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Leadership Interview Essay

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To inspire and influence others, a leader must possess many skills and abilities. As motivational speaker Peter Northouse, states, “a leader should be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant” (Northouse, 2013) Moving an entire group of individuals toward a singular goal is a considerable undertaking. Without effective communication skills and a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished, one will feel like they are trying to herd cats rather than leading. During my interview with Regina Martinez, BS RN and currently an Assistant Director of a home health agency, I discovered her leadership style matched the above quote. …show more content…

The success the company now enjoys is credited to Martinez’s leadership, motivation, caring, and attention to detail. Delivering the medical care to a patient, in the comfort of their own home, by professional, caring medical staff is a much needed service in rural northeast Colorado. Martinez stated that in her past and current position, her goal has been to always lead by example. Martinez adamantly stated she would never ask an employee to do anything she herself was not willing to do. She stated she did not follow a particular leadership style, but has read several leadership and management books, articles and studies to become more effective. Martinez stated the book she references the most is Carl E. Larson and Frank M.J. LaFasto’s Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong. Through their research they explored the eight properties of successful teams: a clear, elevating goal; a results-driven structure; competent team members; unified commitment; collaborative climate; standards of excellence; external support and recognition; and principled leadership. (Larson & LaFasto, 1989, p.8) Their insights into what makes a team successful have been used by countless leaders as a model for efficient and effective leadership. As her job is to ensure proper medical patient care, Martinez spends most of her day on

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