What is it that motivates clinicians to achieve excellence in leadership? Alastair McLellan reflects on HSJ’s Clinical Leaders 2014

What motivates clinicians? Like most of us, status and reward are important, but an even more powerful driver is autonomy. The freedom to use professional judgement is essential to good clinical practice, but in some aspects autonomy within the NHS is a dangerous, though alluring mirage.

This week we present our second annual analysis of the country’s foremost clinical leaders.

What marks out many of the 100 clinicians featured is their recognition that effective healthcare is best planned and delivered when a range of talents is brought to bear.

Alastair McLellan

‘What really makes a great clinical leader in the 21st century is a willingness to leave their comfort zone behind’

They also recognise the NHS will always be a political issue and that providing a relevant and responsive service means involving a wide range of stakeholders, including politicians and patient groups, and where necessary surrendering some autonomy as a result.

A second distinguishing characteristic is that they do not reserve challenge for the easier targets. Yes, they are prepared to give government, big pharma or the media both barrels when warranted, but they also seek to speak truth to their professions and the public.

It is this type of clinical leader the NHS badly needs at a time when financial constraint appears a certainty for at least the next five years and patient expectation is being driven ever upward by medical advances and consumer culture. In short, what really makes a great clinical leader in the 21st century is a willingness to leave their comfort zone behind.

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