Self as coach: Professional renewal through strength and character

One of the most significant challenges leaders face is how best to maintain optimism, hope and a sense of renewal when confronted with competing commitments, conflicts and struggles that are a part of leadership responsibilities. Nurse leaders need to engage inner work in order to more effectively provide outer service (Pesut, 2001). Renewal is accomplished by clarifying one’s strengths, values, gifts and talents—and using them with intention. A strengths and character-based approach to personal and professional renewal helps people appreciate and value their signature themes and natural talents. Knowing what one’s signature strengths and values are promotes personal mastery and self-management in the creation of a purpose-driven life.

Some leaders choose to work with professional coaches to discern their strengths and learning edges. Others believe there is value in developing self as coach, through deliberate inquiry and practices connected to personal and professional renewal efforts. I encourage leaders I know to use two assessments to obtain information about signature and character strengths. The first is the VIA Survey from the VIA Institute on Character. This instrument assesses strength in character. Based on responses to a series of questions, the instrument rank orders 24 character strengths and then groups them by the virtue categories of wisdom, courage, humility, justice, temperance or transcendence. Knowledge of character strengths and learning edges promotes insight, action and development.

Another resource I think is most valuable for nursing leaders is the book, Strengths Based Leadership, by Tom Rath and Barrie Conchie (Rath & Conchie, 2009). This book provides access to the Gallup Corporation StrengthsFinder assessment tool. Knowing what your top five signature strengths are gives voice to your talents and skill mix. Even more valuable, this reference and resource provides specific strength by strength-based strategies to help a leader master most of the characteristics that followers want in leaders: trust, compassion, stability and hope. The best thing nursing leaders can do to strengthen the profession is to know what values support and sustain individual character and how to support followers through intentional activation of personal strengths and virtues.


References and Resources:

Pesut, D.J. (2001). Healing into the future: Recreating the profession of nursing through inner work. In N. Chaska (Ed.), The nursing profession: Tomorrow and beyond (pp. 853-867). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2009). Strengths based leadership. New York, NY: Gallup Press.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Strengths and values

People who know me are familiar with my enthusiasm for a strengths-based approach to personal and professional development. Personally, I belive every nurse in the world ought to know their signature strengths. Such strengths-based knowledge supports learning in service of caring.

Do you know the constellation of character strengths you possess? There are a couple of ways to learn about and maximize your strengths skill set. I invite you to take some time to explore the VIA Institute on Character. It evolved as part of an evoluationary vision connected with developments in the field of positive psychology. Since its inception, the institute has focused on classification, testing and research related to character strengths. These classifications include cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, civic, self-control and strengths attuned to connections with the larger universe in which we live and make meaning.

Do you have a cluster of strengths related to the acquisition of knowledge? Strengths that fall under this category include creativity, curiosity, judgment and open –mindedness, love of learning and mastery of providing perspective. Courage is the category of strength that includes bravery, perseverance, honesty and zest. Humanitarian interpersonal strengths include the capacity to love and be loved, coupled with kindness and social intelligence. Commitments to building community involve the civic strengths of justice, teamwork, fairness and leadership.

Temperance, as a strength, modulates and works against excess and includes the value set of self-control, prudence, modesty and humility, as well as forgiveness and mercy. Finally, strengths that help us transcend and find meaning in the larger universe include appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor and spiritual consciousness, supported by faith or purpose. Wouldn’t it be great to know what your character strengths and values are? Such self-knowledge enables one to be clear about personal and professional contributions to the nursing care enterprise.

Once upon a time, you could take the brief version of the Character Strengths profile for free. A recent visit to the VIA Institute on Character revealed they no longer offer that service as an option. However, they do have a number of free resources. Check out the research studies. Perhaps the most useful resource is "340 Ways to Use VIA Character Strengths." As you consider some of the suggestions about using and developing your strengths, share your plans with a friend or colleague, and invite them to develop their strengths. Contemplate how development of your individual strengths contributes to your leadership in the greater community where you live and work!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership, published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.