LEADERSHIP JAZZ REVIEW

Leadership Jazz Review Ashley Wolcott Northwest University

Author Note Ashley Wolcott, Buntain School of Nursing, Northwest University Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ashley Wolcott, Buntain School of Nursing, Northwest University, 5520 108th Ave NE, Kirkland WA 98033. E-Mail: Ashley.wolcott11@northwestu.edu

LEADERSHIP JAZZ REVIEW Integrity and servant leadership Integrity is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as, The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Integrity means that a person has to know themselves well enough to be able to stand on the firm foundation of their moral principles, a person must have this to be a good leader. Mr. Depree states that integrity must precede all else (p. 7). I believe Mr. Depree to be correct in this statement. When a leader sways in their morals, there is no respect given to the people working with the person in a leadership role. Mr.

Depree uses the term servant leader a couple of times in his book Leadership Jazz. In the book there are several examples used of a servant leader such as one who delegates, one who admits wrongs and takes blame, one who allows for failure. A servant leader puts the interests of the people, and the company above the interests of themselves. A person who seeks to be a good leader must have a combination of both integrity and a servant heart. The integrity will guide the choices of the leader while the servant heart will keep the leader firmly in reality and keep their integrity in check. Being a servant leader will also humble the leader and allow true relationships to form. Leadership dignity In the chapter Gods Mix the author talks about dignity as being human worth (p.44). Depree emphasizes that each person longs for dignity because they long to have their human worth realized. In my personal view dignity is one of the main aspects of a good leader. I have experienced leaders that seek to tear down employees rather than build them up and realize their unique talents. A good leader not only recognizes a persons true talents and abilities, but allows the means for those talents and abilities to be expressed. The chapter is titled Gods Mix and rightly so. God has created each person to be unique, it is only when the person receives

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affirmation of the special abilities God has given them that a person reaches their full potential; a true leader helps to achieve this. A good leader cannot look at a group of employees as all having the same talents and abilities; if this is how they are viewed the leader is devaluing the abilities of the workers. Essentially the leader is taking away from each persons human worth. Leadership guidelines for a Christian nurse Three things important both for a Christian and a Christian nurse are to; live with reality, provide a measure of grace, and hope. The first thing applicable to a Christian nurse is living with reality; nurses are forced to face reality unlike many professions because death is a common event within the profession. The patient going through withdrawals may deny drug use, but a nurse must still treat the withdrawals and realize that drug use is common. The ability of a Christian nurse to live in reality is an advantage because it also allows the opportunity for them to show and share Jesus with patients who may be coming to the end of their time on earth. Another advantage a Christian nurse has with living in reality is that there is a very real unseen spiritual warfare happening, nurses who are Christians can take the opportunity to acknowledge this and pray for the patient. The second thing important for a Christian nurse is to provide a measure of grace. This comes to mind when dealing with both patients and fellow employees. Extending grace to patients can be a way to acknowledge their situation. This can allow the nurse to accomplish some teaching, or set up certain services from the hospital or outside organizations to help the patient. When working with fellow employees extending grace allows them to be human. Realizing the stress that comes with this profession, can allow a Christian nurse to talk to their fellow employee and keep communication open and offer assistance in any way possible. This also shows the attribute of a servant leader.

LEADERSHIP JAZZ REVIEW The last important component important to a Christian nurse is hope. Many people when they are sick or dying find their situation to be hopeless. As a Christian nurse there is a duty to

provide hope if not for this life, then for everlasting life with God. A person who has no hope has no ambition for life, no peace. As a Christian nurse there is an exceptional opportunity to provide hope to the patient. Gifts of change Mr. Depree introduces several principles that guide leaders in five statements (p.113). The two statements that were most important are; to focus more on who we need to be than what we need to do, and the quality of our relationships is the key to establishing a positive ethos for change. I learned to appreciate both of these statements once I started working, and started getting more involved with volunteer organizations, as well as at church. I believe that if a person loses sight of who they are and focuses on what they need to do, they will compromise their integrity and the self-worth of themselves and others to accomplish a task. I believe this is what Mr. Depree is implying by his emphasis on integrity. It is through good relationships that trust is built, within this relationship change can be talked about in confidence and with objectivity. A good relationship also allows for both the person proposing the idea and the person implementing the changes to work together to make progress more successful. There has to be open communication about what works, what doesnt and how to make it better and more practical. I appreciate these values as I continue to work in different environments. I can use these values when I am a nurse by remembering to maintain integrity and knowing the person I am is more important than the task at hand. I will also remember to build meaningful relationships that will help implement change, and will allow my voice to be heard in a positive

LEADERSHIP JAZZ REVIEW way because of the trusting relationships that have been built. In no way do these two principles satisfy everything a leader should be, but they are two things a leader cannot be without. Risk taking and change To become mature in risk taking means that one has asked questions and found that the risk of taking steps to make a change are worth it. Depree uses some of these examples to

describe this maturity (p.115-116); the person has reasonable predictions that the change they are striving for will make an impact for the good, that the person will be successful in achieving the goal, and that the person is willing to take responsibility for the change and the consequences that go with that. The student agrees with the author the person must look at all the steps that will need to be taken with this risk, and that the person is willing to accept the consequences, good or bad for their risk. The risk must be calculated and it must be decided that the risk is worth taking. This calculation is what shows maturity in risk taking. I agree with the author however I think that risks must also be taken through proper channels and talking with appropriate people as this facilitates the environment of change rather than the environment of rebellion. Followership The main thing that Depree states in this chapter through various comments is how followers have to have to respect their leader and look out for him/her. A leader has to rely on their followers to get a job done because a leader cannot lead well unless they delegate well (p.121). One thing that Depree brings up to leaders is that they must understand the perspective of their followers (p. 157). As a follower I have learned that the saying, the blind leading the blind really is true if a leader does not understand the perspective of their followers. Too often I have found that leaders try to implement change that is unreasonable, they do this because they

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have not done the job themselves and do not understand that the demands they are placing cannot be accommodated. A follower must respect the leader in order to follow them and hold them up. There is a sense of loyalty that Depree speaks of on page 160 that a good follower does not pledge allegiance just to a good leader but rather has loyalty to the company and the mission of the company. I have found this to be true because a good leader has the companys mission at the forefront of their work. This understanding will make me a better nurse leader because I need to first understand the perspective of my followers before placing unreasonable demands on them. As a leader I need to instill loyalty into my followers, not loyalty to me but to the company so that I am held accountable when I should be. Respect goes back to the very beginning of all these ideas, and integrity. As a nurse leader to instill confidence in my followers I have to be a person of unwavering integrity, first as a follower and then as a leader. While I am still in a follower position I need to be attentive to how each leader composes him/her-self. Learning from the victories and failures of other will shape be to be a better nurse leader before I am put into that position (p.159). Response to statements The five statements I want to respond to are the following; be flexible and able to work in a climate of ambiguity, think broadly and deeplybe able to see the big picture not just the little details, nourish the spiritual (and visionary) side of ones self, practice leadership without power by serving in a volunteer positiongiving your time and talents to others, make a place in your life that complements your career but also serves others. Two of these statements go together in my mind. Both being flexible in a climate of ambiguity and being able to think broadly and deeply seeing the whole picture. These go together for me because I have found that when I am able to focus on the big picture there are a lot of unknowns, these unknowns bring ambiguity to the situation. However when the big picture

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goal is kept in mind, and met it does not matter exactly how it was reached, because each person was flexible with how to get things done. Now I am not saying that everything should be ambiguous or compromised, integrity and the human value of each individual should never be compromised (p.7, 44). But a certain amount of ambiguity in choosing how to go about a project leads to an adventure. An adventure requires people to remain flexible and look at the big picture, rather than focusing on each small task. There are another two statements that also fit well together so I will address them together. Practicing leadership without power and by serving, as well as making a place in my career that complements it but also serves others. A good leader practices servant leadership (p. 173) this means that you work with your employees as equals. There is no hunt for a promotion, just a willingness to put the interest of the company and the workers before the interests of self. The author sums up this thinking saying The people who work for you are not your people; you are theirs (p.134). If this type of leadership is practiced this also fulfills making a places in a career that serves others. If done well being a servant leader compliments the profession by working in collaboration to make things exceptional within the organization, as well as serving those working alongside the leader. Being a servant leader sums up how both of these statements can be fulfilled. Last but not least I would like to address the statement regarding nourishing the spiritual (and visionary) side of ones self. I have a policy that addresses this well, meet with God before meeting with people. There can be many trials in a days work, so I find it best to start the day meeting with God. This nourishes both my spiritual side, as well as my visionary side. All great ideas are gifts from God, we contemplate them as humans but they are ideas planted by God. My visionary side does not exist apart from Gods will for my life. If I have a great idea but God has

LEADERSHIP JAZZ REVIEW another plan my pursuit in fulfilling my plan will be fruitless. The author encourages literature, art, and various experiences to culminate ones visionary passions. I think that some of this can be useful however; I feel that without God at the center this idea is fruitless. Mr. Depree hints at this idea both in Gods Mix and Watercarriers.

LEADERSHIP JAZZ REVIEW References DePree Max. Leadership Jazz: The Essential Elements of a Great Leader. New York: Doubleday, 2008. Print. "Oxford Dictionaries Online." Oxford Dictionaries Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.

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