The Institute of Medicine (IOM) landmark report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health emphasizes the critical role of nurse leaders in redesigning health care and preparing nurses to lead. Swan and Moye (2009) reiterate the importance of ambulatory care succession planning that includes identifying and developing emerging leaders. Nursing must evaluate strategies to advance leadership as a dimension of practice and as part of lifelong learning. Significant gaps remain in understanding nurse leader and aspiring leader roles, practice, perceptions, and succession planning in the ambulatory care setting. This exploratory descriptive research design involved a nationwide convenience sample of American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) members.