Student Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX 5007 Leadership for Nursing Practice
Prof. Name
Date
Leadership Styles Application
This paper examines three key leadership approaches—transformational, democratic, and transactional—and how each can be applied to a real clinical performance issue involving an underperforming nurse. The case centers on Marty, an experienced nurse currently facing personal challenges that have negatively affected her workplace performance. Her repeated lateness, frequent sleeping at her workstation, and absenteeism have placed additional pressure on colleagues, while also generating complaints from other departments that rely on her contributions.
Despite awareness from her supervisor, no structured intervention has been implemented. This lack of managerial response has contributed to declining team morale and raises concerns regarding patient safety and care quality. In healthcare environments, leadership plays a critical role in balancing employee well-being with accountability, ensuring both safe practice and team effectiveness. Strong leadership not only supports struggling staff but also sustains organizational performance and quality outcomes (Gashaye et al., 2023).
Major Tenets of Leadership Styles
How can different leadership styles be applied to manage Marty’s performance issues?
To effectively address Marty’s situation, three leadership frameworks offer structured approaches. Each style provides distinct strategies for communication, decision-making, and performance management, allowing leaders to respond according to both organizational needs and employee circumstances.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership focuses on inspiring change through motivation, emotional support, and individualized consideration. In Marty’s case, a transformational leader would seek to understand the underlying personal difficulties affecting her performance. Instead of focusing solely on the behavioral issues, the leader would engage in supportive dialogue, aiming to rebuild Marty’s confidence and commitment.
This leadership style emphasizes empathy, trust-building, and professional development. It fosters a workplace culture where employees feel valued and supported, which can significantly enhance engagement and performance (Tsapnidou et al., 2024).
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 1 Leadership Styles Application
Democratic Leadership
Democratic leadership promotes shared decision-making and encourages active participation from all team members. In this scenario, a leader applying this approach might facilitate a structured team discussion involving Marty and her colleagues to openly address concerns.
Such an approach allows for collective problem-solving, where both Marty’s challenges and the team’s workload concerns are acknowledged. This process enhances transparency and strengthens team ownership of decisions, ultimately improving workplace cohesion (Qtait, 2023).
Transactional Leadership
Transactional leadership is based on structured expectations, performance monitoring, and reward or corrective systems. In Marty’s situation, a transactional leader would clearly define performance standards such as punctuality, attendance, and task completion.
A formal improvement plan could be introduced, along with specific consequences for continued underperformance. This approach prioritizes accountability and consistency, ensuring that organizational standards are maintained. Although less focused on emotional support, it is effective in enforcing discipline and measurable outcomes (Mekonnen & Bayissa, 2023).
Comparative Application of Leadership Styles in Marty’s Case
| Leadership Style | Application Strategy | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Transformational | Provide emotional support, identify personal barriers, offer flexibility and resources | Improved motivation, stronger engagement, and emotional recovery |
| Democratic | Facilitate group discussions and shared problem-solving | Increased teamwork, transparency, and shared accountability |
| Transactional | Set clear performance targets and enforce consequences | Improved discipline, structure, and compliance |
Which Leadership Style is Most Effective in This Situation?
Each leadership approach offers unique benefits depending on the desired outcome. Transformational leadership is particularly effective in addressing the emotional and personal factors contributing to Marty’s performance decline. By offering individualized support such as counseling referrals, flexible scheduling, or gradual workload adjustments, leaders may help restore her motivation and reintegrate her into the team effectively (Tsapnidou et al., 2024).
Democratic leadership, on the other hand, strengthens team involvement and encourages mutual understanding. Allowing staff to participate in discussions can reduce resentment and promote collaborative solutions. However, it must be carefully managed to avoid emotional escalation or feelings of public criticism toward Marty (Qtait, 2023).
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 1 Leadership Styles Application
Transactional leadership is most effective when immediate structure and accountability are required. Implementing performance improvement plans ensures that expectations are clearly communicated and consistently enforced. However, this approach may not address the root personal causes of performance decline and could limit open communication if applied too rigidly (Mekonnen & Bayissa, 2023).
Positive and Negative Implications of Leadership Styles
How do these leadership styles impact team performance and employee behavior?
The following table summarizes the advantages and limitations of each leadership style in the context of Marty’s case:
| Leadership Style | Positive Implications | Negative Implications |
|---|---|---|
| Transformational | Builds trust, improves morale, enhances motivation and engagement | Risk of perceived favoritism; may create resentment among overburdened staff |
| Democratic | Encourages participation, strengthens communication, builds team unity | Decision-making may be slower; Marty may feel exposed in group settings |
| Transactional | Ensures structure, accountability, and measurable performance standards | May ignore emotional/personal issues; can feel rigid or punitive |
Transformational leadership can create a supportive environment that helps Marty recover professionally, but excessive focus on her may lead to perceptions of unfairness among peers (Lin et al., 2020).
Democratic leadership encourages shared responsibility and open communication, yet emotionally sensitive discussions may negatively affect morale if not properly facilitated.
Transactional leadership ensures clarity and discipline, but over-reliance on rules may discourage openness and fail to address deeper issues affecting performance (Richards, 2020).
Conclusion
Addressing performance concerns like those seen in Marty’s case requires thoughtful application of leadership strategies. Transformational leadership provides emotional support and individualized attention, making it effective for rebuilding engagement. Democratic leadership strengthens collaboration and shared accountability through inclusive decision-making. Transactional leadership establishes structure, expectations, and compliance through formal performance management systems.
Each leadership style contributes valuable strengths, and effective healthcare leaders should integrate elements of all three depending on the situation. By balancing empathy, participation, and accountability, healthcare organizations can maintain both employee well-being and high standards of patient care outcomes.
References
Gashaye, M., Tilahun, D., Belay, A., & Bereka, B. (2023). Perceived utilization of leadership styles among nurses. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 16(1), 215–224. https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s388966
Lin, C. pei, Xian, J., Li, B., & Huang, H. (2020). Transformational leadership and employees’ thriving at work: The mediating roles of challenge-hindrance stressors. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01400
Mekonnen, M., & Bayissa, Z. (2023). The effect of transformational and transactional leadership styles on organizational readiness for change among health professionals. SAGE Open Nursing, 9(9). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10336755/
NURS FPX 5007 Assessment 1 Leadership Styles Application
Qtait, M. (2023). Head nurses’ leadership styles and nurses’ performance systematic review. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 18(1), 100564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2023.100564
Richards, A. (2020). Exploring the benefits and limitations of transactional leadership in healthcare. Nursing Standard, 35(12), 46–50. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2020.e11593
Tsapnidou, E., Kelesi, M., Rovithis, M., Katharakis, G., Gerogianni, G., Dafogianni, C., Toylia, G., Fasoi, G., & Stavropoulou, A. (2024). Transformational leadership—quality achievements and benefits for the healthcare organizations: A scoping review. Hospitals, 1(1), 87–103. https://doi.org/10.3390/hospitals1010008