The updated Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency for nurses emphasise the importance of nurse leadership, while the NHS has also developed models to support leadership development. There are several approaches to leadership that are applicable in nursing practice. Transformational leadership is an approach that focuses on the attributes and behaviours of the leader required to empower and motivate team members. This article outlines the four elements of transformational leadership – idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualised consideration – and discusses these in relation to the NMC standards. It also describes the advantages and disadvantages of transformational leadership, and suggests ways that this approach can be applied in nursing practice.