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"Take a few minutes to think about those with whom you work and how, with your support and encouragement, they could become formal and informal leaders." —Pat Thompson
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FROM THE CEOWatch for mentoring opportunities
I am excited and honored to serve as chief executive officer of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. I am humbled to follow the wonderful legacies established by Nell Watts and Nancy Dickenson-Hazard. I truly look forward to working with each of you as members, volunteer leaders, staff and partners as we strive to live our mission daily. This issue of Reflections on Nursing Leadership focuses on confronting the global nursing shortage. It includes articles that address the topic from various viewpoints. We are all aware of the critical issues related to the shortage at the bedside and in faculty positions. Another area that needs more attention is the projected global shortage of nursing leaders. The future void in this area is significant and needs to be addressed immediately. It is our responsibility as an organization and as individual members to promote and develop others as leaders. A quotation from Dickenson-Hazard embodies this idea: “When leaders enable others with trust and confidence, people take on risks, make changes and keep vision alive. In this way, leaders also turn members of their team into leaders” (Dickenson-Hazard, 2006, para. 13). This vision needs to become reality to address future leadership needs for the profession. Each of us needs to accept the challenge to make a difference by helping develop more leaders at all levels—from the bedside to the boardroom—and across all areas, from practice to education to research. I encourage those of you who aspire to be leaders to find mentors and take advantage of leadership development opportunities offered by the honor society and other organizations. Do not wait for someone to offer to be your mentor. Identify someone you know whose leadership style and skills you respect and ask them to work with you. I think you will be surprised to find that the majority of the time, you will receive a positive response. Many of us already serve as mentors, and I encourage you to include leadership development as a key focus of that mentorship. Take a few minutes to think about those with whom you work and how, with your support and encouragement, they could become formal and informal leaders. Use your leadership ability to help them develop the confidence and skills they need to become leaders. Our collective potential to make a difference in the future of global nursing is real. The key is for each of us to accept the challenge and begin now. My personal story is an example of how this can work. I am fortunate to have had many mentors during my career, each making a difference in my professional development. My first mentor, although I did not recognize her as a mentor at the time, was a faculty member, Clara Gates. She planted the seeds for my development as a leader, for my involvement in professional association work and for my advanced education. She encouraged me to become a member of the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA). Not long after that, I was nudged to run for a local chapter officer position and was elected president. At the time, I did not view myself as a leader but found the position personally fulfilling. For me, the leadership concept evolved further when I was elected president of the Louisiana Association of Student Nurses and had the opportunity to attend the NSNA convention. I have had many other mentors who have assisted me in my professional growth and development. I truly believe that what I have been able to accomplish in formal and informal leadership positions can be credited to mentors taking the time to give me leadership opportunities, even when I did not recognize that potential in myself. My mentors had trust and confidence in my abilities and supported me in taking risks. These experiences provided the foundation that led me to my current position as CEO for the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. The time and effort you spend mentoring others really can make a difference. The global shortage of nurse leaders for the future is real. To address the health and nursing issues facing us worldwide, we must choose to make a difference by developing those leaders, starting today. RNL
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