LEAD BY EXAMPLE: REALITY OR FICTIONIn the words of John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the U.S., If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader. What John Adams meant is that leadership is a process that occurs between the person in leadership and those being led, group, organization, or a community in which the leader inspires others to participate towards achievement of certain goals. Today, leadership in nursing is a concept characterized by unprecedented debate, with plethora of scholarly workbooks, journal articles, research reviewsfocusing on the subject. Kelly (2009) asserts that people need to be managed as well being led and inspired. This school of thought means that leadership should be part of management, and not a substitute. Even in nursing practice, there is need for both leadership and management. Weiss and Tappen (2014) posited that leadership is subtle art that can be learned and a skill that can be mastered over time through experience. This essay appraises literature on leadership with a bias towards establishing whether or not, leadership by example is a reality or a mere fiction in the context of nursing leadership.The assertionlead by example can be validated through a critical analysis of the tenets of leadership. Daly, Speedy, and Jackson (2004) observed that the process of leadership revolves around the interaction of the leader and the follower. From this school of thought, leadership is viewed as a reciprocal relationship. This is especially true when looking at leadership in nursing practice. A nurse leader is expected to influence positively the attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors of other nurses and health professionals under them. By influencing others, the nurse leader must stand for ideals and work values that are worth emulating. Critically, such a leader would be leading by example by influencing other professionals to carry out their respective roles in a manner that makes a difference in the lives of the patients.Effective leadership in healthcare is of great importance. Nurses ought to know how to lead understanding the vision, goals of their organizations and influencing cooperation and teamwork towards achievement of these goals (Kelly, 2011). This kind of leadership can be learned early in a nursing course especially when nurses are learning about nursing roles and teamwork and the multidisciplinary approach to care. Weiss and Tappen (2014) argued that leadership skills grow as a nurse increasingly practice teamwork, and becomes more confident and experienced while working with other health professionals. Evidently, a nurse can lead by example by demonstrating leadership in working with other nurses and staff in for example, implementing a change. If the nurse leader uses their authority to influence other nurses towards a goal achievement, or by setting a direction, motivating and aligning others towards achieving a collective vision of quality health care; that is essentially leading by example.On the other hand, a nurse leader who doesnt believe in certain vision and goals cannot effectively marshal others towards achieving the same (Kelly, 2011). One has to have a strong conviction and persuasion about the health care goals to be able to influence those under their leadership. In nursing practice for example, the words of the nursing leader do little to influence others; the energy and action that accompany the words is what influences othersleadership takes effort, words, and action. Hence, effective leadership can only be realized if one leads by examplebelieves in their vision, ideals, and goals and motivating others. Other staff will not have confidence or believe in a nurse leader who does not do things by themselves. Leadership by example is thus, a reality that all leaders must embrace.Daly, J., Speedy, S., & Jackson, D. (2004). Nursing leadership. St. Louis: Elsevier Health Sciences.Kelly, P. (2011). Nursing leadership & management. Mason: Cengage LearningWeiss, S., & Tappen, R. (2014). Essentials of nursing leadership and management. Philadelphia: E.A Davis Company.