Abstract
This article presents intersectionality theory with critical realism as a philosophical framework for studying nursing leadership. In response to gaps in the current leadership literature, the aim is to develop an approach that addresses how the multiple social positions nurses hold can create an intersecting matrix of oppression that impacts on their opportunities to develop as leaders. The result is a theoretical foundation, which can inform the methodological framework of future studies. Providing evidence by which a reader can judge the merits of a chosen methodology, it sets the case for integrating intersectionality with critical realism for studying nursing leadership.