title: Testing the effects of an empowerment-based leadership development programme: part 1 - leader outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if a leadership development programme based on an empowerment framework significantly increased leaders' use of empowering behaviours.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Leadership programmes are effective ways to prepare nurse leaders for their complex roles. Relational competencies, such as leader empowering behaviours, are associated with improved leader, staff and practice environment outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quasi-experimental, pre-test-post-test design was used to compare perceptions and self-reported behaviours of leaders who participated in a year-long leadership programme with those of similar leaders who did not attend the programme. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate a conceptual framework of leader empowerment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The leadership programme was directly associated with leaders' perceptions of using more empowering behaviours. Leader empowering behaviours were also associated with feelings of being structurally empowered, mediated through feelings of being psychologically empowered, although the source of empowerment needs further investigation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leaders' use of empowering behaviours can be increased through focused training and through a workplace empowerment process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leader empowering behaviours have been shown to be associated with more engaged staff and healthier work environments. Based on study results, we suggest that these behaviours are teachable, and they should be emphasized in leadership development programmes.
authors: School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: MacPhee
authors: School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: V S
authors: VS
authors: Dahinten
authors: Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, Canada.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Hejazi
authors: University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Laschinger
authors: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kazanjian
authors: Nursing, Rouge Valley Health System, Toronto, Canada.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: McCutcheon
authors: Nursing, Dorothy Nursing Wylie Nursing and Health Care Leaders Institute, Toronto, Canada.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Skelton-Green
authors: School of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: O'Brien-Pallas
keywords: empowerment; leader empowering behaviours; leadership; nursing