My series on the U.S. nursing shortage and my articles on Clay Aiken being a role model have come full circle. I was deep into writing the nursing shortage when I began getting a deluge of responses to the articles on inclusion and Dick Clark's comeback on New Year's Eve.
The response was a bit overwhelming and it took a while to read through, but toward the end one response gave me an "ah-ha" moment.
Renee wrote: "There are a lot of times I think to myself, 'How would Clay handle this situation?' He shows respect to any person. No matter who. He shows love and compassion. He uses his humor.
"Here's a true story," Renee continued. "I was at his Christmas concert and after the show I went to buy a CD of William Joseph, the opening act pianist, and they had Joseph's CD for sale at the merchandise stand. So I just asked out of curiosity if they had any of Clays' CD's."
The man selling merchandise told Renee: "No, Clay won't let us sell his because he doesn't want to take anything away from William Joseph's sales, that's just the kind of guy he is. I've met him lots of times and he is the real deal. I'm just the T-shirt guy and he never gives me the cold shoulder; he's just as nice to me as to anyone else. I have worked with plenty of people before and lots of them, I would quit my job tomorrow if I could, but with Clay, I would be the first to sign up to work with him."
Renee added: "The merchandise seller was not being interviewed. He had no reason to even talk to me, he had no motives for anything he said. He just spoke from his heart."
Renee described Aiken as a servant leader, a leader who seeks to involve others in decision-making, is strongly based in ethical and caring behavior and enhances the personal growth of workers while improving the caring and quality of organizational life. I have no way to confirm this story is true, but it is consistent with some of the unHollywood-like ways Aiken handles show biz.
"There has been a growing shift from autocrat to servant leadership -- leaders who take a long view and don't just focus on short-term profits," Larry Spears, chief executive officer of the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership, told Caregiving. "A servant leader cares about employees and customers."
They emphasize communication, setting an example, knowing subordinates, looking out for their welfare and keeping workers informed and using their feedback.
And the link to nursing? The main reason given for some 20 percent of experienced U.S. nurses leaving the profession was the way they were treated -- yet if these nurses stayed, there wouldn't be a nursing shortage.
"Nurses want to be part of the whole decision-making team, and they want to be treated with respect by everyone, especially by doctors," Cheryl Peterson, senior policy fellow at the American Nursing Association, told Caregiving. "They want recognition for their role."
The servant leader is at the opposite of the management style continuum of the autocratic leader, which still, for the most part, prevails in healthcare.
"The physician's order ruled, without question or negotiation. Physicians, in turn, had their own hierarchy. Authority was understood, respected, and obeyed," wrote Diane M. Eade, in "Motivational Management: Developing Leadership Skills," published in Clinician Reviews.
"The example set by past generations has led to huge numbers of autocratic managers today. Some lead this way because they honestly, and consciously, believe it is the best management style. For most, it is how they were treated throughout their careers."
The autocratic leadership style has been criticized for decades, because it tends to make the most talented employees flee, but many leaders remain autocrats because it's the only role model they've ever had.
Some companies have adopted the servant leader management style -- Southwest Airlines may be one of the best examples -- but I couldn't think of a good example of a well-known servant leader for the nursing shortage story.
My "ah ha" moment came when I realized Aiken was the example I had been looking for and why he stands out -- outside all of that singing. We don't see a lot of servant leaders in action. Maybe this is why so many in healthcare -- and family caregivers -- are Aiken fans and why so many wrote.
Next: The readers comment.
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Alex Cukan is an award-winning journalist, but she always has considered caregiving her primary job. UPI welcomes comments and questions about this column. E-mail: [email protected]
