Leadership: Catalyst for quality and performance.

T he Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership provides a unique opportunity to share ideas and information about innovations in healthcare, seeking new and improved ways of doing things. To stimulate thinking, Lynn Nagel, as editor-in-chief, asked the journal’s editors to discuss their perspectives. Mike Villeneuve (2010) challenged us to share and debate innovations in policy, practice and leadership. Greta Cummings (2010) discussed new knowledge for better leadership and encouraged us to examine interventions to improve leadership and to transform practice. In this issue, I will examine the importance that innovation and leadership can play in improving quality and achieving performance excellence.