Leadership theories have greatly influenced the nurses’ ability to contend with the complexity of organizations and teams within numerous health care settings. Historically, leadership theories have evolved greatly while influencing nurses over the years (Valiga & Grossman, 2012). Valiga and Grossman (2012) provide an overview of the nature of leadership while comparing and contrasting four theories of leadership: great man theory, trait theories, situational theories, and contemporary theories.
Furthermore, nurses will benefit from an understanding of the past, present, and future leadership theories and the significant changes in the health care industry. Successful leadership is described as dependent upon