Essentials of Leadership (graded) A leader has the ability to combine commitment for improvement with knowledge regarding how to exercise influence and engage support (Dickson & Tholl, 2014). In the areas of nursing and public health, the focus is on improving health. Porter-O'Grady and Malloch (2015) noted several major tasks of 21stcentury healthcare leaders. Applying essentials of leadership, select two (2) tasks from the following list of tasks and discuss how you would exercise influence and engage support for each of your selected tasks. Deconstructing the barriers and structures of the 20th century Alerting staff about the implications of changing what they do Establishing safety around taking risks and experimenting Embracing new technologies as a way of doing work Reading the signposts along the road to the future Translating the emerging reality of health reform into language that the staff can use Demonstrating personal engagement with health reform Helping others adapt to the demands of a value-driven health system Creating a safe milieu for the struggles and pain of changing practice and service Enumerating small successes as a basis for supporting staff Dr. Moyer and fellow classmates, Today's culture has accepted technology into its day to day activities from using ATM machines for banking to daily usage of smartphones for communication and using apps for routine tasks. However, nurses are often resistant to technological advancements based on the assumption that it will disrupt their way of performing routine activities (Bozak, 2003). As an effective leader, I need to encourage my staff to embrace information technology as a way to meet patients' needs, enhance patient safety and improve workflow. To accomplish this I should develop a focus group or committee that includes staff nurses for selecting and customizing information technology systems (Borak, 2003; Huryk, 2010). This process will ensure that nurses are involved in all phases of implementation of a new EMR system. According to Bozak (2003), nurses are more likely to support the implementation of technology if they understand the benefits of electronic documentation and are actively involved during the planning and implementation process. Secondly, I need to provide a supportive and safe learning environment to facilitate open communication, encourage constructive feedback, provide continuous improvement, and encourage the support of the new system (Huryk, 2010). Ongoing monitoring, feedback, and supportive efforts to capture the intended benefits of the innovation are needed to sustain change and maintain positive behaviors while implementing technology. Lastly, I should schedule proper training time with experienced computer users that is skilled in the system prior to implementation and afterwards as needed (Huryk, 2010). Providing extra training time after implementation is helpful for staff nurses with little or no computer experience, so that they may feel more comfortable learning the new system. References Bozak, M. G. (2003). Using Lewin's force field analysis in implementing a nursing information system. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 21(2), 80-85. Huryk, L. A. (2010). Factors influencing nurses' attitudes towards healthcare information technology. Journal of Nursing Management, 18(5), 606-612. doi:10.1111/j.13652834.2010.01084.x