Leadership: a skill, not a role

The ever-changing healthcare landscape demands leaders who can help navigate through the turbulence. At a time when the demand for leaders in healthcare continues to grow, many wonder whether there is a pending leadership shortage. This perception is fostered by the confusion about how leaders are defined. For many the definition of a leader is synonymous with a job title or role, such as a Manager or Director. Leadership, however, is not a job description; rather, it is influencing others to contribute to a positive outcome. All clinicians, particularly advanced practice nurses, must take the responsibility of finding solutions to the current challenges in healthcare and work through others to achieve a better outcome. In this article leadership is defined by skill sets, not job title, and offers specific strategies to enhance advanced practice nurses' leadership skills.