What the emerging workforce wants in its leaders

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Leadership Studies
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Understanding leadership expectations is vital for effective workforce management and retention.
• Generational differences can impact perceptions of desired leadership traits.
• Previous studies on leadership traits may not reflect current workforce expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and compare the leadership traits desired by both emerging (nursing students) and entrenched (hospital managers) healthcare professionals.
• To assess the congruence of desired leadership traits between different career stages and age groups within the healthcare sector.

Main Methods:

• A national sample of 108 nursing students and 126 Midwestern hospital managers were surveyed.
• Participants ranked the most and least desired leadership traits.
• Rankings were compared between emerging and entrenched groups and with historical leadership studies from the 1990s.

Main Results:

• High agreement was observed between nursing students and hospital managers regarding desired leadership traits.
• A significant divergence was found between current expectations and those identified in leadership studies from the 1990s.
• No significant differences in desired traits were found between younger and older participants.

Conclusions:

• The congruence in desired leadership traits between emerging and entrenched healthcare workers supports effective mentoring relationships.
• The findings highlight a need for updated strategies to recruit and retain nursing leaders that align with current generational expectations.
• Addressing these generational expectations is key to fostering a sustainable and supportive environment for future nursing leaders.