Nurturing Relationships: An Essential Ingredient
of Leadership
Adapted from: Abramowitz
PW. Nurturing relationships: an essential ingredient
of leadership. Am J Health-Syst
Pharm. 2001; 58:479-84.
In my earlier days as a pharmacy manager, I believed
that hard work, clear objectives, technical skill,
expertise, and a no-nonsense management style were
necessary to achieve goals and enhance the practice
of pharmacy. Over time I realized that, while these
attributes are important, the most motivated and
productive members of my staff were often those who
had strong relationships with others with whom or
for whom they worked.
Thus, I learned through experience that those we
seek to lead not only want to understand where we
are heading, but also want to participate in the
development of that vision. They require clear objectives,
realistic expectations, and fair, open, and honest
treatment. However, given the climate of the current
workplace, the most essential need that must be addressed
by leaders is the need to form real human relationships.
When leaders show concern about the professional
development of a member of the staff, they demonstrate
their caring attitude. When team members are helped
in a time of personal crisis, they know that they
are cared about on a deeper level than that of simply
whether they will be able to perform their work duties.
This type of relationship might be termed a caring
professional relationship.
Caring relationships can and should exist among
colleagues. I have broken down what I have come to
recognize as the basic elements of caring professional
relationships:
- Paying attention through active listening.
- Displaying
understanding by mirroring ideas.
- Giving others
credit for their ideas.
- Welcoming feedback and
an honest exchange of information, without
threat of punishment
- Staying accessible.
- Being polite and courteous
in everyday interactions.
- Expressing gratitude
for hard work.
- Seeking to discover and nurture
the unique skills that each person brings
to the workplace.
- Showing a willingness to
trust.
- Sharing with and opening up to others.
No one of these elements stands out as more important
than others, but all work together to create an atmosphere
that promotes the free exchange of ideas. When their
opinions and ideas are invited, people seize the
opportunity to think creatively. When they are encouraged
to put some of those ideas into action, they hone
their problem-solving skills and work hard to be
successful.
When staff members interact with one another in
positive ways, an energy surges trough the department.
Supervisors will tap into the resources of their
people, clinical pharmacists will interact more effectively
with patients, and the health care team, and so on.
Nurturing effective relationships in one’s
field goes beyond networking and encompasses various
levels of friendship. A true leader can balance
caring with the need to achieve goals. Thus, the
caring professional relationship can aspire to
true friendship. Caring can occur either when a
relationship is relatively formal and structured
or when it is warmer and more interactive. Both
types of relationships, if viewed as true and respectful,
can greatly elevate a person’s desire and
motivation on the job.
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