Developing leadership in nursing: exploring core factors

The purpose of this article is three-fold: firstly, to reaffirm issues concerning definitions and theories underpinning leadership; secondly, to examine the factors that enhance leadership in nursing; and thirdly to convey information about the nature of leadership content taught in undergraduate programmes.

What is leadership?

Leadership theory 

• The trait approach, which is concerned with personal
  traits that contribute to effective leadership.
• The behaviour approach, which, like trait theory,
  explores leadership from the perspective of the leader and
  focuses on leader behaviours.
• The contingency approach (Fielder’s contingency theory
  and path-goal theory) suggests that leadership is about the
  interaction between a person (leader), his/her behaviour
  and the situation.
• The leader–member exchange approach (charismatic
  or transformational leadership) is concerned with the
  relationships between subordinate and supervisor.

In a study to examine the characteristics of excellent nursing leadership, Dunham and Fisher (1990) put forward