IntroductionAccording to the Oxford Dictionary, a leader is defined as “the person who leads or commands a group, organization or country” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2013 ). Although there is a definition of what a leader is, people still have different ideas about what a leader should be and how they should act. There has never been a concrete idea of ​​what a leader is; the only thing we know is that this person is the one in charge of the unit. We look at the characteristics of people we consider leaders and use those attributes to compare other people to see if they are capable of being as good or even better than the leaders mentioned above. We must keep in mind that in different situations, leaders have to perform different tasks, which indicates the need for different qualities. This is especially true in hospitals or other healthcare facilities. While it may be similar to other companies, it differs in the constant change it must undergo through new technologies, innovation in techniques, and new medical treatment plans made every day. In this article I will discuss complex adaptive systems, particularly as it relates to the healthcare context and the leadership needed for these systems. What is a complex adaptive system (CAS)? A complex adaptive system is an entity of networks and connections. It can “learn and adapt to change over time” which can change the “structure of the system” (Clancy, Effken, Pesut, 2008). It contains twelve elements: autopoesis or self-regeneration, open exchange, participation in networks, fractals, phase transition between order and chaos, search for fitness peaks, nonlinear dynamics, sensitive dependence, growth-limiting attractors, strange emergency attractors. ... half of the article ...... edited by), Nursing, care and complexity sciences (pp. 325-338). New York: Springer Publishing Company.Clancy, T. R., Effken, J. A., & Pesut, D. (2008). Applications of complex systems theory in nursing education, research and practice. Nursing Outlook, 56(5), 248-53.Crowell, D. M. (2011). Leadership in complex nursing and health systems. In A. W. Davidson, M. A. Ray, & M. C. Turkel (Eds.), Nursing, caring, and complex science (pp. 199-210). New York: Springer Publishing Company. Oxford Dictionaries. (2013). leader: definition of leader in the Oxford – American English (USA) dictionary. Retrieved December 7, 2013, from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/leaderStackman, R. W., Henderson, L. S., & Bloch, D. P. (2006). Emergence and community: the story of three complex adaptive entities. Emergency: complexity and organization, 8(3), 78-91.