Kay and her uLeadership colleagues have been working with our leaders since February and their impact on our leadership team is profound. We are seeing projects come to life, engaging staff, encouraging communication and realizing teamwork like never before.
Books
Now Available
Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare
Evolution of a Revolution
It starts with you but it’s not about you.
Although healthcare is undoubtably a business, it’s a business that has humans at every step in the process. With real-world cases, research, and a collection of leader tools, Kay Kennedy, Lucy Leclerc, and Susan Campis bring nurses closer to the nurse leader who recognizes humanity in their teams by being an Awakener, a Connector, and an Upholder. Kennedy, Campis, and Leclerc are dynamic nurse leaders with experience from the bedside to the boardroom. They’ve authored numerous professional, peer-reviewed publications on Human-Centered Leadership and are engaging speakers aimed at starting a revolution in healthcare leadership.
Learn how to start with “self” so your leadership energy organically emanates outward to your teams and to your patients.
I have learned that I must be patient and sometimes reflect and ask for assistance from others. Autonomy partners well with Collaboration.
Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare is an inspiring and thought-provoking read for all healthcare professionals, especially nurses. The authors offer unique insight into the idea that all nurses are leaders, whether formal or informal, and that successful outcomes-driven leadership requires care for self, as well as care for other caregivers and patients. Through the introduction of the Human-Centered Leadership model, the text challenges readers to consider the type of leader they are, and the type of leader they want to be. By way of example and explanation, the model’s inside-out approach to leadership is certain to resonate with nurses and others who have dedicated their lives to the service of caregiving.

I learned to push myself to the edge which means to be unafraid to innovate and think outside the box.
Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare is the product of a leadership journey taken by its authors who started out with a question regarding one’s humanity and led to an important revelation. The ability of nurse leaders to truly and completely care for, develop, and connect with self and then others will result in a form of exceptional leadership achievable for those willing to learn how. Human-Centered leadership in nursing will transform you personally and professionally beyond your expectations, enabling you to do the same for others. Through this blueprint, these authors will guide you on how to enact this kind of leadership which is truly needed in today’s healthcare landscape.

I started asking my team members, “What does ‘great’ look like to you?” This is what the people who are doing the work should be dreaming of, right? Also, I reminded them to think about their “why.” I tell them, “Say it out loud” because that makes it more real.
I’ve added valuable tools to my toolbox!
Thank you! I’m in a better place mentally then I was prior to this course.
Chaos is the beginning of change!
I realized how little self-care I was actually doing, if at all. I put everything on myself in the job and didn’t realize the value of changing my mindset to care for me so I can care for others.
I now appreciate the concept of work-life balance in a different way…it starts with me, but it’s not about me.
As a CNO and past president of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, I believe Kay, Lucy, and Susan have written a compelling must-read book for anyone in nursing leadership or aspiring to be a nurse leader. The most important competency of a nurse leader is relationship management including communication. Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare provides a practical approach to the nurse leader’s focus on self and others. I recommend not just reading but sharing this book with colleagues as it is filled with great insights into nursing leadership.

It was helpful to get back to basics of leadership and how to better ourselves to lead our team.
I really appreciated the self-awareness portion. I didn’t realize how valuable a self-awareness evaluation would be in identifying my strengths, weakness and needs.
Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare is the epitome of what we are craving as individuals, workgroups, and as a society—excellence, trust, and caring. Whether it be in government or healthcare or any industry in between, there’s room for Human-Centered Leadership. The model calls for authenticity—in leaders and cultures—and establishes its foundation in evidence-based truths. With solid footing, it then not only gives its audience permission, but sets the expectation, that creativity, growth, and innovation are no longer what the few, elite organizations do, but are requirements for any organization’s health and survival. The new normal for most of us will continue to be fraught with both environmental and human complexities and challenges. Human-Centered Leadership is a timely and essential investment in leaders—in any position and organizational cultures—in any industry.

From the opening motto “It starts with you, but it is not about you,” the reader is drawn into this important contribution to nursing leadership theory, Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare. The concept that leadership cannot happen without a leader’s deep understanding of self will resonate with new as well as seasoned nursing leaders. The authors present their ideas in clear and conversational dialogue that makes one feel as if they are sitting down with other nurses having a lively discussion about ways to improve how we practice and lead. The layout of the chapters is thoughtful and moves one from well-referenced concepts and clear clinical examples to discussion, then reflection, and on to proactive steps to apply the concepts. There are also important integration tables of the book’s key ideas with innovation concepts, Magnet, ANA Code of Ethics, and the soon to be released AACN new competencies for nursing education. Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare will make a major contribution to the nursing leadership literature and will be a welcome resource for practicing nurses, nurse leaders, and those in academia.

I was surprised by my lack of self-compassion. The quizzes and self-reflection activities helped me become aware of what I’m lacking and also helped me develop a plan to improve my self-care.
I realize that I am more of a human-centered leader than I originally thought. Utilizing the principles taught in this class, I will be able to fine tune my skills and produce a better team and outcomes.
As a Human-Centered Leader, working in a culture of trust leads to people staying at their current position longer. This decreases turnover for organizations. It can also lead to increased production, which has waterfall effects on companies.
Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare is one of those books that sets a new path in our thinking about leadership. This work looks at the person of the leader in an entirely different light. Using emerging knowledge related to complex adaptive systems and human-centered leadership practices, the authors have given us powerful insights and great tools for truly sustainable leadership going forward. This is a “must read” for anyone eager to embrace effective leadership for the future.

I think “looking upstream” and Appreciative Inquiry resonated with members of our team
What you have taught us for our ‘internal’ self is so important for our success, progress, and productivity….a culture change will take time.
This course taught me that taking care of myself is allowed, I can’t remember the last time that I did something just for me. I am fixing to smell the roses. It is “my” time!
I better understand what this role means. I have learned ways to improve myself as an Leader.
I realized it’s OK and is actually healthier for me to not feel as if I have to do it all. I can delegate. It’s not just healthier for me, it’s also healthier for my team to take ownership rather than me just doing everything.
I learned the value of recognizing I don’t have to be perfect. I now embrace learning from failure and mistakes. Being vulnerable with my team builds trust…that was a big realization.
You’re never too old to learn new things!
Important topics were broken down making them easy to understand and applicable to real-life.
These activities helped me recognize exactly what I was missing in my daily routine.
I liked the mindfulness pause moments incorporated into the learning labs.
Now Available
Shifts
The Journal for Nurses by Nurses
Nurses are in the unique position of caring for people in their most vulnerable moments. This makes nursing a challenging, demanding and often emotional profession that many nurses carry home with them. As a result, many nurses place self-care at the bottom of a long list of “to-do’s.”
Shifts is a journal designed for nurses by nurses, supporting the concept that “It starts with me.” Using the SBAR format, which is a familiar, standardized communication tool used in healthcare by nurses, Shifts enables nurses to reflect on their own health, specifically their self-care practices and moments of mindfulness. One’s awareness and intention around the reflection develops better self-understanding, self-compassion, and growth.
Journaling can provide a safe space for nurses to decompress, reflect, and dream. It can be used as a tool to support one’s journey toward self-care, self-awareness and self-compassion, providing greater insight into our thoughts and actions.
There’s about to be a Shift in your life!
Publications
