Leadership in Nursing: Leadership Styles

We all look forward to working with an approachable manager who treats employees with respect, honesty, and integrity. Likewise, an organization thrives when its leader has a compelling vision that inspires everyone to contribute their best efforts toward shared goals.

Being a leader or manager is no easy task—it requires a diverse skill set to fulfill an organization’s mission and vision successfully. But have you ever paused to consider the difference between management and leadership? These terms are often used interchangeably in nursing, yet they are distinct roles. While the literature highlights their differences, it also acknowledges that an individual can embody leadership and management qualities. In addition, there are also different leadership styles a nurse can use to do their job.

First, let's explore the difference between Management and Leadership

Management Functions

• Initially identified by Henri Fayol in the early 1900s from his experience of running a coal mine, he noted several management functions, which included:

  • Planning

  • Organizing

  • Staffing

  • Controlling

• Luther Gulick added to Fayol’s management functions in 1937 (acronym POSDCORB)

  • Planning 

  • Organizing

  • Staffing

  • Directing

  • Coordinating

  • Reporting

  • Budgeting

(Huston, 2024)

When we think of a nurse manager, these functions fit the day-to-day operations of a nursing unit or office. They ensure the correct staffing, the budget is maintained, issues are addressed, reports are complete, and quality patient care is delivered. They mainly function from a hierarchical position, exercising some form of authority in the system to ensure the employees are doing the work they were hired to do within the policy and procedures set by the organization. Managers do not have to be good leaders to do their job, but many managers use either the transactional or transformational leadership approach to guide their management style (Weberg et al., 2019). 

Management/Managers

• Keep the day-to-day operations of the floor/unit/clinic/office running smoothly with their team members (subordinates)

Leadership Functions 

• In the 1950s, John French and Bertram Raven conducted work on power and leadership. Five Power Types emerged:

  • Referent

  • Legitimate

  • Expert

  • Reward

  • Coercive

• The main goal of the power is the leader’s ability to influence others. 

• Leaders want to:

  • Produce change in an organization to achieve a common goal

  • Motivate & Inspire followers

Nursing leaders influence their teams through strong relationship-building and by fostering collaboration that supports the collective goals of stakeholders. Rather than relying on a fixed position of authority, they actively engage, interact, and inspire ownership among team members. Coaching, developing skills, and guiding others toward new insights help shape a deeper understanding of work systems, relationships, and outcomes. Effective leaders cultivate a culture of accountability and investment, uniting teams around shared goals while emphasizing the interconnectedness of their work. They adapt their leadership approach, blending transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire styles to drive meaningful progress and achieve successful outcomes (Whitehead et al., 2017).

Leadership/Leaders

• Look at the big picture, create a vision for the organization, and inspire the team members (partners) to achieve the desired outcome.

Leadership Styles

Transformational leadership 

• James Downton first discussed transformational leadership in 1973, and James Burns expanded on it a few years later. In the 1990s, Bernard Bass explained four specific characteristics of this leadership style. 

  • 1. Idealized influence - possess charisma, strong role model, high standards of moral and ethical conduct

  • 2. Inspirational motivation - good communicator of the desired expectations, motivating others to share in the organization’s vision

  • 3. Intellectual stimulation - inspire followers to be creative, innovative problem solvers using critical thinking skills

  • 4. Individualized considerations - foster a supportive climate that emulates empathy and a caring nature for the followers

 (Burkus, 2024)

Transactional leadership

• In 1947, Max Weber, a German sociologist, first described transactional leadership, which is based on the idea that employees need structure and instruction to perform their jobs. Bernard Bass expanded on this leadership style in the 1980s with specific characteristics.

  • 1. Continent reward - desired goals are linked to a reward

  • 2. Active management by exception - actively involved in monitoring the work of their subordinates, taking action through a variety of measures such as corrective criticism to correct or prevent the mistake

  • 3. Passive management by exception - only intervene when standards or desired performances are not met per the expectation. The manager could use some form of “punishment” to correct the deviation from the desired behavior

(Whitehead et al., 2017)

Laissez-faire leadership

• Kurt Lewin, a psychologist, first noted this type of leadership style in his research in the 1930s. It involves a hands-off approach, with the leader giving the team members a high degree of autonomy and only offering resources and support when needed. 

  • This style works well when the team members are highly motivated and self-directed.

(Huston, 2024)

Authentic leadership

• Bill George, former Medtronic CEO and Harvard Business School professor, formally introduced the Authentic leadership theory in 2003. The four major components of this leadership style are:

  • 1. Purpose and Passion - the authentic leader knows who they are and what they are about, and has a driving passion to know and understand who and how the team members work and are motivated

  • 2. Values and Behaviors - has a strong sense of morals and ethics, demonstrating them through their behavior and actions

  • 3. Relationship and Connectedness - has a real connection with team members, knowing who they are, engaging in meaningful communication

  • 4. Self-discipline and consistency - through self-discipline and consistency, goals are outlined with a plan to achieve them successfully and the ability to manage obstacles confidently when they arrive

  • 5. Compassion -  shows compassion and is sensitive to the needs of the team members, desiring all to do well 

(George, 2025)

Servant leadership

• In 1970, Robert Greenleaf introduced the concept of the Servant leader. One of the key concepts of this leadership style is to serve first by ensuring the people’s highest priorities are being served (Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, 2021).  They want to care for the underserved and guarantee social justice and equality for all in the workplace. Servant leaders have a strong sense of moral behavior and focus on team member’s development. There are 10 characteristics of a servant leader:

  • 1. Listening

  • 2. Empathy

  • 3. Healing

  • 4. Awareness

  • 5. Persuasion

  • 6. Conceptualization

  • 7. Foresight

  • 8. Stewardship

  • 9. Commitment to the Growth of People

  • 10. Building Community

(Whitehead et al., 2017)

Nurse Leaders and Nurse Managers play an integral role in the success of a healthcare organization. Their leadership style directly affects the staff that work within those organizations. Most nurse leaders and managers use a variety of leadership styles to accomplish their work. However, there is usually one predominant style the leader/manager will favor. Can you think of a leader or manager you were particularly fond of and enjoyed working with? What characteristics did they display? One can learn from watching them and figuring out how to incorporate it into their leadership style. Being a leader is not easy and requires the person to play many roles. Through their hard work and dedication to the organization and its team members, they guide the delivery of healthcare, ensure a safe work environment, and uphold the delivery of quality, safe, and effective care for all patients. 

Next month, we’ll explore the key traits of effective nurse leaders. In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you—what leadership style do you relate to most, and why?

References

Burkus, D. (2024). Transformational leadership theory [Easy & quick explanation]. https://davidburkus.com/2010/03/transformational-leadership-theory/#:~

George, B. (2025). CIO: Authentic leadership: Build an organization that thrives. https://billgeorge.org/article/cio-authentic-leadership-building-an-organization-that-thrives/

Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. (2021). What is servant leadership. https://billgeorge.org/article/cio-authentic-leadership-building-an-organization-that-thrives/

Huston, C.J. (2024). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. 

Weberg, D., Mangold, K., Porter-O’Grady, T., & Malloch, K. (2019). Leadership in nursing practice: Changing the landscape of health care. (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett. 

Whitehead, D., Welch Dittman, P., & McNulty, D. (2017). Leadership and the advanced practice nurse. F.A. Davis.