Congruent leadership

Congruent leadership refers to a type of value-driven leadership theory that is primarily utilized in healthcare or service industry settings. Congruent leadership is defined as a congruence, or compatibility, between a leader’s values and beliefs and their actions in the leadership role. Leaders are identified as adhering to congruent leadership theory when their actions match their values; this correspondence between action and values must be present to designate the leader as possessing congruent leadership. Congruent leaders are described as being guided by passion, courage, commitment, compassion, and respect for others, which is why the theory is so relevant to the healthcare sector and service industry workers. Congruent leaders build lasting relationships with others and are only concerned with the empowerment of those in need, with little to no interest in the benefits of power and status for themselves.

Overview

The theory of congruent leadership was developed from research that explored clinical leadership from the perspective of a variety of health professional disciplines. Between 2001 and 2004, English nurse practitioner David Stanley conducted extensive research with registered nurses at a large hospital in the United Kingdom as part of his doctoral research. Between 2008 and 2017, he then conducted the same clinical leadership research in Western Australia from the perspective of senior registered nurses, paramedics, ambulance volunteers, occupational therapists, social workers, allied health professionals, podiatrists, speech therapists, and geriatric care managers.

His research methods included interviews and questionnaires that were analyzed for correlations between clinical leaders and a value/action congruency. The research strongly pointed to values driving the actions of clinical leaders. Stanley discovered that the clinical leadership modeled in each of these situations did not subscribe to any existing theories of leadership available. As a result, he established his own theory of leadership, which he referred to as congruent leadership. He first coined the term in 2006 and later expanded upon it with subsequent research.

Stanley originally defined congruent leadership as a type of leadership that matched the activities, actions, and deeds of the leader with their values and beliefs about care and nursing. He added that leadership is based on where the leader stands in terms of personal principles and noted congruent leaders are followed because their values and beliefs match their actions, gaining them admiration and respect. Stanley elaborated by describing congruent leaders as inspirational, motivational, organized, and effective at communicating and building relationships. He also noted that many congruent leaders are not often found in managerial positions and can be identified in many areas of an institution. Congruent leadership was originally meant to frame and comprehend leadership in the healthcare industry, but it was apparent the theory applied to other sectors of society, such as education, the military, and business. Stanley hoped the development of the theory would help others better understand the successful leadership qualities associated with all healthcare-related disciplines and apply this theory to other sectors of society.

The principles of congruent leadership have remained pivotal to healthcare in the twenty-first century. Research has been conducted on the importance of congruent leadership in shaping the organizational culture of healthcare institutions. Congruent leadership has become a key tool of leadership development programs in healthcare organizations, and researchers have developed assessment data for congruent leadership behaviors. Researchers have also looked into how congruent leadership is related to other leadership models, such as authentic leadership, as both focus on values-based action.

Bibliography

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