Introducing a Global Leadership Mentoring STTI Online Community

Aim: Nurturing future global leaders in nursing requires engagement with colleagues from other countries and contexts. It requires a deliberate and longitudinal leadership development process mentored by nurses committed to serving as role models. The purpose of this presentation is to describe and introduce prospective participants to a global leadership development opportunity available through technology within the STTI Online Community structure, the Global Leadership Mentoring Community.  

Background:  Six nurse leaders from across global regions of STTI engaged in a year-long (2012-2013) discussion using technology (Skype, conference calls, email, and shared drives) to explore common and emerging themes of leadership development. The purpose was to strengthen individual and collective capacity as nursing leaders in a global society.  Participants shared stories of leadership in their own contexts and developed a model of leadership which included concepts of creativity, change, collaboration, community, context, and courage. Transformative leaders are needed to improve practice and the health of people worldwide. However, role models are often lacking in many settings where nurses practice, teach, study, and influence policy. STTI has a global mission to provide for nurses’ professional growth in leadership. The online communities provide an opportunity for engagement, mentoring, and growth.  The objective of this presentation is to share with the audience the challenges and opportunities of virtual collaboration in leadership development and introduce the new opportunity within the STTI platform, The Circle. With the advent of technology, we can share the challenges we are facing right now which are the same as many STTI nurse leaders experience around the globe. 

Methods: Participants will be introduced to the online community platform with its discussions, libraries, blogs, and forums.  Mentors and participants will be invited to join a new cohort for the 2015-2017 biennium. Participants will discuss the need for global leadership, the role of technology in engaging nurse leaders, and the potential for organizations such as STTI in supporting global mentoring. The online Global Leadership Mentoring Community will be initiated following the Biennial Convention and participants in this session will be able to express interest in membership in the new group.   

Leadership Goals: Challenges to successful mentoring programs include establishing time and commitment, working across different time zones, and building rapport based on online/virtual not face-to-face contact. A global perspective takes time to develop and therefore we must explore ways encourage our younger generation of nurses to take on a global view of nursing. The mentoring community will foster the development of each young nurse leader into a group with the power of development in its synergy.  Nurse leaders develop capacity as they understand their leadership in context and listen to others from diverse countries and settings. Since the younger generation is savvy with the use of IT and social media, the virtual world is limitless and if we are creative enough, the engagement of the younger generation drives us the mentors forward too.  Goals for participants in the online community are: a. Discuss leadership in their own context, b. Describe their leadership activities, c. Describe their leadership values, d. See the role of global leadership in building nursing science, e. Describe the role of STTI in building leadership for nursing, and f. Contribute to leadership initiatives locally and internationally. Following the presentation at the Biennial Convention, a call will go out to prospective mentors and participants.  A cohort of about 6-10 dyads would participate over the two years, meeting monthly by virtual technology and contributing to the online community site. The Community would develop its own outcomes which may include an activity, presentation, or manuscript for publication.