Transformational leadership theory is a leadership style focused on inspiring and motivating team members to exceed their usual abilities and performance levels. A transformational leader is a person who gravitates towards change, innovation, and long-term goals. They inspire their followers by demonstrating a high level of passion, energy, and commitment to shared objectives. On the other hand, transactional leadership is a leadership style that is based on a system of rewards and punishments. Such leaders are more concerned with maintaining the status quo, focusing on specific tasks, and using disciplinary power and an array of incentives to motivate employees to perform at their best.

As an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), I can apply transformational leadership in various roles. As a Clinician, I would inspire my team to provide top-notch patient care by setting an example and encouraging continuous learning and improvement. In the Educator role, I could motivate students to exceed their potential by making learning engaging and relevant and fostering a supportive learning environment. As a Researcher, I could inspire a team to be innovative and thorough in their research, driving them to seek new knowledge and solutions. As an Administrator, I could drive change and improvement in healthcare delivery by promoting a vision and strategy that motivates staff. As an Entrepreneur, I could inspire innovation, promote a strong company culture, and motivate employees to achieve company goals. As a Consultant, I could motivate clients to adopt new strategies or practices to improve their performance. Lastly, as a Leader, I could inspire a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

In my experience as a registered nurse working in the emergency room, I have seen transformational leadership in action. Our charge nurse consistently inspires us to improve our patient care standards. She encourages us to further our education and skills, always looking for ways to improve our practices for better patient outcomes. These leaders focus on maintaining the status quo, specific tasks, and utilize disciplinary power and incentives to encourage employees to perform their best (Bass & Riggio, 2018). Her enthusiasm and commitment to excellence motivate us to strive for more than just performing our routine tasks. We are driven to innovate, seek continuous improvement, and provide the highest quality patient care. This is a prime example of transformational leadership. Enthusiasm and commitment to excellence motivate us to strive beyond our routine tasks, fostering an environment of innovation, continuous improvement, and high-quality patient care (Marshall, 2017).

References:

Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2018). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.

Marshall, E. S. (2017). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader. Springer Publishing Company.

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