ABSTRACT
In this chapter we will consider some of the different ideas that have informed our thinking about leadership through the twentieth century and the ideas that challenge this thinking at the beginning of the twenty-first century. A number of theories that have been very influential in the past may still have something to offer us now. Much has been written about leadership, and the focus taken here is on considering how some of these classic theories relate to the context that we find ourselves in now in health and care services. Although these traditional theories were formed some time ago and in different contexts, they can still help us to understand more about how leaders think and act.
