The Finesse of Leadership.
I am extremely grateful to the Florence Nightingale Foundation and Burdett Trust for Nursing for the opportunity they have given me through this scholarship. I especially would like to thank Liz Robb for her belief in me and the wise words of encouragement she gave throughout the scholarship. I would also like to thank Professor Jean White, Chief Nursing Officer for Wales for encouraging me to apply for this opportunity and to The Chair, Chief Executive and Nurse Director Powys teaching Health Board for supporting my application. I would like to give a special thanks to Ray Greenwood for his support and guidance as my mentor throughout the scholarship. Finally I would like to thank my wife Rachael and children, Emily, William, Edward and Phoebe for all their support.
When I applied for the Florence Nightingale Foundation Leadership Scholarship in 2013 I was not aware of how it would fundamentally change me. Since then I have been on a continual personal journey of discovery that has positively impacted on both my personal and professional life. The scholarship focused on a three pronged approach through personal leadership development, career leadership progression and a patient care improvement project. This triangulated approach with constant reflection on how these interplay through the use of a leadership journal, has provided me with insight into my leadership and authenticity that reaches further than I could have ever hoped.
Through the scholarship I have had the opportunity to experience many learning opportunities that have initiated step changes in my development. These have been planned and as part of the formal framework of the scholarship and some have been opportunistic. Through all these experiences colleagues have been gracious in the time they have spent with me and sharing their own experience and life stories to help illustrate their leadership development. It is through understanding their narrative that they have been able to inspire me and help me in my development.
The patient care improvement project has required significant influencing skills to influence across Wales and multiple stake holders. It is a very high profile project that has required careful stakeholder management. I have been able to undertake this from skills I have developed through the scholarship. Leading Change through Organisational Renewal has helped me with my influencing and landing the message to ensure the sponsors of the project and the wider senior nursing leadership in Wales remain on board and bought into the development of the Workload and Workforce Calculation Tool. Operational managers within District Nursing and District Nursing Teams from across Wales have been involved in the process through the extensive consultation and engagement events to give a sense of ownership of the final tool that will help support its implementation. I have been able to draw on my experience on the study tour to the Netherlands to give a sense of the future and how new systems can support our work within the National Health Service and within community care. Through the Authentic Leadership Program I have been able to find my voice and deliver a compelling narrative based on my personal leadership journey that has brought people on board to support this development from across Wales and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts has helped with my personal presence to be heard. It is only through the learning experiences I have had through the Scholarship that I have been able to successfully progress this complex improvement project which will see appropriate community staffing implemented across Wales to improve the quality of the care patients receive.