AACN Rounds with Leadership: Boosting Your Capacity to Lead

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”  —John F. Kennedy

As nurse educators, we understand the importance of preparing new members of our profession to serve as expert caregivers, system innovators, and patient advocates. To thrive in these roles, nurses must develop as leaders in clinical settings, in boardrooms, and in all places where nurses impact healthcare, counsel patients, and shape policy. Building leadership capacity is essential to ensuring that nurses are contributing at the highest level and seizing every opportunity to safeguard patients, families, and the communities we serve.

Leadership development is a lifelong pursuit and a goal we must prioritize as academic nursing professionals. Keeping current with contemporary expectations for today’s leaders is key. On September 15, a national study on effective leadership in higher education was released, titled 2024 Competencies for the College Presidency. This survey of more than 700 college and university presidents identifies the leadership traits necessary to succeed in today’s challenging and political higher education landscape. The study was conducted by the firm Academic Search in partnership with the American Academic Leadership Institute, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Council of Independent Colleges.

Chief among the findings were the seven competencies identified as key for effective leadership, including:

• Building Trust
• Demonstrating Resilience
• Communicating Effectively and Authentically
• Crafting a Cabinet and Building a Team
• Exhibiting Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence
• Leading with Courage
• Understanding Data and Managing Resources

The top three leadership qualities most frequently rated as very relevant for today’s top higher education leader included:

• Behaving in a way that is trustworthy, consistent, and accountable
• Demonstrating resilience and an ability to cope with adversity
• Communicating effectively in formal and informal settings

Though the focus of this study was on college and university presidents, the findings are clearly relevant to all of us in academic nursing who are working to grow as leaders to enhance our effectiveness and impact.  

To assist in meeting your personal and professional development goals, AACN offers a full complement of leadership enrichment programs. Under the umbrella of AACN LEADS, programs are available to meet the needs of aspiring, early career, and experienced nurse educators. Current offerings include:

• Transformative leadership development programs tailored to the needs of aspiring deans and senior faculty (Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing) and new and transitioning deans (Advancing Academic Leadership for Deans).
• Free Peer-to-Peer Dean Mentoring Program that pairs early-career deans with seasoned deans for mutual development and growth.
• On-demand Leadership Education Modules offering guidance and practical strategies to navigate real-world challenges and achieve results.
• Eight Leadership Networks that bring peer professionals together to share best practices and success stories, sharpen leadership skills, and take full advantage of AACN resources.

In addition, AACN’s webinar and conference programming features a strong focus on leadership development, including opportunities to connect with our community of engaged nurse leaders. We hope you can join us next month at the Academic Nursing Leadership Conference in Washington, DC to take the next step in your leadership formation. AACN strives to be your ally and champion in our work to lead change and advocate for excellence in nursing education.   

Reference
Burmicky, J., McClure, K. R., & Ryu, W. (2024). Competencies for the college presidency: A national study of effective leadership in higher education. Academic Search.