Nurse managers as transformational and transactional leaders

In an era when nurse managers are both critical to and responsible for retention and performance, leadership style is critical to achieve both outcomes. Transformational leaders move beyond the management of transaction to motivate performance beyond expectations through the ability to influence attitudes. In a comparison of nurse manager and staff nurse assessments of leadership style, nurse managers rated themselves as more transformational than their staff perceived. Staff nurses who perceived their manager as more transformational also demonstrated a higher organizational commitment. While transformational leaders are more effective, nurse manager performance standards are often rooted in transactional characteristics. Nurse managers can be taught transformational leadership skills including establishing clear expectations, creating a shared vision, and ultimately inspiring stronger organizational commitment.