21st-century leadership in nursing education: the need for trifocals

In this qualitative study, deans of top-ranked graduate nursing schools were interviewed to examine how they are approaching leadership issues into the next century. Discussion focused on managing change, handling problems, communication/leadership styles, models of governance, research productivity, and expectations of faculty. The picture that emerged suggested that deans must be able to see objects and events from different perspectives, analogous to wearing trifocal eyeglasses. Deans described current roles, which were labeled as Director, Sensor, and Negotiator. However, future roles will require a different set of skills and competencies. Deans described these roles as Consensus Builder, Risk Taker, and Interactive Empowerer. Deans will need to react based on multiple points of vision and accommodate rapidly to maintain excellence in all areas of the mission.