Chapter 8: Sleep Technologist as a Leader
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- 116968
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Chapter Objectives:
Identifying Leadership Styles
Taking Leadership Assessment
Implicit Bias Assessment
Who Am I as a Technologist?
Congratulations! You have learned more about the ins and outs of the sleep center. You know about the different roles on the sleep team, have discussed best practices and patient outcomes, gained an understanding of medical ethics and legal issues, and have insight into health system regulations. Now, let’s talk about you – the sleep technologist – as a leader. We all are leaders in some way— whether leading ourselves in daily decisions, leading family or friends to the best places to grab lunch or leading the scoreboard in a favorite videogame, we all are leaders. Now it is time to ask yourself what type of leader you are.
Think about your experiences at work, school, or standing in line to get a state ID. What made those experiences good or bad? Was it your peers or your leaders? What would have made things better, not just for you, but for everyone who was having the same experience at that time?
You are going to assist in writing the final chapter of this text. We are going to dig into the type of leader you are and develop the outline of the type of leader you want to be. You are going to find a series of questions and prompts, all of which ask you to examine your skills, desires, biases, expectations, preferences, and motivations. Upon completing these questions, you will have enough information to help guide you into the best fit within your new career as a Polysomnography Technologist and as a leader.
Leadership Styles
There are many different styles of leadership, but within the context of a sleep technologist as a leader, we will briefly examine five of these styles, their characteristics, and a few pros and cons of each. The leadership styles we will examine include laissez-faire, autocratic, coaching, democratic and bureaucratic styles.
Laissez-faire leadership style
Laissez-faire is a French phrase that means “let it happen;” a similar American phrase is “let the chips fall where they may.” These phrases summarize the laissez-faire style of leadership. This style takes a mostly hands-off approach to leadership. It is one that allows members of the team to work on tasks completely on their own. People who work under this type of leader are expected to work independently in problem solving and make daily choices without interference, working within the lines of company policy and procedure for direction. This type of leader is willing to take accountability for the good and bad that happens within their team. This person has good discernment and trusts in a person’s skills and abilities, which makes delegating tasks easy for them.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Encourages people to grow professionally and personally | Lack of intervention can cause conflict |
| Takes unnecessary pressure off employees and supports innovation | Roles and duties can become confused |
| Collaborative decision-making amongst team members | Employees may develop poor time management leading to retention issues |
| Team members can be motivated by feeling trusted to work independently | People may feel disconnected and dissatisfied with secluded work environment |
Autocratic leadership style
The focus of the autocratic leadership style is on clear separation between the leader and the worker. The workers here may have little input. Think of a basketball team: during a game, a player may give the coach some input based on his or her perspective playing the game; however, the play making decision comes from the coach, who is ultimately the person in charge. In this situation, if the player does not listen to the coach, they could get fired immediately – even if the team wins. If the coach never listens to the players’ input and the result is either consistent loss or a big loss, then the coach may get fired. The workplace environment under this leadership style is typically very structured, organized, and oftentimes inflexible.
Autocratic leaders are often highly motivated and driven, self-confident, possess clarity in thought, reliability, and consistency.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast and well-organized decision making | Discourages team discussion |
| Takes on stressful situations | Restrictions originality |
| Gives clear goals, oversight and direction | Eliminates collaboration |
| Relieves employees of complex decision-making situations | Can limit personal and professional growth |
Coaching leadership style
Being a part of a team is familiar to the coaching style of leadership. The coaching method is more personalized than other styles and values relationship building as a means of goal achievement. Making sure that employees have good work-life balance often is a key value to this leader. The coaching leadership style values improving employees through strengths training, or knowing their employees’ strengths and weaknesses to empower them to build confidence in strong areas while producing gains in weak areas. Unlike the autocratic style, the coaching leader invites communication and works best by establishing relationships.
Coaching leaders are typically sympathetic, hopeful, supportive, forward thinking, and have the ability to discern the emotional needs of others.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Develops close connections | Substantial time investment |
| Open communication | Reduce pace in goal achievement |
| Atmosphere of support | Necessitates team compatibility |
Bureaucratic leadership style
The bureaucratic leadership style is based on establishing a clear chain of command, rules, and processes of decision making. This leader works best when everyone has clearly defined roles and processes are in place for each.
Bureaucratic leaders are detail oriented, respected, disciplined, competitive, zealous, and often are misunderstood.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Clear understanding | Discourages inventiveness |
| Removes confusion | Uncompromising or not willing to change |
| Impartial treatment of employees | Slow down of decision making due to process |
| Transparency | Reduced collaboration and communication |
Democratic leadership style
The democratic leadership style often is found in areas of government. This style gives emphasis to shared decision-making within the team. If a team member does not participate in the decision making, it is frowned upon by this type of leader. The team is uniquely organized to harness their unique individual talents or knowledge; therefore, if someone is not actively engaged, it could cost the team.
Democratic leaders are flexible, team focused, and good communicators with skills in persuasion and innovative thinking.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Team members have job satisfaction | Lengthy decision making |
| Optimistic work atmosphere | Can be indecisive |
| Staff engagement | Inefficient processes |
| Inclusivity | Negative outcome variations |
Leadership Assessment
Now that we know a little more about these different leadership styles, it is time to take an assessment and to determine your closest leadership style. Below is a link to a free leadership assessment. Take this assessment and upload your results to the assignment on Canvas. Use the results of the assessment to help you answer the questions later in this chapter.
Implicit Bias
If you were asked to talk about your last patient, what would you say? Would it be a technical answer, including how the hookup, study, and findings went? Would you be willing to confess what you really thought about your patient? If you did say how you really felt, would it expose your internal bias? Most people will not speak or act in a manner that reveals their true thoughts about a person. It is common to choose to try to understand ourselves better so that we may understand others. The best sleep technologists should know their beliefs and attitudes towards other people to ensure they provide the best service and care to all.
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is an assessment that measures manners and beliefs that people have and reports these responses. Below is the link to the implicit bias test. Take the tests that are labeled, “Sexuality, Skin-Tone, Gender – Science, Age, and Disability.” After you have completed these assessments, write a journal entry of at least one page on your thoughts and perspectives about your results. Submit the journal entry on Canvas.
Who Am I?
Now that you know more about the type of leader you are and your personal bias, let us examine your role as a sleep technologist and leader. Below, you will find prompt and a question. After reading the prompt, answer each question in at least one paragraph. Answer all questions on one document and submit your responses on Canvas.
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What Kind of Technologist am I?
Reflect on your strengths, personality traits, and approach to patient care. How do these qualities shape your identity as a technologist? Consider how you handle challenges, communicate with patients, and contribute to your team. Think about your clinical experiences, remember the different personalities of fellow technologists, supervisors, and managers. Use those experiences to write about what you would like to model and what you want to avoid. -
What Types of Environments Do I Work Best In?
Describe the work setting in which you feel most productive and fulfilled. Is it a fast-paced lab, a quiet clinic, or a collaborative teaching environment? What specific conditions— for example, team culture, structure, or autonomy— will help you thrive? What work environment do you believe is the worst for you? Is working independently in a four-bedroom lab uncomfortable for you? How would you express your concerns in uncomfortable work environments? -
What Kind of Manager or Company Do I Work Best With/Within?
Think about the leadership style or workplace culture that brings out your best work. Do you value clear direction, independence, mentorship, innovation, or teamwork? What kind of support do you need to succeed? How do you think you can bridge the gap between working nights and building relationships with management during the daytime? Is creating relationships with management important to you; why or why not? -
What Is Expected of Me?
List the responsibilities and expectations placed on you as a technologist, from technical duties to professionalism and patient advocacy. How do these expectations align with your values and goals? If they do not, what steps can you take to make them align? From the perspective of a patient, what do you think should be expected of you as a technologist? -
How Can I Fulfill My Duties with Excellence?
What does excellence mean to you in your role? Think about the skills, habits, mindset, and ethics needed to exceed expectations. What daily actions or long-term improvements can help you grow in your role? What is something you have found yourself to have a bias toward or against in your role? How do your personal beliefs affect the outcome of your nightly duties as a technologist, coworker, leader, and employee? -
How Can I Motivate Others?
Reflect on how your attitude, actions, or communication style can inspire your peers, patients, or students. What strategies can you use to lead by example, build team morale, or encourage growth in others? Do you have influence? Describe what your influence looks like on the job. -
What Are My Five-Year Goals as a Technologist?
Picture yourself five years from now. What do you hope to have accomplished professionally? Consider certifications, leadership roles, teaching opportunities, research, or work-life balance. How will you get there?