Leadership—the practical application of character - President's Message - Editorial

AORN Journal,  Jan, 2004  by Betty J. Shultz

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Isn't it interesting how easily many of us can sit back and judge others? Criticizing what others do or try to do seems to be human nature, and it seems that people are especially critical of those hi charge. It happens in the workplace, as well as within our Association, and I would be willing to bet that we all have criticized others at some time during our lives. It also happens at the chapter level, in our state councils, and in our personal lives.

Do you care what others think of you and your Association? If not, you should. We tend to judge ourselves by our actions, which truly do determine who we are and for what we stand; because of this, others' perceptions probably provide a more accurate picture of how we are doing. Perceptions are realities, and how others perceive us affects how they interact with us.

ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS

During 2003, AORN worked very hard to establish stronger relationships with our perioperative colleagues and improve how we are perceived by them. We are aware that input from our partners in the surgical arena allows us to provide a better working environment and safer patient care. These efforts not only provide our patients with the quality of care they deserve, but they also provide us with the tools we need to move forward as an Association.

On February 27-28, 2004, AORN, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) are sponsoring a summit meeting that will include AORN, ACS, ASA, and other perioperative associations that represent the full spectrum of the perioperative team. The purpose of this meeting is to continue our pursuit of unity with these associations, which are our partners in the perioperative arena. Our ability to come to a consensus about vital issues for patient and workplace safety will be unequaled, and the opportunity to influence the future of perioperative care is enormous.

Although our industry partners will not be attending this summit, their input is indispensable to AORN and safe patient care. We will continue to seek and use their expertise, and we value their contributions. Unquestionably, our industry partners are vital and respected members of the perioperative team.

LEADERSHIP

Websters New World Dictionary defines character as "the pattern of behavior or personality found in an individual or group; moral constitution." (1) I believe that an individual's character has everything to do with the type of leader he or she is. AORN's character is known throughout the world and is vital to our success.

In his book Pushing the Envelope, Harvey Mackay paraphrases a speech that Marshall Loeb, editor-at-large of Fortune magazine, gave in the late 1990s on "Ten steps to effective leadership." (2) Following are some of those 10 steps.

* Leading is not managing. A manager wants to be liked; a leader wants to be respected.

* Leaders have a sense of purpose (eg, where the culture is going and where the organization must be if it is to grow).

* Leaders have courage.

* Leaders are consistent. They inspire trust and confidence.

* Leaders are truthful.

* Leaders concentrate on a couple of big issues, and they do not try to do it all.

* Leaders do not have to pretend they thought of everything themselves. They are not afraid to make use of other people's ideas or give credit where credit is due.

* Leaders are not threatened by being surrounded by people of quality--they are energized by them.

I think these points describe characteristics of a leader rather than steps to effective leadership, although it is possible that they describe both. Perhaps Martin Luther King, Jr, said it best, "Ultimately, a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. " (3)

AORN LEADERS

I was honored to be able to attend the fall Multispecialty Conferences held by AORN in Denver and Nashville. I had the opportunity to see firsthand AORN members working together to mold consensus relating to the specialty assemblies. Our specialty assemblies' governing council members are leaders in AORN and are working hard to provide members in their specialty areas with opportunities to grow and gain valuable knowledge.

There are many leaders in our Association. As you know, this is the pre-Congress issue of the AORN Journal, and it contains a lot of information about the candidates who are seeking election to help lead our Association. All of these candidates are leaders, and I know they will be honored to serve us in the years to come. T encourage you to evaluate them carefully. Please take time to talk with the candidates and see whether they are the people you want to represent you. Ask questions about their experience, leadership, and AORN. Do not hesitate to ask them to sit down and talk with you and your chapter members. Notice I did not say talk to your delegates. That is because every AORN member has the obligation and opportunity to offer input to their delegates regarding whom they want to elect.