Accidental Leadership

Were you the person who ended up leading a cardiac arrest on the ward? Did you stumble upon a car crash in the street and had to take control? Is there an area of your career you didn’t expect to have? Have you ever found yourself leading when you didn’t expect to?

If I asked you to think about leaders then I imagine either someone famous – politicians, royalty or a celebrity might pop into your mind. Or perhaps one of our clinical leaders, such as our Dean Dr Alison Pittard. Or possibly another medical leader in your region or at your hospital.

Throughout my medical training and first couple of years as a consultant I hadn’t thought much about medical leadership – I’d seen there were leadership projects out there, mentoring and fellowship experiences, but I didn’t ever consider it would be for me. Then there was a restructuring of our hospital management and the post of Clinical Director (CD)  for critical care was made. I few colleagues asked me if I was going to apply, which got me thinking. I was part time, not long back from maternity leave with a husband who has a demanding job. Should I do it? Could I do it?

I decided that “nothing ventured, nothing gained” – so I applied for the post. I  was interviewed competitively and got the job. I’ve been doing it for almost 3 years now. I went into the role thinking that if I wasn’t enjoying it, or if I wasn’t able to maintain the work-life-balance I (and my family) needed then I could always stop. I’ve done lots of learning – some formal, some online coupled with a lot of reflective practice, and I feel I have developed a lot as a leader. I think I will always keep learning – as new situations and challenges will always come along.

I am proud to show leadership – I have learnt a lot about myself and some tricks about how to get the best out of people, have difficult conversations where necessary and hopefully how to support, motivate and look after your team. All these things are transferrable to any leadership situation.

I will start to bring this post to a close with two phrases my medical director shared with me, one when I started as CD and the second when I started as a consultant. Firstly, there are always two sides to every story – this has helped me approach some tricky situations as things are rarely as they first seem, and secondly – something I now also say to all new consultants starting – you are never alone, there is always someone at the end of a telephone should you feel out of your depth or need help. I think this is actually relevant to all areas of life, but sometimes leadership can be lonely, and as the old adage says, a problem shared is a problem halved.

Having not expected to be a leader until it happened I would encourage everyone to keep their mind open and accept any leadership opportunities which may come your way. Being CD has opened a lot of doors for me, and I have met so many fantastic people along the way.