An interview was conducted with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at a critical care facility. This discussion revolved around the following: his management style, communication style, decision-making skills, technical skills, and delegation skills. Before sharing specific answers on each of these, the CNO wanted to clarify that, being new to the organization and following someone who had been in this position for over 20 years, during the first year and the transition phase, there were some situations in which he was consciously adapting his leadership style to fit the organisation's culture. He felt strongly that over time the staff would adapt and become more familiar with his natural leadership style and expectations. The qualities of an effective nursing leader are: integrity, honesty, reliability, courage (the ability to take risks when necessary), initiative (the ability to act on one's own ideas and the good ideas of others), commitment and energy, optimism (the ability to see a problem and turn it into an opportunity), perseverance (the ability to not give up easily), a good work-life balance, the ability to manage stress with a healthy perspective, and self-awareness (understanding what motivate others and turn it into an opportunity). yourself) (Maji, 2009). Since she was new to the organization, to gain a better understanding of herself and the nursing directors, each individual leader took the Meyers & Briggs test. The Myers & Briggs instrument selects preferences and does not measure traits, abilities, or character (The Myers & Briggs Foundation, 2010). An external consultant was used to facilitate discussion of the findings and to assist in identifying future working strategies for the team. These findings helped… halfway through the paper… us. Professional nursing practice models that improve nurses' decision-making involvement are empirically associated with improved outcomes (Moran, 2007). References Dunn, R. T. (2010). Dunn and Haimann's healthcare management. Chicago: American College of Healthcare Executives Foundation. Maji, A. (2009, June 30). Yahoo Contributor Network. Retrieved February 25, 2011, from Mangement and Leadership in Nursing: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1875835/managment_and_leadership_in_nursing.htmlMoran, J. A. (2007, November 6). SharedGovernence.org. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from Direct Care Nurses' Perceptions of the Value of Using a Shared Governance Process to Select New Nurse Managers: http://www.sharedgoverence.org.paper_36919.htmThe Myers & Briggs Foundation. (2010). Retrieved February 25, 2011, from MBTI Basics: http://www.myersbriggs.org