6 Ways Nurses Can Develop Their Nursing Leadership Skills

Every nurse leads at some level, whether you're persuading a patient to follow a care plan, mentoring a newer nurse, or running a unit as a manager. Leadership skills are not innate. You can learn and develop them, and doing so is essential to advancing your career.

A leader effects change by inspiring and empowering others toward a shared goal. Good leaders are positive, flexible, and strategic. They solve problems, communicate clearly, and delegate well. Strong nursing leadership is now central to moving the profession forward and meeting the global goal of universal health coverage. As Annette Kennedy, a past president of the International Council of Nurses, put it: "You know your patients, and you know their needs, and you have to be involved in health policy at every level."

It's never too early to start. Here are six ways to build your leadership skills.

1. Work on your strengths and weaknesses

Great leaders have high self-awareness. They know where they're strong, where they're weak, and what their most effective leadership style is. Self-examination helps you identify the strengths you can lean on and the weaknesses you can work on.

Think about the people you consider excellent leaders. A manager sits at the top of a hierarchy but isn't necessarily a strong leader. What qualities set the real leaders apart? Which do you already have, and which can you build?

Active reflection is the most effective tool for developing these skills. Keep a journal about incidents at work. Write about the situations you handled well and why, and the ones where a different approach would have worked better.

2. Be positive and enthusiastic

Effective leaders aren't grumpy or rude. They're passionate about their work, and when a plan fails they try again. That attitude is contagious, and it draws people in.

Be the role model you'd want to follow. Bring a "can do" attitude even in hard situations. Go the extra mile, use initiative, and try to solve problems before handing them off. Come up with suggestions for how things can be improved for everyone on the unit.

3. Maintain your morals and values

People follow those they sense have integrity and authenticity, the ones who walk the talk. Work to the highest professional standards, be honest, deliver on your commitments, and own your mistakes. Don't take things personally or make assumptions before you know the truth.

4. Develop excellent communication skills

Leadership and communication go hand in hand. You can't motivate, guide, or influence people without communicating well and building real connections. Develop both your spoken and written communication, and remember that communication runs two ways. Listening matters as much as speaking. Really listen to what the other person says, and pick up on their nonverbal cues.

5. Continuously expand your knowledge

Deep, broad knowledge fuels the vision and critical thinking that strong leaders rely on to spot opportunities and head off problems. Keep current in your specialty and keep learning widely beyond it. Volunteer for tasks and projects that stretch your skills. Attend continuing education workshops, seminars, and conferences. Ask questions, read constantly, and never assume you've learned all there is to learn.

As Florence Nightingale wrote: "A woman who thinks in herself: 'Now I am a full Nurse, a skilled Nurse, I have learnt all that there is to be learnt': take my word for it, she does not know what a Nurse is, and she never will know; she is gone back already."

6. Join professional and community organizations

Active membership in nursing organizations, student bodies, or community groups opens up leadership opportunities. You'll deepen your understanding of the issues affecting the profession and see how leaders approach advocacy and lobbying. Serve on committees for the experience. You'll also build a network of people who can offer feedback, advice, and support.