A very personal story…. of guided reflection, in support of trying to

realise transformational leadership within a transactional organisation.

Helen BlunnSenior Lecturer, MidwiferyUniversity of Hertfordshire

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The aim of the story:

• To share with you a reflexive story of self development in an effort to realise effective leadership.

• Highlight the constraints and tensions both organisational and personal of realising transformational leadership in a transactional organisation.

• Consider the dissonance between vision and reality• Raise some questions/themes for discussion?

• To explore resolving the tension between vision and reality

Leadership

“..leadership is like beauty, it’s hard to define but you know it when you see it.”

(Bennis, 1989)

The story…..

THREE PARTS…..

1.Change

2.Understanding

3.Knowledge and learning

Change

• Recognition of personal and professional need

• Personal profile

Organisational leadership

Transactional leadership?

Transformational leadership?

Transformational versus transactional leadership

Transformational leadership

Transactional leadership

Essentially mindful – leading towards realising values

Essentially mindless – reacting to resolving organisational objectives

Reliance on facilitative power – relational and expertise

Reliance on authoritative power – positional, coercive and reward

Invests in people towards shared vision and shared success

Views people in terms of tasks to be done

Views problems as a learning opportunity

Views problems as threats to order and control

Emphasis on process Emphasis on outcomes

Seeks both negative & positive feedback to promote and develop the learning organisation

Seeks (negative) feedback to promote and protect the status quo

Grounded in collaborative relationships with colleagues

Grounded in bureaucratic relationships with subordinates (Adapted by Johns from Covey1992)

Vision

Vision Reality

↓Creative tension (Senge 1990)

Method and Methodology

• Qualitative research method - auto ethnography (Ellis 2004)

• Hermeneutic circle (Gadamer 1976)• An interactive process (SchoE n1995)• Maintaining a reflective journal• Accessed through reflection on experience –

utilisation of models to support this• Guided reflection• 8 experiences form the construction of the final

narrative

Narrative

Guided reflection

Narrative

Johns (2010)

Understanding

The narrative → eight “stories”

1-3 A maelstrom of conflict, low self esteem and lack of trust.

4-6 Positive – slowly evolving leadership

7 Further conflict - recognition of partial realisation of the vision

8 Positive - more confident

The narrative

A professional issue that became personal

The narrative

Slowly evolving leadership?

The Narrative

Further conflict………

Partial realisation…….

Understanding

• Recognition and appreciation of personal and professional barriers that constrain self

Knowledge and Learning

• The story is never complete

• A better understanding of self

• Development of transformational leadership skills

“If the artist does not perfect a new vision

in his process of doing, he acts mechanically

and repeats some old model

fixed like a blue print in his mind”John Dewey 1934

References

•Alimo-Metcalfe, B. (1996) Leaders or managers? Nursing Management. 3(1) p.22-24.

•Barker, A.M. & Young, E. (1994) Transformational leadership: The feminist connection in post-modern organizations. Holistic Nursing Practice. 9(1) p.6-25.

•Belenky, M.F.; Clinchy, B.M. Goldberger, N.R. & Tarule, J.M. (1986) Women’s Ways of Knowing: the Development of Self, Voice and Mind. New York: Basic Books.

•Bennis, W. & Nanus, B. (1985) Leaders: strategies for taking charge. New York: Harper and Row.

•Boyd, D. (1996) Rolling thunder. 4th ed. New York: Delta.

•Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership. New York: Harper and Row.

•Cope, M. (2002) Who’s steering your boat? Lead yourself be where others will follow. Cambridge U.S.A.: Perseus.

•Covey, S.R. (1992) Principle centred leadership. New Jersey: Free Press.

•Davidhizar, R. (1993) Leading with charisma. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 18 p.675-679.

•Department of Health. (1999) Clinical Governance – Quality in the New NHS. London: HMSO.

•Department of Health. (2003) The NHS Constitution. London: HMSO.

•Dewey, J. (1934). Art as Experience. New York: Putnam.

•Ellis, C. (2004). The Ethnographic I: A methodological novel about autoethnography. Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press.

References

• Ellingson, L. L., & Ellis, C. (2008). Autoethnography as constructionist project. In J. A. Holstein & J. F. Gubrium (Eds.), Handbook of constructionist research (pp. 445-466). New York: Guilford Press.

• Francis R (2013) Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation. The Stationary Office.

• Gadamer, H.G. (1976) Philosophical hermeneutics. London: University of California Press.

• Johns, C. (2000) Becoming a reflective practioner: a reflective and holistic approach to clinical nursing, practice development and clinical supervision. Oxford: Blackwell.

• Johns, C. (2002) Guided reflection: advancing practice. Oxford: Blackwell Science.

• Johns, C.(2010). Guided Reflection: a Narrative Approach to Advancing Professional Practice. 2nd ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

• Joko-Beck, C. (1997) Everyday zen. London: Thorsons.

• Kolb, D.(1992) Hidden conflict in organizations. Newbury Park. CA: SagePublications.

• Maggs -Rapport, F. (2000) Combining methodological approaches in research: ethnography and interpretive phenomenology. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 31(1) p.219-225.

• Rich, A. & Parker, D.L. (1995) Reflection and critical incident analysis: ethical and moral implications of their use within nursing and midwifery education. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 22 p. 1050-1057.

• Tichy, N.M. & Devanna, M.A. (1990) The transformational leader. Chichester: Wiley.

References

• Schuster, J.P. (1994) Transforming your leadership style. Association Management. 46 L39-L42.

• Senge, P. M. (1990) The fifth discipline: the art and practice of the learning organization. London: Random House Business Books.

• Sofarelli, D. (1998) The need for nursing leadership in uncertain times. Journal of Nursing Management. 6 p. 201- 207.

• Weinsheimer, J. (1985) Gadamer’s hermeneutics: A reading of truth and method. New Haven: Yale University Press.

• Valentine, P. (1995) Management of conflict: do nurses/women handle it differently? Journal of Advanced Nursing. 22(1) p.142-149.

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