With a potential shortage of nursing leaders and
nurses, it is imperative that organizations find effective
approaches to recruit, develop and retain nursing leaders
who can create and implement new models for
patient care delivery (Laschinger et al. 2008). Relational
leadership styles provide some guidance for the
kinds of competencies grounded in relationship-building
that new leaders must have as well as the provision
of training investment in both existing and
potential nurse leaders in organizations. Though managerial
competencies are important, leaders who are
skilled in emotional intelligence have the ability to
monitor their own and others’ emotions, use this
information to build solid working relationships and
are assets to the system.