The five core practices of exemplary leadership are: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. In Model the way , the leader of the organization acts as an example to the rest of the team by setting behavioral and performance standards and then abiding by them. The leaders also ensure they offer direction to the rest of the team incase they are unsure of where to go or how to go about it. In ‘ Inspire a shared vision’ , it is advised that leaders should first work on their vision for the organization and create an ideal image of the organization’s future ( Kouzes and Posner, 2013). They can thereafter enlist others who share the same values as them into the vision and help them to also see the exciting possibilities for the organization and themselves in the future.
Another practice of exemplary leadership is Challenging the Process . Exemplary leaders seek out opportunities to change and grow and regularly take risks that challenge the status quo. Exemplary leaders allow room for mistakes while seeking out new opportunities, but more importantly they learn from the mistakes they make along the way ( Kouzes and Posner, 2013). Organizations are successful largely because of successful teams and exemplary leaders enable this by enabling others to act . They create an open and conducive atmosphere where information sharing is encouraged and there is a spirit of trust and collaboration among the team members. Delegation of duties and power is also essential in enabling others to act as it shows that the leader believes in them and their abilities. The final leadership practice is ‘ Encourage the heart’ . Running organizations is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining and it is the work of leaders to ensure that they keep hope alive in the organization ( Kouzes and Posner, 2013). They recognize the contributions of all team members and regularly celebrate accomplishments to keep the energy in the organization high.
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I have always wanted to contribute to public healthcare thus I hope to head a medium-sized hospital in the near future. This would entail leading a workforce of upto 300 employees to enable smooth operations. The five practices of exemplary leadership would come in handy for such a position. Such a huge workforce consisting of both skilled and unskilled workers would require me a leader who can give the staff direction and also walk with them as advocated in the ‘Model the Way’ principle. Studies have shown that a top-bottom approach in following rules and standards helps to build a culture of success in organizations ( Mikkola & Valo, 2019) , and I plan to fully employ this principle in my leadership. I also aim to be an inspirational leader and share my vision clearly with all employees in the hospital. This would mean that the recruitment processes in the hospital would also be aligned with the vision so that employees being recruited are those that share the same values that the hospital espouses.
Challenging the process is also a principle that will be regularly practiced under my leadership at the hospital. The health industry is rapidly changing with factors such as technology and globalization regularly disrupting norms in healthcare facilities. Creativity and efficient improvisation will be regularly encouraged at the hospital in an effort to keep our services in touch with the environment that the hospital operates in. The digital space will, especially, be a common source of ideas to challenge the existing processes in a bid to make service provision at the hospital more efficient and patient-friendly. The setting up of proper structures at the hospital that allow decision-making to be decentralized will also be prioritized. This move will enable other employees at the hospital to act and build a culture of trust and collaboration among the various leaders in the hospital. Running an efficient hospital is not an easy feat and requires regular dozes of hope and encouragement to be given to the staff. I would implement an open-door policy in the organization as it gives staff access to management and they are free to share their issues and be helped or encouraged on how to solve them ( Mikkola & Valo, 2019). A reward system for staff who have excelled at their work will also be implemented so as to keep their motivation levels high. The rewards can be both monetary and non-monetary. I believe the application of these principles will go a long way in ensuring the hospital is successful under my management.
‘ Model the Way’ and ‘Inspire a Shared Vision’ principles will be used to improve and cover the leadership gaps. Studies have shown that when leaders take an active role in charting the direction the organization is heading, the process is usually faster and more successful than in organizations where leaders play a passive role ( Kouzes and Posner, 2013). Model the Way will encourage the leader to clearly share and communicate the vision with the employees. A lack of clear direction from top management will always result in the organization not being as successful as it should be. To improve the chances of success, the employees will also need to buy into the vision that the management has for the organization. “ Exemplary leaders also know that they can't command commitment. They have to inspire it by enlisting others in a common vision” ( Kouzes and Posner, 2013). Regular meetings, both formal and informal, where the organization’s vision is reiterated should be organized so that the employees understand the importance of carrying through the vision, both for the organization and for themselves.
References
Kouzes, J. M., and Posner, B. (2013). "The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership: How Ordinary People Make Extraordinary Things Happen" in Encyclopedia of Management Theory , Kessler, E.H. (ed.). Los Angeles: Sage
Mikkola, L. & Valo M. (2019). Workplace Communication . Routledge
