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  2. How to get started in...
  3. How to get started in medical leadership
Practice Practice Pointer

How to get started in medical leadership

BMJ 2024; 387 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-080576 (Published 17 October 2024) Cite this as: BMJ 2024;387:e080576
  1. Danielle Eddy, specialty trainee year six GRID trainee in paediatric endocrine and diabetes1,
  2. Jo Daniels, senior lecturer in clinical psychology2,
  3. Jonathan Gamble, specialty trainee year six renal medicine3,
  4. Matthew Cowan, general practice specialty training year three4 6,
  5. Jay Suntharalingam, consultant respiratory physician5 6
  1. 1Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, Cardiff, UK
  2. 2Department of Psychology, University of Bath, UK
  3. 3Swansea Bay University Health Board, UK
  4. 4Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
  5. 5Respiratory Department, Royal United Hospitals Bath Foundation Trust, UK
  6. 6University of Bath, UK
  1. Correspondence to: J Suntharalingam jay.suntharalingam{at}nhs.net

Leadership is a core component of the work of any practising doctor. Good medical leadership is essential to the successful delivery of optimal clinical care,1 and is associated with better team functioning, improved patient outcomes, and positive cultural change.234

Application of leadership has the potential to transform individuals, teams, working practices, and outcomes while improving job satisfaction.5 Here, we offer an insight into potential leadership opportunities for doctors in training from local to national level, using case studies to illustrate how early career clinicians have built up their leadership skills.

Leadership at a local level

Early in your leadership development journey you should access the NHS Leadership Academy website (https://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/), which contains valuable resources. It has a free self-assessment tool and a leadership 360—a tool that gathers anonymous views and opinions from your peers, multidisciplinary colleagues, and clinical supervisors—to identify your learning priorities and access a framework that can help you and your educational supervisor develop your leadership skills. Consider getting involved in local audits and quality improvement projects—these can help you fulfil your e-portfolio needs and are often a gateway to more formal leadership projects.

Local leadership opportunities are usually offered on an ad hoc basis. Approach your postgraduate medical centre to see if your trust has a consultant who acts as a leadership mentor or equivalent. They might be able to point you towards educational resources and courses, help organise shadowing opportunities, link you in with key trust-wide clinical and managerial leaders, and provide one to one mentoring. If your trust does not have such a dedicated role, many consultants will facilitate similar leadership experiences. Some trusts might also offer more formal resident doctor roles that include anywhere between 10% and 40% protected time for specific leadership activities alongside a part time clinical post—again, your postgraduate medical centre …

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