Leadership: Developing skills

Leadership skills are important for every doctor, every day. Good clinical leadership leads to positive patient outcomes, team morale and system resilience. The General Medical Council’s (GMC) Professional Standards on Leadership and Management lays out the requirement of leadership for all doctors. The updated RCGP curriculum, recognises leadership development as a core capability, with a whole section on ‘Organisation, Management and Leadership’. GP registrars must complete a Leadership Activity and a Leadership Multi Source Feedback (Leadership MSF) in the second half of their final year in training. Skills can naturally evolve over the course of a doctor’s career, including in the absence of a formal leadership role. General practice training offers plenty of scope to start developing transferable leadership skills, to benefit daily practice, as well as formal and informal leadership roles in GP training and beyond. Leaders in primary care can come from a variety of backgrounds both clinical and non-clinical. This article will explore some skills required for effective leadership and opportunities for them to be progressed.