The promotion of nurses to nurse management positions usually is based on traditional criteria, such as formal education, professional experience, and technical expertise. An exploratory Hay Group pilot study, however, shows that these criteria have little correlation to a candidate's probability of success as a manager. Instead, an entirely different set of desirable nurse manager competencies was revealed. According to the pilot study, qualities such as self-confidence, high achievement orientation, analytical thinking, and persuasive skills are far more important determinants of success among nurse managers.