response, i can also agree it is important as a leader that you are able to adapt to change and be optimistic. It is important to show the team your willing to see the different possibilities available and that even though a situation may not go a specific way you can continue to lead your team and adapt to the current situation.

[Mauei Caela]

Hi Jessica,
I am happy to hear that you have a manager (leader) who values teamwork and ensures effective communication. This approach has fostered a collaborative environment where ideas are shared openly and voices are heard. Having a manager who is easy to approach will make other team members feel at ease that their opinion is valued and considered. I think this is very important to have in our type of workplace.

[Amit Kaur]

I feel Leaders must mentor others and acknowledge ideas and accomplishments.

Leader should support others in situations where required(verbal guidance, finding sources, taking charge)
Understand the ideas then feed back the pros and cons of the idea.(explanations if idea can implemented or not, appropriate reasoning)
Apricate the efforts, guide, encourage improvement where needed.
Example: In the absence of full time nurse. New or causal nurse when scheduled to cover day off. They are not able to pick up all work load. Ft nurse upon return picks up pending work in addition to regular work so it becomes extra work load. Leader should appreciate the accomplishment instead of normalize it.

[Tina]

Amit
I agree, full time nurse myself it can be very challenging when off and on return things are left for me. Leadership has at times then, well you need to get this done, because it is now over due. example wound dressing assessments. It can be frustrating knowing the work load may be heavier on return. Leadership needs to see the struggles and offer help, especially when leadership is a RPN or RN as well and have the skills to help out.

[Mauei Caela]

Hi Amit,

I definitely agree with you. Sometimes I do not speak out that the workload is too much because I think it is a problem on my end, that I am not efficient enough for the job. But then, when other nurses feel the workload is not balanced, I realized that I could’ve spoken up sooner if I didn’t doubt myself. My manager is very good at following up with everyone about the expectations and reminds us to support float nurses and regular nurses when a higher workload is expected, when we do not have a baseline of the care plan yet especially for new admitted patients. There may be inevitable instances, like a higher workload due to incomplete data/information since it’s a new admission, but just like what you mentioned, it shouldn’t be the norm.

[Tina]

The characteristic I feel a leader should have would be that of Commination/Mentorship.
A leader really needs to be there and communicate with the team, Listen, and give a much mentorship to the team as often as possible.
example being at my work the Leadership team has a once a month neighbourhood meeting, here were can express our concerns, talk about things that work and what is going on with the residents. the leadership team will take notes, and we all can collaborate to come to a solution or agreement. No we the team do not always feel heard however. So this is were communication then falls apart. As a leader i hope to be a good communicator and listen to the team.

[Stephanie]

The leadership characteristics i feel is most important in a leader is “Mentor others and acknowledge their ideas and accomplishments.” I believe this helps make an excellent leader because to lead you need to be able to support and mentor your team while also learning different experiences and being able to accomplish the goal as a team. I have experience teaching clinical placement for RPN students and i felt as though my ability to mentor students/future nurses encouraged me to ensure i was knowledgeable and resourceful to these students and up to date with policies and procedures as well as able to work with them and hear based on there experiences and education there ideas and how they want to proceed with things such as there care plan, pts skills, and ability to complete assignments and then celebrate there accomplishments with completing a new skill or learning a new medication or diagnosis. I feel this helps contribute to myself as a leader as i want to be a leader who encourages and supports staff/students as well as being open to different ideas and collaborating as a team to accomplish our goal.

[Kayla]

The leadership characteristic that is most important to me in a leader is dependable. To me, its important that my manager/leader is dependable and I can rely on coming to them with any questions or concerns. Having open communitcation is also important to me, and providing any important feedback as it comes so that I can take that and make any necessary adjustments to my work.

[Mauei Caela]

Transformational leadership resonated with me most – leaders transforming followers to be self-directed. I realized I’ve been a ‘yes’ follower, working hard but not voicing ideas due to my lack of confidence. Leaders who sought my opinion made me feel safe to voice my thoughts. Sometimes my ideas may not be implemented due to the complexities of the problem, but being able to voice out my ideas helped me gain the confidence I needed.

Transforming followers to be self-directed develops accountability/authority in nursing. This builds future leaders and gains more opinions/solutions for problem-solving.

[Anastasia]

I felt like this for a long time as well for a long time. The more experiece I gained as a nurse and the more challenges I faced in regards to leaders not being leaders gave me more self confidence to voice my opinions and thoughts and grow. I do believe experience in the field teaches you and helps you to become more of a leader than a follower.

[Anastasia]

One leadership characteristic I feel is the most important is communication, especially when paired with active listening. Without strong communication, a leader cannot build trust or guide a team effectively.

When I first started in my role as a supervisor, morale among the field staff was very low. They had gone through so many supervisors that they stopped communicating, responding to emails, and even following policies. Over the past eight months, I have worked hard to rebuild those connections. I consistently send out group emails to keep staff informed, and I make time to visit them face-to-face in the community. Most importantly, I practice active listening—I don’t just hear their concerns, I take the time to understand them and, where possible, act on them.

By keeping communication open and showing staff that their voices matter, I have seen their trust and willingness to engage increase tremendously. This experience showed me that communication and active listening go hand in hand, and together they create a foundation for stronger relationships and better teamwork.

[Viatcheslav]

I feel that the most important characteristic in a leader is Integrity.
As described in the chapter, it is an essential part of being able to create the culture of candor. The work culture which makes an organization to run effectively with a positive outlook for those working there. The lack of integrity in the leader often causes the work environment to become toxic, and as a result reduces workforce happiness, motivation to perform to their best, which in case of medical field will have a direct effect on patients under their care.
People will mirror whatever characteristics their leadership is displaying, and therefore the leader with integrity and right values will have the ability to passively affect the workplace in a positive way. Staff will have motivation to better themselves and have a right moral compass and work ethic if that’s that’s what they see from the leadership.

[Stephanie]

An important characteristic of a leader is being optimistic. Leaders that display optimism boost morale of the team, create better clinical judgment, adaptability in adversity and a cohesive work environment.
Hospice care can change fairly quickly and it can be emotionally draining. We have a leader on our team who is very optimistic and when situations change quickly, their optimism allows better perspectives, adaptability to improve care.

[Katherine]

I really like that you chose optimism as an important leadership characteristic. I agree that in emotionally draining environments like hospice care, a leader’s positive outlook can make a big difference for the team’s morale and adaptability. Your example of how optimism helps create better perspectives really stood out to me. It also made me think about how optimism ties into communication. I think optimism and communication really work hand in hand to support the team and improve patient care.

[Loubna]

The Leadership characteristic that I value the most in leader is communication. In nursing, strong communication ensures residents’ needs are clearly addressed and care is consistent. One situation during my second week working as an RPN in long term care, I felt nervous about giving shift report. The charge nurse took the time to guide me, communicate clearly, which made me feel supported and confident in my role. So, effective communication creates a supportive environment and build trust within workplace.

[Trudy]

Hello Loubna,

I’m glad you had a positive experience and the support you needed in that moment. Giving rapport as a new team member can be nerve-racking. I agree that strong communication can ensure that needs are appropriately addressed.

[Trudy]

The Leadership characteristic that I view as most important, is communication. Being able to actively listen to your audience can drastically improve situations. Providing a space where you are supported and your concerns acknowledged is key. I have had times where what I am saying was not heard and brushed off. This left me feeling as though I was just another number. There was no connection, compassion or room for change. Without effective communication, this can bring down morale.

[Katherine]

I think the most important characteristic in a leader is strong communication. From the readings, both Jones (2007) and Eikenberry (2007) highlighted how leaders aren’t just people who give orders; they connect with others by being clear, open, and honest. To me, good communication builds trust and keeps a team working together instead of against each other.
In my own experience, I really noticed this when I worked with a manager who didn’t just assign tasks but explained why changes were happening. That extra step made such a difference because people felt included, not just told what to do. It motivated the team and cut down on misunderstandings.
That experience showed me that communication is more than just talking; it’s about listening, explaining, and making sure people feel heard. That’s why I see it as the most important quality in a leader.

[CHUNYAN]

I think the most important characteristic in a leader is critical thinking. The reasons are .1. Sound decision making: leaders are facing with complex situation every day. Critical thinking allow them to analyze problem consider multiple perspectives. and make well deformed decision. 2. problem solving ability : critical thinking help leaders identify root causes ,not just surface issues. Prevent repeated mistake. and lead to long term solutions.
A leader who demonstrates critical thinking is able to making better decisions, solving problem effectively, adapt to change, remain fair, and inspire other to think deeply. that is why critical thinking is one of the most important characteristic for leadership. .

[CHUNYAN]

Hi Katherine
I also agree with your point. a strong communication skill is a key characteristic to leaders. Strong commination is essential for a leader, because it ensures that expectations, goals, and instructions are clear understand by the team. A leader who communicates well can motivate and guide others. I remember one day we have a fire . The charge nurse gave a clearly guideline all the team follow the instructions and all the resident evacuate to a safe place .Strong communication is important for a leader because it helps to share ideas clearly, prevent misunderstandings, and build trust.

[Donna]

For me, one of the most important characteristics of a leader is effective communication. I believe a true leader knows how to listen, speak with clarity, and make sure everyone on the team feels respected and included. In nursing, this can make such a big difference not only for teamwork but also for patient safety and trust.
During my clinical placements, a resident’s condition suddenly changed, and it became a high-stress situation. I stepped up to communicate with my peers and nurse in charge, clearly explaining what needed to be done and who could help where. Because we stayed calm an kept each other informed, we were able to respond quickly and effectively. That experience really showed me that leadership is not just about giving direction, it’s about building connections and trust through good communication. It helps create a safe, supportive and positive environment for both patients and team members.

[Author]

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