Verpleegleierskap - 'n teoretiese perspektief

Abstract

Nursing leadership is one of the current issues in nursing administration. It is generally accepted that when a person holds a key position he is automatically also a leader. This is a misconception as it has become evident that managers are not always leaders and vice versa. In the past leadership was associated with aggression, male characteristics and domination, while passivity was associated with women. It is evident that this is not the case and that there is no specific theory of leadership which can be recommended. Leaders are never only people orientated or only task orientated but leadership usually includes components of both. There are also many factors influencing leadership such as personality, situations, objectives, environments and the level of maturity of the followers. It is recommended that a leader adapts his leadership style to the situation and acts according to the demands of the problem — in other words, applying situational leadership.