The purpose of this work was to explore clinical nursing leadership. The research was based on a critical examination of the leadership themes derived from the nursing literature of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia, between 1992 and 1997. The work was also influenced by the findings from semistructured interviews undertaken with five clinical leaders in nursing from the United Kingdom, and study tours to both the United States of America and Australia. The findings support a proposed leadership model as a basis for further exploration and as a framework for contemplating clinical leadership and leadership preparation. A model is presented that identifies factors which influence leadership styles, such as external environment, internal environment, experience and understanding. Four leadership styles are outlined: transactional, transformational, connective and renaissance. These leadership styles are linked to nursing care approaches. A second model provides a basis for considering power and its impact in the workplace. Based on these findings, the contents of a leadership preparation course are outlined.