The Call to Nursing Leadership Leadership is defined by Northouse (2013) as a transactional experience between people in which one individual influences a group of individuals who have a common goal. Leaders can hold the authority attributed to them by the group, evidenced by how they are viewed, regardless of whether or not they have positional authority. Unlike management, where the goal is to provide order through control, leadership is concerned with producing change through transformation and practical adjustments (Northouse, 2013). Because of the nature of nursing, its obligation to promote the health and healing of people, nursing leadership focuses change efforts based on human needs and simultaneously reflects on the needs of administrations largely because they understand the interrelationship of the two factors. Nurses are uniquely qualified to fill a call for change through leadership. Unlike business-minded individuals whose primary concern with the outcome is monetary, a nurse's primary concern is organic: a living, breathing, tangible being. In a leadership role, a nurse might view an organization as if it were a group of patients, or perhaps an individual patient, each limb with its own distinct characteristics and concerns. They can effectively categorize and prioritize important personal and professional issues and are therefore ideally placed to lead change efforts. Perhaps most importantly, effective nurse leaders can provide clarity about the common goal and allow others to see their personal interests served by a better common good (Yancer, 2012). Leadership styles The conduct of nurses who act outside of what is expected of them contributes to the success of the overall mission of health care: outline...... middle of paper ...... theory of planned change as a strategic resource. Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(2), 69–72. The Society of Jesus. (n.d.). Jesuits. Retrieved from http://www.jesuit.org/aboutusStone, A.G., Russell, R.F., & Patterson, K. (n.d.). Transformational leadership and servant leadership: A difference in leader focus. Retrieved from http://www.regent.edu/acad/sls/publications/conference_proceedings/servant_leadership_roundtable/2003pdf/stone_transformation_versus.pdfTrott, M. C. & Windsor, K. (1999). Leadership effectiveness: how to measure it? Nursing Economics, 17(3), 127–130. Yancer, D. (2012). Betrayed trust: Healing a broken hospital through servant leadership. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 36(1), 63–80. doi:10.1097/NAQ.0b013e31823b458bYoung, I. M. (2006). Accountability and global justice: A model of social connection. Philosophy and social policy, 23(1), 102–130