Servant Leadership and Benedictine Values - My Experience at the University of Mary

The University of Mary selected servant leadership as its model of leadership. At the University of Mary, the values of servant leadership are to be competent in one's profession, have courage to make ethical decisions, and show compassion in serving the needs of others. The Benedictine values further provide guidance to be a servant leader, which include community, hospitality, moderation, prayer, respect for persons, and service.

The foundation for my philosophy on servant leadership and application of the Benedictine values is living by the Golden Rule, which comes from The Servant, a book assigned during coursework at the University of Mary. As Hunter (1998) wrote, servant leadership is based on the Golden Rule, and you should treat people the way you want to be treated. Being in the role of a leader, I want to use this approach and consider how if I were not the leader, how would I want to be treated and what would I want my leader to do for me if the roles were reversed. Following the Golden Rule also demonstrates the Benedictine value of respect for persons.

Furthermore, leadership is the person you are and the influence and impact you have on people (Hunter, 1998). That influence should not be taken advantage of in any way and instead be used to do good for others and meet their needs while allowing them to grow. Hunter (1998) discussed how the authority of leadership should be built on service, one of the Benedictine values, and sacrifice, or the Law of the Harvest. Hunter (1998) described this as reaping what you sow, you serve me, I serve you, and if you go to the wall for me, I'll go to the wall for you.

Another important component to me within servant leadership is honesty. A leader that can be trusted is much easier to follow and others will want to follow someone who is honest with them. Hunter (1998) described honesty as the quality that most people have at the top of their list in what they want from someone who leads them. Honesty includes clarifying expectations and holding others accountable, giving positive and constructive feedback as needed, being consistent so that it is viewed as predictable and fair, and to dedicate oneself to the truth without any implication of deception (Hunter, 1998). All of those are important in the role of the nurse educator to ensure success of the learners they teach. This reflects back again to the Golden Rule, treating others as you would want to be treated, so being honest with others as you would want them to do with you.

In assessing my leadership abilities throughout coursework in earning my master's in nurse education, an area I want to include in my leadership philosophy is courage. While I feel I have already grown over the years in this area, being once very shy, I recognize I have more to do. I also realize how important courage is along with the ability to stand alone as a leader. Situations and issues will arise in which this is important. Hunter (1998) demonstrated that having courage to stand alone is an important skill to have, because "if we don't stand for something, we will fall for anything" (p. 174). As a leader, I want to stand for something. It will strengthen my ability to advocate for necessary changes.

My complete personal leadership development plan may be viewed here.

References

Hunter, J.C. (1998). The servant: A simple story about the true essence of leadership. Crown Business.
University of Mary. (n.d.). Servant leadership at Mary. https://www.umary.edu/about/mission/servant-leadership.php

University of Mary Graduate Competencies

The graduate programs at the University of Mary focus on four areas of competence to be met upon completion of a program. These areas include communication, scholarship, professional distinction, and moral courage. Every course throughout the graduate program in nursing education included these competencies and applicable coursework to meet them.

Communication

The competency of communication was incorporated into education at the University of Mary through various components. These components included participating weekly in discussion boards with other class members to discuss ideas, thoughts, concerns, and other topics important to nursing and the nurse educator role. Several group projects were assigned throughout courses to further strengthen communication within a group, allowing for collaboration and listening to one another actively in order to work together towards a common goal.

Communication is essential in the role of a nurse educator. Communication builds respect and trust among individuals, important to both the nurse educator and learners in addition to other leaders and colleagues that a nurse educator collaborates with daily. Additionally, nurses are expected to be well-versed in critical thinking, while also being effective communicators, to be advocates for patients as well as nursing practice. Nurse educators must be effective communicators to not only help learners become successful but to also set an example of how to effectively communicate.

Scholarship

Similar to the NLN Competency VII: Engage in Scholarship, the University of Mary includes this competency as part of graduate programs. This competency is met throughout various courses within the nurse educator track master's program as the courses require research principles to synthesize existing knowledge for innovation and to produce new knowledge relevant to nursing. Healthcare has some of the biggest problems compared to other business sectors. Solutions to these issues require individuals to think differently and creatively about the problems, which requires being well-versed in research and understanding the importance of it. Prior to earning my BSN, I did not understand why it was necessary to use evidence-based practice in nursing. I used it and followed what changes resulted from it, but no one had ever explained a change to me basing it off of research and evidence-based practice. My foundation of knowledge in research and EBP developed while earning my BSN, and through the graduate program at the University of Mary, I am competent in research, how to carry it out, the importance of it, and most importantly, why it needs to be explained to others to bring success to a change or innovation.

Professional Distinction

Part of the role and responsibilities of an advanced level nurse includes being prepared and able to analyze various factors in healthcare environments and communities. This preparation allows for a higher level of commitment to service. It is necessary to be able to collaborate with others effectively while committing to one's own values and evidence from practice to guide decisions and make contributions to society. An understanding of diversity is also an essential component of professional distinction, including culture and spirituality. Various assignments throughout the master's program provided an understanding of carrying out collaboration and an understanding of being committed to one's profession, community, and the diversity of others, including this online portfolio of competencies, education, and highlights.

Moral Courage

"Be faithful to that which exists within yourself" ~ Andre Gide
Nursing is a profession built on a foundation of moral courage, speaking up for what is right, and advocating for patients and yourself. As the quote above states, moral courage results from being faithful to one's beliefs and values. In nursing, moral courage also means to continue to grow and develop as a leader, to more fully embrace moral courage, and allow it to guide oneself. Courage is an area of focus to grow and develop further for me, and while I feel I have advanced in this area, I can further work on this area. This competency was enhanced for me throughout the master's program at the University of Mary, including reading the book The Servant and completing various leadership assessments and strength profiles.

  • Values and Strengths Assessments