A nurse leader may feel helpless due to certain constraints imposed by the organizational culture. Employee engagement, the quality of care offered, and patient outcomes are all influenced by an organization’s values, beliefs, and behaviors. When an organization’s culture and shared values are aligned, the nurse leader will be able to operate in a positive growth environment (Thomas, 2018).
On the other hand, the structure of an organization can affect the people who have the power to influence decisions and where those decisions are made. If a nurse leader cannot progress their leadership abilities or perform adequately in the function they have been entrusted to do because of the structure, this might make it more difficult for them to lead effectively (Thomas, 2018).
If the decision-making is centralized only key members have the decision-making powers. For example, a nurse leader is a manager under a director commonly seen in the hospital department setting that wants to make changes. However, the director holds the decision-making power over the department, which leaves the nurse leader powerless to make immediate changes that would make the nurse leader feel powerless (Thomas, 2018).
According to ALFadhalah and Elamir (2021), some leadership styles are supported by organizational culture and norms, while others are hampered by it. Leaders use a combination of these factors to approximate or choose their style. If the leadership style does not reflect the culture, the nurse leader may struggle to be influential and feel powerless. The change will be challenging to implement if the leadership style does not match the culture. Therefore, a transformational leadership style is ideal and can assist in developing, shaping, and maintaining the desired culture within an organization.