Leading through partnering: from bedside to community

Partnering as a means of leading requires a particular focus and has particular characteristics. It is unrealistic to think that every person that participates in a partnership would have honed the skills to provide guidance, strength, and support for the process. It is not likely that every partner understands the collaborative process well enough to engage all partners with tact, openness, fairness, and critical, but respectful, reflection. The characteristics depicted in the Leading Through Partnering dome reflect those leaders who have integrated partnering into a coherent framework of action. Stern (2003), in describing her grounded theory research on "attentive partnering" among colleagues, determined that conditions for partnering seem to require the presence of "determined, persuasive leaders who foster growth-enhancing collegial relationships" (pg. 271). The concept of partnering continues to take hold in many forms. Leading Through Partnering as a variant form, whether occurring on a small scale at the bedside or a large scale in the community, is likely to be more than just a passing trend.