Looking beyond nursing for clues to effective leadership.

Effective leadership is one of the most elusive keys to organizational success yet it is a key ingredient to making any organization work. Leadership is also changing in nature. Our current faster, more flexible, flatter organizations face intense competition and require dynamic leadership. This article synthesizes research conducted during the past 5 years that quantifies what separates superior leaders from average leaders. Although this research originated from a study of top global nonhealthcare organizations, it relates to the nursing profession. The author discusses key elements of the research, including emotional intelligence and its link to performance.