To inspire and influence others, a leader must possess many skills and abilities. As motivational speaker Peter Northouse says, “a leader should be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not overbearing; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not shy; be proud, but not arrogant” (Northouse, 2013) Moving an entire group of individuals toward a single goal is a considerable undertaking. Without effective communication skills and a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished, you will feel like you are trying to herd the cats instead of leading them. During my interview with Regina Martinez, BS RN and currently assistant director of a home health agency, I found that her leadership style matched the quote above. Martinez had extensive management experience before entering the medical field. As a working single mother, she rose through the ranks from waitress to manager of a popular seafood restaurant. However, her dream was always to become a nurse and she began her medical career as a certified nurse assistant (CNA), while working in college. She graduated from nursing school with a Bachelor of Science degree and has been a registered nurse (RN) for more than two decades. She quickly earned the respect of doctors and fellow nurses, becoming a charge nurse on the floors where she worked. She worked as a medical surgical nurse, emergency room and as a nursing director for home health and long-term care facilities where she was responsible for more than 150 employees. In her current position, she is responsible for six RNs, three licensed practical nurses (LPNs), five CNAs and two support staff members. They are currently looking to add several more positions to the payroll. Martinez joined this agency two... halfway through the document... directly affects the results. Martinez relied on his communication skills to relate to his staff and keep them motivated to provide their clients with the best medical care. Works CitedBroome, B. (2007). Direction. Urological Nursing, 27(3), 182. Retrieved from EBSCOhostHall, Peter, and Norris, Peter. (1993). Learning for leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 14(7), 35. Retrieved August 25, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 81758). Ibarra, H., & Hansen, M. (2011). Are you a collaborative leader? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from http://hbr.org/2011/07/are-you-a-collaborative-leader/ar/1Larson, C. and LaFasto, F. (1989), Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can go wrong. Newberry Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Northouse, Peter. (2013). Leadership, theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc