Sailing the “Seven C’s” of Leadership

Abstract

Nurses are increasingly being called upon to lead changes within health care. How do nurses and, in particular, school nurses become leaders? School nurses lead daily in their work but often do not recognize themselves as leaders. The “Five C’s of Leadership”—character, commitment, connectedness, compassion, and confidence—identified by Kowalski and Yoder-Wise are foundational to the development of leadership and are particularly relevant to school nurses and their role. Two additional attributes found in the literature—courage and capacity—also undergird school nursing practice. In this article, we describe how school nurses already embody these leadership qualities. Each leadership attribute is reviewed in light of the literature, followed by specific examples to demonstrate how school nurses provide leadership. Through these illustrations, school nurses can recognize and embrace their present leadership abilities. In addition, by using the “Seven C’s” of leadership, school nurses can enhance their inherent leadership abilities.