Assignment Content Question 1 Imagine you promoted to a leadership role in the healthcare industry. How would you go about learning or improving your leadership skills? (In at least 325 words) If you use research, please remember to cite your sources.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: LEADERSHIP IN LONG-TERM CARE

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

Introduction - ONE of the most important building blocks in the foundation of successful long-term care delivery.

Leadership - the art of getting others to want to do something that you are convinced should be done.

Leaders: Who are they? There are several myths about leaders, including:

· Are leaders born - it is a set of skills that can be learned by nearly anyone.

· Leaders are prescient visionaries – They cannot predict the future, but are prepared to deal with it.

· Leaders are charismatic, possess a special gift – they have charm and appeal that arouse loyalty, but, it is not something special that only a few have.

· Leadership is associated with a superior position – not all managers are leaders.

· Leadership is a matter of control – leaders enable rather than controlling.

· Leaders are remote and distant – they are seen as approachable by their followers.

Common Characteristics of Leaders

· Honest – sincere, genuine.

· Forward-Looking - have a sense of direction and a concern for the future of the organization.

· Inspiring – make followers believe they can do things they had previously thought they could not.

· Competent - competent in their professions and in management.

Leadership Skills – there are several skills necessary to successful leadership in long-term care management.

Influencing Others:

· Skill: Managing Power/Influence – understanding kinds of power and how to use it.

· Position Power – power one has because of the position held.

· Coercive Power 

· Reward Power 

· Legitimate Power 

· Connection Power 

· Personal Power – power that comes from one’s own personality and experience.

· Expert Power 

· Information Power 

· Referent Power 

· Skill: Motivation – understanding what motivates each person and how to use it.

· Skill: Communication – knowing how to make others understand what the leader wants.

Providing Direction:

· Skill: Strategic Thinking – being able to see the big picture.

· Skill: Planning – a formal process of organizational planning.

· Skill: Managing Change – recognizing change and using it proactively.

· Skill: Decision-Making – having the courage to make decisions.

Getting Voluntary Acceptance:

· Skill: Enabling - facilitating subordinate performance.

· Skill: Providing Feedback – letting subordinates know how they are doing, and how to improve.

· Skill: Problem-Solving - recognizing problems, collecting information and making decisions.

· Skill: Conflict Resolution – understanding and dealing with two or more divergent interests.

· Skill: Negotiation – creating win-win situations.

· Skill: Mentoring – coaching and developing others.

· Skill: Team-Building – creating working teams out of groups of individuals.

· Skill: Managing Stress – understanding the causes of stress in the leader and subordinates and managing it.

Gaining & Improving Leadership Skills – ways to acquire or improve leadership skills.

· Recognize the Need for Improvement – improvement cannot take plce without recognition of the need for it.

· Assess Current Skills – involves self-analysis and use of formal analysis tools.