I Dare You to Drink the Vinegar

Something clicked in the last couple of weeks when a friend (who is also a nurse) and I started to pick up some steam on a nursing project that we started . The project started as a fun podcast last June and has blossomed into something that seems to be growing much bigger. And by bigger, I mean a project that is taking more time and money than I originally anticipated. But, by bigger, I am also learning that many of the skills that I have learned throughout my academic endeavors, professional nursing career, and life as a parent are now converging on a moment where I realize that project management is not an abstract concept that is learned in a specialized post-secondary program. Project management is something that we have been learning our entire lives, from we began grade school.  Perhaps you are scratching your head, wondering why exactly is it useful to recognize that life is a series of projects? Because these are transferable skills. If you can manage to get through school...

Strong leadership is a key component to the success of any type of organization.  Extensive research supports the importance of conceptualizing leadership as a social group process emphasizing the importance of people skills, in contrast to traditional management-oriented styles that focused on completing tasks as directed by a single leader (Avolio, Walumbwa, & Weber, 2009; Crevani, Lindgren, & Packendorff, 2009; Daft, 2011; Pearce, Manz, & Sims, 2009).  There is a wealth of leadership research and theory that may be utilized to effectively guide one’s practice.  Effective leadership in today’s diverse society involves clear understanding of preferred leadership styles, behaviors and how these may differ from those preferred by others to minimize misunderstandings and misinterpretations (Ayman & Korabik, 2010).  In order to effectively integrate leadership knowledge and successfully hone leadership skills it is imperative to reflect on one’s subjecti...