Background: Span of control plays an important role in health organizations and has
implications for organizational structure. In addition leadership styles are sets or clusters of
behaviors used in the process of effecting leadership. Aim: This study aimed to assess span
of control indicators and leadership styles among head nurses. Design: A descriptive
correlational design was used. Settings: The study conducted at Ain-Shams University
Hospitals where the study subjects worked. Subjects included (98) head nurses and (210)
staff nurses. Tools of data collection: Data were collected by using two tools Span of
Control Indicators Questionnaire and Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Results: the
majority of head nurses uses individual consideration dimension of transformational
leadership style while, the majority of staff nurses asserted that head nurses uses
management by exception (active) dimension of transactional leadership style. Conclusion:
There was statistically significant relation between head nurses' span of control and the item
of extra effort outcomes of leadership. Recommendations: providing continuing education
through attending conferences and workshops to head nurses about leadership and span of
control and how to deal with problems according to organizational hierarchy and conducting
further study to discuss the factors that affecting leadership styles and span of control.