Giltinane (2013) identifies three leadership styles. The first is transactional leadership in which a leader controls and operates in an environment of reward and punishment. In the transactional leadership style, leaders give employees little room to express ingenuity. Decisions are made laterally from the top down and the form of leadership is to emphasize obedience rather than loyalty. Transactional leadership is closely related to autocratic style (Giltinane, 2013). The second leadership style is transformational leadership where the leader will use any tactic to fully engage the employee in the task and achieve the common goal. Transformational leaders according to Giltinane (2013) have charisma and therefore possess the ability to influence their followers and build loyalty. Transformational leaders clearly express their vision, expectation and goal to their subordinates and empower employees to take ownership of the task. The third type of leadership style is described as situational leadership. Situational leaders evaluate the environment and employee readiness before assigning a task (Giltinane, 2013, Grimm, 2010). Situational leaders provide direction and support based on the needs of the moment. Therefore, if one employee needs more direction than others, the situational leader is able to identify employee needs and provide support accordingly. According to Giltinane (2013) situational leaders relate to their subordinates and provide guidance and direction as needed. In nursing leadership style is supported by nursing theorists such as Ida Orlando's model for nursing practice (Laurent & Laurent, 2000). Orlando leadership theory states that nurses are managers by profession. Nurses initially learn to manage patients... half of article ......ieks, V. (2002). What constitutes successful nursing leadership?: A qualitative approach using Kanter's theory of organizational behavior. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration. 32(12) 622-632 Retrieved from http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.library.capella.edu/ or Accessed: 00005110-200212000-00007Laurent, & Laurent. (2000). A nursing theory for nursing leadership. Journal of Nursing Management, 8(2), 83-87. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2834.2000.00161.xEason, Toni, DNP,MS, APHN-BC (2009). Emotional intelligence and nursing leadership: a winning combination. Creative Nursing, 15(4), 184-185. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/222733415?accountid=27965Akerjordet, K., & Severinsson, E. (2004). Emotional intelligence in mental health nurses regarding practice. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 13, 164 -170.