May (2001) conducted a study of 508 women in the Houston area to identify the skills and attributes those women believed would be needed to succeed in leadership positions in the 21st century. Data from the 263 women who responded to the questionnaire, 137 of whom completed both the first and second rounds of the study, yielded six skills (listed in order of importance to the respondents) seen as the most important skills and attributes of leaders: personal integrity, strategic vision/action orientation, team building/communication skills, management and technical competencies, people skills, and personal survival skills (e.g., political sensitivity, self-direction, courage).

QUESTIONS:

a. To what extent are the skills and attributes needed by leaders in the 21st century that have been identified by participants in May’s study consistent with those needed by nurses?

b. For those who do not possess these six strengths or need some assistance in improving their skills, how could nurses develop and/or improve them?