Week 3 Assignment 1: Synthesis of Personal Strengths and Weaknesses as a Leader
Our personal strengths and weaknesses are key determinants on how we succeed at our workplaces. Northouse (2018) explains strength as, “an attribute or quality of an individual that accounts for successful performance” (P.48). Strength looks at one’s result in reward and personal gratification, therefore leaders should always aim to develop their personal strengths.
According to the questionnaire results, I ranked as a very high implementer, innovator, encourager and analytic. Knowing that implementation, innovation, analysis and being an encourager are my strong traits, I should use them to the best of my ability, while working on mediation, which seems to be my weakness. In most cases your followers will trust and believe in you more as a leader by the way you carry yourself, solve conflicts, relate to them as teammates, and the way you handle and take care of patients. That is why it is very important for leaders to re- evaluate and polish up on their strengths, in order to increase productivity and outcomes. In a study done by Boitshwarelo, et al (2020), they came to a conclusion that, “strengths are used as buffers in dealing with workplace stressors, enabling them to overcome difficulties and providing quality nursing services”. When leaders know their strengths, they use them to handle situations. For instance, if a nurse leader that is good at encouraging others has a depressed patient, this leader can use her skill to encourage her patient.
Today we have different generations of nurse leaders and staff working, and this can be challenging because due to these generational differences, each leader has their own way or idea on how certain situations should be handled. This can be hard to deal with nurse leaders from different generations, and it can be hard for these young nurses to adapt. Some of these young nurses end up giving up on their careers, because they are constantly clashing with the older nurses. Graystone (2019) says, “To be effective, leaders must build a level of trust with their teams that helps them connect with staff members at any level in their career”. Being trustworthy is one of the traits in which I scored highly. The other traits include determination, self-confidence, persistent, dependable, friendly, conscientious and diligent. As a future FNP, I have already gone to work on enhancing my traits and strengths by, creating trusting relationships with my co-workers. Being a person of my word, keeping or honoring my promise, standing up for my team to administration, and simply being reliable. There are times we work short on the floor, and I always step in to help the aides, maybe pass meal trays to the residents. Those little acts are a big deal to the aides. They begin to trust me because I prove to them that, even though we do not have enough staff on the floor today, we are in this together, so they learn to depend on me, and know that I will not let them down.
Self-confidence is one of the traits that leaders should possess. This trait influences followers who being in us, and it is through this trait that followers can trust in your ability. Having self-confidence will enhance my leadership ability in a way that it will create a good self-image for me. As a leader, I want to be seen as capable, confident, determined and willing to lead my team, and that is what my followers would want to see.
Persistence is another trait that can enhance my leadership ability. Persistence is staying on task even when all the rest have given up. I want my followers to see and learn that they should never give up, on their tasks, their dreams, anything in life. I have to be their motivation to keep going, even when things are tough. Therefore by me being persistent, am not only expanding on my leadership ability, but also being a beacon for others. In a study done by Breslin et al (2011), the authors learned that, “persistence toward established goals is necessary”, and that perseverance is essential. The author went on to quote McBride (2010) as saying, “perseverance is not a stylish elegant quality, but it is a the one that matters in the long run” (as cited in Breslin, et al., 2011). Being persistent is necessary in order to produce feedback, even though sometimes it may take long and be challenging. But everything pays off in the end when we hold on, and never give up, and that is one trait that makes a good leader.
The questionnaire pointed out my weaknesses that includes empathic, sensitive, and outgoing. As healthcare workers, we have to be compassionate and caring, not only to the patients, but to our teammates as well. Just like the patients, our teammates also have things going on in their private lives. They could be emotional, medical, mental or physical. And as leaders, we have to be available to support. But how can we support them when we lack the traits to do so? Reagan states, “In the ever-changing and stress-laden environment of healthcare, ineffective nursing leadership often leaves staff feeling dispirited, devalued and ultimately apathetic, which can lead to the downward spiral of nurse burnout and turnover”. A leader who has no empathy and is insensitive to what is going on with staff, will only have a bad relationship with her followers and will be probably resented. Teammates need a leader that will be sensitive and understanding to their situations and needs. A leader also needs to be empathetic. Being able to understand and listen to someone during their trying moments means so much to a person. Sometimes all one can do is listen, and it is highly appreciated. Otherwise without empathy and sensitivity, my leadership would be ineffective.
Every leader possesses different traits and strengths. I have come across leaders that were friendly, trustworthy, outgoing, mediators, implementers, and I have also seen arrogant, insensitive, undependable leaders. The kind of traits and strengths and how one portrays themselves in leadership, is what leads to their success or downfall as a leader. My last charge nurse was the kind of leader that was never afraid to get her hands dirty if she had to. On several occasions she stepped in to help with patient wound care when the nurses were overwhelmed with work, or she would help the aides with patient activities of daily living (ADLs) when they worked short. She led by example and was loved by her staff because of how she treated her staff, with compassion, love, respect. The way a leader treats their followers will determine whether they are a good or bad leader. I am going to develop my strengths by continuing to be persistent in all I do, working hard to earn my followers trust, being honest and honoring my promises, be reliable, kind and understanding. In healthcare it can be so stressful, and nurse leaders need to prove that they are resilient and can handle the stresses that come with the job. And the followers need to see that their leader can withstand the pressures of the job and are determined. This will give them the motivation to persist too. I will also continue to re-evaluate myself to check myself for any progress and setbacks in my leadership.
And since I have weaknesses that were mentioned before, I will work to improve them by, working closely with leaders that possess my weaknesses as their strengths. For instance, I will work with leaders that are empathic, sensitive and outgoing. Through this, I can learn from them how to be empathic to others, sensitive to others especially in tough times, and learn not to be uptight. I will also listen more to my followers. Sometimes they might want to talk about something at work, or it could be something personal, that they feel the need to disclose to me as a leader, either way, I have to listen attentively. Pay attention to the whole conversation, not tune out parts of the conversation, because if that happens, then I will not have all the information in case I need to contribute to the conversation or give my opinion. Therefore, listening attentively will be part of working on my weaknesses. Feedback and progressive reviews will be another way to work on my weaknesses. Having my staff and bosses give me feedback on my performance will help me know where I stand in terms of leadership progress. I know that sometimes we do not want to hear feedback from our staff because it could be negative feedback, but that is how we know how we are doing, and how we can improve. I believe that feedback on my part will point me to whether am doing a good job as a leader and progressing or am becoming worse. This way I will know which areas of my leadership still need to be improved.
Northouse (2018) says, “Because leadership is a complex process, there are no simple paths or guarantees to becoming a successful leader. Each individual is unique, and each of us has our own distinct talents for leadership” (P.35). Examining my leadership traits and strengths points out what am capable of as a leader. My skills might be different from skills of other leaders, I might not even be able to use all my skills right away. However I know that I will have to keep applying these skills every day until I become a better leader. I will keep the traits and strengths that work best for me and be sure to pick up some new ones along the way.
Important information for writing discussion questions and participation
Welcome to class
Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to
I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.
Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.
If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.
Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.
Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.
I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!
Hi Class,
Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.
Contact me if you have any questions.
Important information on Writing a Discussion Question
- Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
- There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
- Include in-text citations in your response
- Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
- Follow APA-7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor
- A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
- Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
- Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
- Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
- Follow APA 7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
- Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
- Here are some helpful links
- The is a great resource
References:
Boitshwarelo, T., Koen, M., & Rakhudu, M. (2020, September 19). Strengths employed by resilient nurse managers in dealing with workplace stressors in public hospitals. Retrieved January 22, 2021, from
Breslin, E., Stefl, M., Yarbrough, S., Frazor, D., Bullard, K., Light, K., . . . Lowe, A. (2011, December 03). Creating and Sustaining Academic–Practice Partnerships: Lessons Learned. Retrieved January 24, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S8755722311001438
(McBride, 2010, as cited in Breslin et al (2011)
Graystone, R. (2019, January). How to Build a Positive, Multigenerational Workforce. Retrieved January 21, 2021. doi:10.1097/NNA.0000000000000698
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Chapter 2-4. In Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (4th ed., pp. 35-48). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
Reagan, D. (2014). Is our compassion being hijacked? Is Our Compassion Being Hijacked?
NU 605 Week 3 Assignment 1: Synthesis of Personal Strengths and Weaknesses as a Leader
Value: 100 points
Due: Day 7
Grading Category: Writing Assignments
Instructions
Complete the “Leadership Traits Questionnaire” (Northouse, Chapter 2) and “Leadership Strengths Questionnaire” (Northouse, Chapter 3).
Review the expectations outlined in the Writing Assignment Rubric. The Synthesis of Personal Strengths and Weaknesses as a Leader Paper should be 5 pages long, not counting cover page or references list. It should reflect the rubric in the following ways:
- Comprehension: What are the findings of the questionnaires?
- Application: Discuss how your identified traits and strengths can enhance your ability to lead? How can your identified traits and weaknesses impede your ability to lead?
- Analysis/Synthesis: How can your identified traits and strengths compare to those you have observed in nurse leaders? Create a plan to develop your strengths and address your weaknesses to meet the anticipated leadership responsibilities of your intended role (upon graduation from your program of study).
- Evaluation: Summarize the value of examining your leadership traits and strengths.
Please refer to the for details on how this activity will be graded.
To Submit Your Assignment:
- Select the Add Submissions button.
- Drag or upload your file to the File Picker.
- Select Save Changes.
Writing Assignment Rubric
Note: Scholarly resources are defined as evidence-based practice, peer-reviewed journals; textbook (do not rely solely on your textbook as a reference); and National Standard Guidelines. Review assignment instructions, as this will provide any additional requirements that are not specifically listed on the rubric.
Criteria | Exemplary Exceeds Expectations |
Advanced Meets Expectations |
Intermediate Needs Improvement |
Novice Inadequate |
Total Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Content of Paper | The writer demonstrates a well-articulated understanding of the subject matter in a clear, complex, and informative manner. The paper content and theories are well developed and linked to the paper requirements and practical experience. The paper includes relevant material that fulfills all objectives of the paper.
Follows the assignment instructions around expectations for scholarly references. Uses scholarly resources that were not provided in the course materials. All instruction requirements noted. 30 points |
The writer demonstrates an understanding of the subject matter, and components of the paper are accurately represented with explanations and application of knowledge to include evidence-based practice, ethics, theory, and/or role. Course materials and scholarly resources support required concepts. The paper includes relevant material that fulfills all objectives of the paper.
Follows the assignment instructions around expectations for scholarly references. All instruction requirements noted. 26 points |
The writer demonstrates a moderate understanding of the subject matter as evidenced by components of the paper being summarized with minimal application to evidence-based practice, theory, or role-development. Course content is present but missing depth and or development.
Does not follow the assignment instructions around expectations for scholarly references. Only uses scholarly resources that were provided in the course materials. Most instruction requirements are noted. 23 points |
Absent application to evidence-based practice, theory, or role development. Use of course content is superficial.
Demonstrates incomplete understanding of content and/or inadequate preparation. Content of paper is inaccurately portrayed or missing. Does not follow the assignment instructions around expectations for scholarly references. Does not use scholarly resources. Missing some instruction requirements. 20 points |
30 |
Analysis and Synthesis of Paper Content and Meaning | Through critical analysis, the submitted paper provides an accurate, clear, concise, and complete presentation of the required content.
Information from scholarly resources is synthesized, providing new information or insight related to the context of the assignment by providing both supportive and alternative information or viewpoints. All instruction requirements noted. 30 points |
Paper is complete, providing evidence of further synthesis of course content via scholarly resources.
Information is synthesized to help fulfill paper requirements. The content supports at least one viewpoint. All instruction requirements noted. 26 points |
Paper lacks clarification or new information. Scholarly reference supports the content without adding any new information or insight. The paper’s content may be confusing or unclear, and the summary may be incomplete.
Most instruction requirements are noted. 23 points |
Submission is primarily a summation of the assignment without further synthesis of course content or analysis of the scenario.
Demonstrates incomplete understanding of content and/or inadequate preparation. Missing some instruction requirements. Submits assignment late. 20 points |
30 |
Application of Knowledge | The summary of the paper provides information validated via scholarly resources that offer a multidisciplinary approach.
The student’s application in practice is accurate and plausible, and additional scholarly resource(s) supporting the application is provided. All questions posed within the assignment are answered in a well-developed manner with citations for validation. All instruction requirements noted. 30 points |
A summary of the paper’s content, findings, and knowledge gained from the assignment is presented.
Student indicates how the information will be used within their professional practice. All instruction requirements noted. 26 points |
Objective criteria are not clearly used, allowing for a more superficial application of content between the assignment and the broader course content.
Student’s indication of how they will apply this new knowledge to their clinical practice is vague. Most instruction requirements are noted. 23 points |
The application of knowledge is significantly lacking.
Student’s indication of how they will apply this new knowledge to their clinical practice is not practical or feasible. Demonstrates incomplete understanding of content and/or inadequate preparation. Application of knowledge is incorrect and/or student fails to explain how the information will be used within their personal practice. Missing several instruction requirements. Submits assignment late. 20 points |
30 |
Organization | Well-organized content with a clear and complex purpose statement and content argument. Writing is concise with a logical flow of ideas.
5 points |
Organized content with an informative purpose statement and supportive content and summary statement. Argument content is developed with minimal issues in content flow.
4 points |
Poor organization, and flow of ideas distract from content. Narrative is difficult to follow and frequently causes reader to reread work.
Purpose statement is noted. 3 points |
Illogical flow of ideas. Missing significant content. Prose rambles. Purpose statement is unclear or missing.
Demonstrates incomplete understanding of content and/or inadequate preparation. No purpose statement. Submits assignment late. 2 points |
5 |
APA, Grammar, and Spelling | Correct APA formatting with no errors.
The writer correctly identifies reading audience, as demonstrated by appropriate language (avoids jargon and simplifies complex concepts appropriately). Writing is concise, in active voice, and avoids awkward transitions and overuse of conjunctions. There are no spelling, punctuation, or word-usage errors. 5 points |
Correct and consistent APA formatting of references and cites all references used. No more than two unique APA errors.
The writer demonstrates correct usage of formal English language in sentence construction. Variation in sentence structure and word usage promotes readability. There are minimal to no grammar, punctuation, or word-usage errors. 4 points |
Three to four unique APA formatting errors.
The writer occasionally uses awkward sentence construction or overuses/inappropriately uses complex sentence structure. Problems with word usage (evidence of incorrect use of thesaurus) and punctuation persist, often causing some difficulties with grammar. Some words, transitional phrases, and conjunctions are overused. Multiple grammar, punctuation, or word usage errors. 3 points |
Five or more unique formatting errors or no attempt to format in APA.
The writer demonstrates limited understanding of formal written language use; writing is colloquial (conforms to spoken language). The writer struggles with limited vocabulary and has difficulty conveying meaning such that only the broadest, most general messages are presented. Grammar and punctuation are consistently incorrect. Spelling errors are numerous. Submits assignment late. 2 points |
5 |
Total Points | 100 |