the emotionally intelligent nurse leader Mae Taylor Moss 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page v 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page i 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page ii the emotionally intelligent nurse leader 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page iii 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page iv the emotionally intelligent nurse leader Mae Taylor Moss 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page v Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 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To contact Jossey- Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, out- side the U.S. at 317-572-3986 or fax 317-572-4002. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites used within may have changed or disap- peared between when the book was written and when it is read. Copyright ©2002, Multi-Health Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. In the USA, P.O. Box 950, North Tonawanda, NY 14120-0950, 1-800-456-3003. In Canada, 3770 Victoria Park Ave., Toronto, ON M2H 3M6, 1-800-268-6011. Internationally, +1-416-492-2627, Fax, +1-416-492-2243. Reproduced with permission. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Moss, Mae Taylor. The emotionally intelligent nurse leader / Mae Taylor Moss.—1st ed. p.; cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–7879–5988–X (alk. paper) 1. Nursing services—Administration. 2. Leadership. 3. Emotional intelligence. 4. Nurses—Psychology. 5. Nurse and patient. I. Title. [DNLM: 1. Nursing, Supervisory. 2. Emotions. 3. Leadership. 4. Nursing Staff—psychology. 5. Patients—psychology. WY 105 M913e 2005] RT89.M635 2005 362.17'3'068—dc22 2004014530 Printed in the United States of America FIRST EDITION PB Printing 10987654321 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page vi contents Preface ix About the Author xi Introduction xiii PART ONE Understanding Emotional Intelligence 1. An Age-Old, New Kind of Nursing Intelligence 3 2. Emotions in a Techno-Illogical Age 20 3. Emotional Intelligence and Leadership 42 PART TWO Intelligently Creating, Sharing a Vision, and Setting an Example 4. Leaders Who Create 69 5. Leaders Who Share a Vision 93 6. Leaders Who Set an Example 119 PART THREE Intelligent Transfer of Information 7. Downloading: Honing Emotional Intelligence 141 8. Uploading: Coaching Emotional Intelligence 163 9. Weathering a Crash: Conflict Resolution in the Health Care Environment 184 vii 00b_95988X_ftoc.qxd 9/14/04 9:47 PM Page vii PART FOUR Changing the Culture of Nursing and the Organization 10. Shaping the Work Environment and Culture 215 11. Rebuilding and Upending the Hierarchical Pyramid 238 12. The Future of Emotional Intelligence for Nursing Leadership 262 References 279 Name Index 299 Subject Index 307 viii contents 00b_95988X_ftoc.qxd 9/14/04 9:47 PM Page viii preface “ KNOW THYSELF ” and “To thine own self be true,” aphorisms taken from classic literary works and passed down through many generations as standard wisdom, remain popular even today. Centuries ago, when Socrates and Shakespeare penned those now-immortal words, they prob- ably did not know that they were glimpsing a broader, more exact science—that of emotional intelligence. Today, emotional intelligence has blossomed from studies in social behavior to a measurable, predictable pattern of thought and action that influences decision making and success in relationships. References to feelings, emotions, and interpersonal skills abound in management literature, pointing out the relevance of emotional aptitude in our day. The ability to know and understand oneself, as well as to practice integrity in handling one’s emotions, is fundamental to emo- tional expertise. So relevant is emotional intelligence to leadership that multiple books have been written on the topic. However, nursing leadership presents a special situation: a field in which emotions are inherent in frontline work, leading to a decision structure in which conflicts and ethical dilemmas occur almost daily, and a rapid technological boom and increased finan- cial emphasis that have stripped away the time allowed for pleasant, leisurely conversations. This book was written to equip the nurse leader with emotional prin- ciples for leadership in the twenty-first century. Nurse leaders are respon- sible not only for patient outcomes but also for the success of those under their leadership. Because nurse leaders lead staff members who deal with the emotional issues of patient care, they also deal with the end result of all of these emotional issues: stress, the need to reflect, the need to be val- ued, and the need to grow emotionally. In the midst of this leadership challenge, nurse leaders themselves need to grow emotionally, supporting themselves and those around them in healthy, constructive ways. Over the years, my experience as a staff nurse, educator, leader, and administrator have presented me with specific challenges, all of which pre- sented profoundly emotional themes. There is no doubt that nursing is one of the most emotionally charged professions of our day or that it will ix 00c_95988X_fpref.qxd 9/14/04 9:44 PM Page ix [...]... their lives and expect others to do the same What sets these leaders apart is that they challenge the system from within while participating, while making the process better They are not the managers who stand and criticize, failing to apply to themselves the rules they apply to others In this way, they encourage others to act and to participate in the ongoing betterment of the work at hand Emotions... of the ideal that the leader can transmit to others in such a way that they actually live the vision And setting an example, explained in Chapter Six, involves not only modeling behavior that others will want to emulate but also giving others the freedom to do exactly what the leader would do Intelligent Transfer of Information Chapters Seven through Nine focus on the transfer of information from the. .. information from the leader to the team, from the team to the leader, and within the team itself Whenever groups are involved, we can be certain of three things: the leader has knowledge the team needs, the team has knowledge the leader needs, and the collective and individual dynamics of knowledge and opinions will result in conflict Emotional intelligence is a key determinant in how leaders and teams... others to follow Because of their stability, they can encourage others to do as they do as well as to do what they say They are not afraid of being wrong or admitting it, and they are ready to acknowledge credit for work well done They operate personally, interpersonally, interdepartmentally, and organizationally in the same way, consistently representing their work and that of others They balance their... others, especially fellow nurse leaders, to develop their own emotional acuity led me to research the subject of emotional intelligence and provide this information to nurse leaders so that they, too, can understand how critical it is not only to know themselves but also to be true to their colleagues, their department, their organization, and their profession This book was made possible through the. .. relative who will take the initiative for him, but there are many people—often men in good social position—who 3 4 the emotionally intelligent nurse leader have no one about them whom they would care to trust The sick man sends for his doctor, and nurses are provided on whom rests the responsibility of seeing that he is properly cared for, and that no advantage is taken of his helplessness The trust is a sacred... In addition, emotionally literate leaders possess and share a vision of the ideal workplace They communicate their vision of success, and by doing so, they inspire others to collaborate with them in making the vision a reality They are planners, developers, and motivational managers (Kouzes and Posner, 1995; Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso, 2000, 2002) Leaders should be the visionaries of their organizations... skill to effective leadership in nursing The Nurse as Caregiver Since the dawn of the nursing profession, nurses have been viewed as caretakers or caregivers A late nineteenth-century description of the nursing role includes the following: Every physician recognizes the importance of good nursing In the treatment of disease medicinal agents are necessary to combat the various symptoms as they arise, but... will be better, even when the current situation presents a threat or major change (Bardwick, 1996) To achieve this, certain emotional tools are necessary, including the ability to recognize and manage emotions inherent in change (Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso, 2000) 8 the emotionally intelligent nurse leader Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Set an Example Emotionally skilled leaders not only set a high... and multiple staff They are anxious Their families are anxious The fact is that patients and their families bring fear, apprehension, anger, and grief to the hospital, just as they did forty years ago What has changed is nurses’ opportunity to deal with these emotions The environment in which the emotions are experienced has changed as well The Emotional Cure If one were to imagine the scientific advance . stress, the need to reflect, the need to be val- ued, and the need to grow emotionally. In the midst of this leadership challenge, nurse leaders themselves need to grow emotionally, supporting themselves. for the success of those under their leadership. Because nurse leaders lead staff members who deal with the emotional issues of patient care, they also deal with the end result of all of these. PM Page ii the emotionally intelligent nurse leader 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page iii 00a_95988X_ffirs.qxd 9/14/04 9:46 PM Page iv the emotionally intelligent nurse leader Mae Taylor