Scenario

"Many leaders are promoted into a leadership role from staff positions. Often, their selection is a reflection of the good work that the individual did as a staff person. In the staff role, this individual became an expert at his or her work. This expertise and effectiveness then ultimately led this individual into the role of new leader. The greatest problem with this process relates to the conflict between really great preparation in the work process and the demands of a good leader: Often they are not aligned. Leadership skills are unique to the role. Staff expertise may be an indicator of potential competence, but there is no guarantee it will be transferred into the leader role. The emerging leader must understand this differentiation from the outset. Failure to do so skews the new leader's understanding of the role and affects the quality of how the role is applied.

You have been selected to lead the development of the practice council in your clinical department. Your manager saw strong leadership potential in you as evidenced by your commitment to care, your ability to influence your colleagues, and your willingness to help make decisions on the unit. You have never been asked to be the leader before or to organize something as important as a practice council. You are eager to perform this role well but are a little concerned about your ability to carry it off."

Management and leadership are two different competencies. Management tends to focus on an organizational position, while leadership doesn't necessarily relate directly to the traditional ideals of management. Leaders tend to influence people through collaboration and relationship building.

Refer the scenarioabove, please respond to these questions, using at least one paragraph for each question below.

1. Which specific types of mentorships would you look for from your manager to guide you through your initial leadership experiences with the council?

2. Which kinds of reactions should you anticipate and plan for from your colleagues as you assume this important role?

3. How is leading this effort different from managing it?