What characteristic is essential for a nurse exhibiting transactional leadership?

A nurse exhibiting transactional leadership is primarily focused on the practical aspects of management, which includes meeting targets and deadlines. This style of leadership emphasizes the completion of tasks and achieving specific objectives in a structured and efficient manner. Leaders who adopt this approach often rely on a clear set of rules and expectations, using rewards and consequences to motivate team members.

In this context, meeting targets within the deadline is pivotal because it reflects the core principles of transactional leadership. This leadership style values consistency, compliance, and the successful execution of established goals and processes. The transactional leader tends to monitor performance closely and ensures that team members understand their roles in achieving the desired outcomes, thereby fostering an environment where meeting deadlines is paramount.

In contrast, inspiring change and innovation relates more to transformational leadership, which seeks to motivate and elevate the team beyond mere compliance. Encouraging team autonomy is also associated with a more transformational approach, as it aims to empower team members to take initiative. Building long-term relationships with patients reflects a patient-centered focus, which is significant in nursing but does not align with the transactional leader's emphasis on task completion and goal achievement.