Nursing leadership is at its best when that leader promotes a team approach in caring for our patients.  That leader should also have the ability to keep the team informed of changes and be able to represent their nurses when changes need to be made.  The best leadership I have worked with is one that will come out to the floor and participate in the daily care of our patients.  One manager in particular would come out to the floor when we were short staffed and work along side the nurses.  She would come out to the floor and take care of the patients so her nurses would get a lunch break.  This manager was very respected by the staff and the staff had very little complaints about her leadership style.

I have observed autocratic, democratic, and Laissez-Faire leaders.  A leader that used a mixture of each type of leadership would make the most affective leader.