ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that nursing and the health professions need culturally competent and virtuous leadership. It supports the position that leadership is an ethical activity and therefore it should be founded on virtues, such as compassion, honesty, kindness, fairness, altruism and cooperation. In addition, nursing must cultivate the virtue of practical wisdom (phronesis), as this is the virtue by which all other virtues (those of the intellect and of the character) are given appropriate expression. According to Aristotle (384–322 BCE), practical wisdom is the ability to do the right thing at the right time and for the right reasons. The chapter highlights the toxic effects of non-virtuous leadership and provides suggestions on how these may be addressed. The IENE4 European model for culturally competent and compassionate leadership is introduced as an example of good practice.
