Leadership philosophy of care home managers

Care home managers have a significant influence on staff morale and care delivery. Training methods underpinned by transformational leadership theory (TLT) have been used successfully to develop leaders in healthcare services.

The aim of this preliminary study was to establish which aspects of TLT were apparent in care home managers' philosophies of leadership.

A qualitative research design was used and 25 care home managers in the north-east of England took part. Participants were asked to provide their philosophies of leadership by completing a questionnaire; a thematic analysis of the responses was then conducted.

Development of philosophy, enablement and interpersonal impact emerged as key themes.

The findings suggested that elements of TLT were apparent in the participants' philosophies of leadership. However, the importance of gaining the support of senior management when attempting to apply a philosophy of eadership in practice was lacking.

Aspects of TLT, such as supporting frontline employees to engage in education and establishing trust, were embedded in care home managers' philosophies. To develop leadership skills, managers may benefit from training programmes that involve both structured teaching and guided learning through experience.