Running head: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE LEADERSHIP THEORY 1

Nursing Leadership Philosophy

Jessie Mbah

Delaware Technical Community College

February 22, 2019

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Leadership, “is the ability to influence others to achieve goals set by individuals or

organizations” (Cooper, 2017, p.1). According to the Institute of Medicine Report published in

2011, nurses have the ability to significantly improve health care; nonetheless, they have failed

to take up leadership roles and in most cases are not capable of doing so due to lack of leadership

adeptness (Finkelman, 2016). Nurses are encouraged to step up as leaders in healthcare, and to

have confidence in their abilities to lead. There are several leadership theories that nurses can

mirror that will assist them in developing core leadership skills but the one I will most like to

emulate is the Emotional Intelligence Theory.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is defined as “the ability to perceive emotions, to access and

generate emotions to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional meanings, and to

regulate emotions reflectively to promote both better emotion and thought” Mayer & Salovey,

(as cited in Olawoyin, 2018, p.41). EI simply means our ability to recognize and understand our

emotions and reactions as well as the emotions of others. Given the fact that nurses always work

as part of a team, people often bring to the workplace their own personal values and beliefs and

because of such diversity, conflict is bound to occur. How well the nurse is able to manage the

conflict will depend on leadership skills; understanding emotional intelligence and its core

competences can help build strong leadership skills. According to Goleman (as cited in

Finkelman, 2016, p.10), ‘emotional competence is a learning capability based on emotional

intelligence that results in outstanding performance at work.” Some of the core competences of

emotional intelligence according to Cooper (2017, p.1), are self-awareness, self-regulation.

Motivation, empathy, and social skills.

Self- awareness is the ability to recognize ones’ own emotions and the effects such

emotions have on oneself and others; knowing one’s strength and weaknesses and developing a
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strong sense of self-worth. A nurse leader who displays these qualities is a role model to the rest

of the team. For example, if a nurse is in a bad mood at work, and is unable to control her

emotions, it can have a domino effect whereby that negative energy is transmitted to the patients

and even to other staff members. But a nurse who has some measure of emotional intelligence

will be able to maintain control. An emotionally stable leader creates a calm and non-disruptive

work environment that supports staff to perform at their best. (Davies, Jenkins & Mabbert,

2010).

Self-management entails self- control: When the nurse leader has control over what she

says or does, she is in charge of her actions thereby limiting her chances of compromising her

values. Other aspects of self-management include trustworthiness reflected in honesty and

integrity; conscientiousness, whereby the nurse assumes responsibility for her actions;

adaptability evidenced by flexibility in handling change, and innovation that does not frown at

new approaches or new ideas to solving problems (Cooper, 2017). A nurse leader with the above

qualities is one that staff will want to emulate.

Motivation is key to success. The nurse leader should believe in the goals of the

organization in a way that motivates other employees to feel the same. A motivated team often

strives for excellence; they are always focused on fostering the goals of the organization; ready

to act on opportunities for the good of all, and are persistent in achieving goals despite any set-

backs or obstacles that may come their way. (Cooper, 2017).

Empathy is very important to developing EI. To show empathy means to sense how

others feel, understand the needs of others and take action to make sure those needs are met.

(Olawoyin, 2018). Empathy also builds trust; when employees feel they have a leader who shows

empathy, they tend to be more open and service driven so as to meet the needs of their clients.
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Lack of social skills can lead to discomfort in the work environment. Social skills are a

collection of abilities that deal with how people interact and communicate with each other; it is

the link between leadership and EI. Leaders who have good social skills inspire and guide others

and are often good communicators. Also, leaders with good social skills are good at conflict

management; they are able to negotiate and resolve disagreements as well as collaborate with the

rest of the team to work towards a unified professional goal (Olawoyin, 2018).

Emotional Intelligence theory supports the role of the nurse leader to create a work

environment that helps staff perform at their best. For the nurse leader to apply EI to leadership

style, the nurse leader is required to demonstrate EI competences of self-awareness, self-

management, motivation, empathy and social skills. Research has shown that EI does have an

impact on successful leadership. Nurse leaders who are able to control their emotions and

impulses create a stress free and trusting work environment that promotes self-care and prevent

burnout (Finkelman, 2016). According to a study by the American Organization of Nurse

Executives, it was noted that nurse leaders do not only need managerial skills but must also have

“people skills’ such as the ability to develop trust and effective communication. EI nurse leaders

will bring new ideas, staff motivation, improved performance, integrity, flexibility, conflict

resolution, staff development, a strong sense of self-worth and optimism to healthcare

organizations (Finkelman, 2016).

A well developed, individualized plan is instrumental to enhancing and strengthening the

nurse leader’s EI abilities.

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Self-awareness

Strategies to incorporate into personalized plan

 Keep a reflection journal of current feelings or past emotions to be able to reflect on

responses that one might find to have been disturbing thereby enhancing my self-

awareness.

 Practice daily meditation to help me to be more aware of how my emotions affect my

behavior and to also improve my thinking.

 Engage in positive visualization where I try to solve an imaginary difficult situation in

my mind with anticipated positive results.

 Use appreciative enquiry whereby I acknowledge achievements, appreciate team

members and encourage individuals to dream and build for the future.

Self-Regulation

 Understand my values and beliefs so as to avoid compromising them.

 Be innovative and open to new ideas and different ways of solving problems.

 Accept responsibility for my actions

 Maintain my honesty and integrity

Motivation

 Always wiling to improve and strive for excellence

 Always make sure my goals reflect the goals of the organization

 Be persistent in pursuing my goals even during adversity

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Empathy

 Understand how other people feel and act when needed to make sure needs are met

 Anticipate, recognize and meet clients’ needs

 Practice empathic listening by actually paying attention to what others are saying

Social skills

 Use active listening and provide needed feedback

 Resolve conflicts

 Inspire and guide team members

 Work as a team to pursue collective goals.

 Attend in-service trainings and also encourage staff participation to foster lifelong

learning

 Take online courses to stay up to date with clinical skills.

Applying the above strategies will lead to efficient and improved care at the

bedside; emotionally intelligent nurses nurture an effective work environment, provide safe and

efficient care, and are better at building relationships thereby reducing work related stress (Ellis,

2017). Assessing patients’ EI can also have a positive impact on the quality of patient care.

When nurses are able to understand patients’ emotional reactions to current treatments, they are

in a better position to make recommendations to physicians about any changes they feel might

benefit the patients. By so doing, the nurse leader is also acting as a patient advocate to make

sure the patient gets the best care that is available.

It is imperative that nurses develop their emotional intelligence if they want to thrive in

their career. As seen in the above discussion, developing ones’ emotional intelligence might take

time but it is worth it. Knowing how to manage our emotions so as to lower stress in our lives is
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good not only for our day to day lives, but also very important to our health and our ability to

succeed in our profession.

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References

Cooper, J. (2015). Nurses as leaders - creating nurses with drive and passion. Australian Nursing

& Midwifery Journal, 22(10), 38. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.dtcc.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=26255409&site=ehost-live

Davies S, Jenkins E, & Mabbett G. (2010). Emotional intelligence: district nurses’ lived

experiences. British Journal of Community Nursing, 15(3), 141–146. Retrieved

from http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.dtcc.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=c8h&AN=105139906&site=ehost-live

ELLIS, P. (2017). Learning emotional intelligence and what it can do for you. Wounds

UK, 13(4), 66–68. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.dtcc.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=c8h&AN=126083429&site=ehost-live

Finkelman, A. W. (2016). Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for

quality care. Boston: Pearson.

Olawoyin, R. (2018). EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Assessing Its Importance in Safety

Leadership. Professional Safety, 63(8), 41–47. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.dtcc.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=bth&AN=131049641&site=ehost-live