Application: Leadership

As entrepreneur John C. Maxwell points out, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." We have all been influenced by leaders at some point in our lives. Individuals who know the way act in a way that achieves the set goals and demonstrates to others how to accomplish the tasks at hand.

To prepare for this Application, consider the characteristics of leaders described in your Learning Resources.

To complete this Application, write a 1- to 2-page paper that identifies the following:

1. What is the true value of leadership in decision making?

2. How do individuals with the different leadership styles described in your Learning Resources make decisions?

3. Using examples from your own personal work experience, how are those decisions perceived by teammates or other employees based on the different leadership styles?

4. What leadership style do you believe is most effective in a health care setting of your choice?

Instruction:

Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week's Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as required. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure that your in-text citations and reference list are correct.

Learning Resources

Media

Pink, D. (2010, March). Walden University Academic Residency Speaker: Human motivation. Retrieved from http://www.waldenu.edu/About-Us/35759.htm

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

Daniel Pink is a leading business writer and visionary who thinks deeply about America's workforce and our increasingly complex workplace. He is the author of several provocative best-selling books about the changing world of work, including his latest, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, which draws upon 50 years of behavioral science to overturn the conventional wisdom about human motivation and offer a more effective path to high performance.

Note: You may view this Course Video in the streaming Media Player below or attached and/or linked above with each resource listed. As a reminder, additional Learning Resources for the week are listed below the Media Player. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to view the complete list of Required and/or Optional Resources.

Readings

Course Text: Buchbinder, S. B., Shanks, N. H., & McConnell, C. R. (2012). Introduction to healthcare management. (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Chapter 7, "Leaders and Managers"

This chapter examines the relationship between leadership and the culture of health care organizations. The author describes various types of leadership and highlights characteristics of effective leadership different styles in different health care settings.

Chapter 9, "Decision Making and Problem Solving"

Decisions made in health care can mean life or death for patients. While not every decision is life altering, most decisions made by health care managers can impact the organization's ability to provide care. In this chapter, the author introduces problem solving and decision making from the role of the health care manager.

Chapter 6, "Team Leadership"

Various teams function within the health care setting. This chapter examines the characteristics of effective teams and identifies the common reasons for team failure.

Book: Borkowski, N. (2011). Organizational behavior in health care (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Chapter 1, "Overview and History of Organizational Behavior"

Borkowski, N. (2011). Organizational Behavior in Health Care, 2e. Copyright 2011 by Jones & Bartlett Learning. Reprinted by permission.

Organizational behavior is an applied behavioral science that has significant implications on the diverse array of professionals that work in the health care field. This introductory chapter will identify the major challenges facing health care organizations. The author highlights important research into how people behave in organizations.

Article: Freshman, B., & Rubino, L. (2002). Emotional intelligence: A core competency for health care administrators. The Health Care Manager, 20(4), 1-9. Retrieved from http://auth.waldenulibrary.org/ezpws.exe?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mnh&AN=12083173&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Emotional intelligence, or EI, includes critical management skills that are beneficial to health care managers. This article highlights the proficiencies in intrapersonal and interpersonal skills that are important in order to develop to enhance health care manager's abilities.