Preparing nursing students to become effective leaders has never been more important. Today’s healthcare environment requires nurses who can think critically, collaborate across disciplines and lead change. While nursing leadership courses typically cover essential management concepts, faculty are increasingly asking an important question: Are we teaching students to manage or are we truly teaching them how to lead?
Recently, I’ve spent time reflecting on how we can go beyond the lecture and better prepare nurses at every level to develop effective leadership skills. My interest stems from collaborating with two respected nursing leaders on new editions of Leadership texts. The first book, Leading and Managing in Nursing, by Dr. Patricia S. Yoder-Wise, is a well-known text which will soon publish its 9th edition. The other, The Leadership Trajectory, by Dr. Yoder-Wise, Dr. Karren Kowalski, and me, describes a pathway leaders may take to develop a legacy after leaving a leadership role.
Too often, leaders prioritize competition and self-interest, rather than supporting the mission of the organization they represent. Common topics highlighted in a Leadership/Management course usually include leadership styles, conflict resolution, change management, supervision and delegation, healthcare finance, ethical behavior, quality improvement and perhaps, a bit about emotional intelligence. I have included all of these topics in every Leadership/ Management course I’ve taught throughout my career. While these concepts remain essential to nurses, I wonder if they are enough. For example, students may graduate knowing the budgeting process, but could they address the conflict that may occur in finalizing the annual budget? Knowing concepts and demonstrating leadership behaviors are two very different competencies.
I suspect I am not alone in these concerns. Channing (2020) outlines several research studies which attempt to answer the question “Can Leadership skills be taught?” From this analysis, she postulates the idea that “students learn leadership skills by doing.” Yet are they able to integrate the interprofessional behaviors into completion of the assigned task? This blog suggests a framework for providing students the opportunity to integrate both specific tasks and the interpersonal skill into their leadership practice.
The Leadership Challenge Framework
The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner, (2023) is based on a research project where researchers asked ordinary people what they did when they were at their “personal best” when leading others. The findings were integrated into a Leadership Framework, highlighting the following five practices:
Practice 1: MODEL THE WAY
Commitment 1. Clarify values by finding your voice and affirming shared values.
Commitment 2. Set the example by aligning actions with shared values.
Practice 2: INSPIRE A SHARED VISION
Commitment 3. Envision the future by imaging exciting and ennobling possibilities.
Commitment 4. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to a shared aspiration.
Practice 3: CHALLENGE THE PROCESS
Commitment 5. Search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and looking for innovative ways to improve.
Commitment 6. Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from the experience.
Practice 4: ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT
Commitment 7. Foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships.
Commitment 8. Strengthen others by increasing self-determination and developing competence.
Practice 5: ENCOURAGE THE HEART
Commitment 9: Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence.
Commitment 10: Celebrate the values and victories through a spirit of community.
Integrating the Leadership Challenge Framework into Nursing Education
How does the Leadership Challenge Framework influence nursing faculty teaching strategies? Traditional leadership and management content remains essential. Students still need to understand budgeting, delegation, quality improvement, conflict management, healthcare finance, and ethical decision-making. However, these topics become significantly more meaningful when students actively practice the leadership behaviors required to apply them successfully. Our task is to integrate the Kouzes & Posner’s Framework into teaching leadership skills.
Fulton (2024) identifies ten characteristics of a leader: honesty, empathy and active listening; ability to encourage others and set goals; effective decision-making shared with colleagues; thinking positively, taking responsibility for own behaviors, focusing on service to others, and being recognized as a hard worker. These characteristics cannot be developed through lecture alone. Applying the framework requires student engagement. For example, when students are participating in a team quality management project, they are applying principles of quality management, in addition to practicing active listening, accountability, and demonstrating service for others. Implementing a change initiative provides opportunities to build compromise, navigate resistance, and move others toward a common goal.
Active Learning
Case studies, role play and team projects may be helpful in learning leadership in budgeting, decision making, and conflict resolution. Perhaps, faculty should intentionally incorporate structured reflection after every learning activity. Reflection encourages students to evaluate not only whether they complete the assigned leadership task, but also how they demonstrated leadership throughout the process. Did they communicate effectively? Collaborate with others? Listen respectfully? Accept responsibility for their actions? These conversations transform activities into leadership experiences.
For more than fifteen years, nursing faculty have increasingly embraced active learning and emphasis on student engagement in class and clinical. Applying those same teaching strategies within Leadership courses is just another step toward preparing students for their successful practice.
By intentionally integrating the Leadership Challenge Framework into classroom, simulation, and clinical learning, faculty can help students build the communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills that make successful leaders. When students graduate having both learned about leadership and experiencing what it means to lead, they enter nursing practice better prepared to improve patient outcomes and strengthen the future of the nursing profession.
References:
Channing, J. (2020) How can Leadership be taught: Implications for Leadership Education. International Council of Professors of Education Leadership (ICPEL) https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1254573.pdf. Accessed, 2026.
Elmuti,L., Minnes, W., Abede, M. ( XXXX) Does education have a role in developing research skills: Emerald Research Register. https://www.hmhco.com/blog/how-to-teach-leadership-skills-middle-high-school-students?srsltid=AfmBOopQg09qFtfJqkJ9sIYuGV-M6d4zJCqf7_DnD4zJiFrgyxP2-Vl Accessed, 2026.
Kouzes, J., Posner, B. (2023) Leadership Challenges. 7th edition. Wiley Publishers.