Emergence of Greener Practice: planetary health leadership in a grassroots organisation.

Abstract

This paper explores leadership in planetary health in an emerging grassroots organisation, Greener Practice. Greener Practice, formed in 2017, set out with the intention of creating the UK's Primary Care Sustainability hub and network. In the face of the evolving public health threat of the climate and ecological crisis, planetary health leadership has never been more necessary or urgent. There was a noticeable gap in leadership on this issue within Primary Care, with General Practice teams grossly underfunded, and climate action often seeming low on a list of burgeoning priorities. This article explores how visionary, nurturing and democratic leadership grew a grassroots movement. Through telling the story of Greener Practice's growth and development, I hope to share the lessons I have learned about our joint leadership of an emerging organisation. This paper is a reflection on my personal experience as a leader of an emerging grassroots organisation outside, but working alongside, existing healthcare organisations. I have used the narrative of Greener Practice's growth and establishment on the larger stage to illustrate my own leadership lessons that inform how we support our network's emerging leaders. This paper summarises my personal experience as I have grown and developed as a leader and approached the challenges of leading a grassroots movement. It has five sections entitled Leadership to: engage and inspire; educate and empower; grow the movement; nurture and develop new leaders; and influence systems. After each section, I have drawn out lessons learned in these areas. I conclude with further reflections on the importance of self-awareness, resonant leadership and active hope. Greener Practice aims to be a beacon of hope and inspiration, both for, and through, its leaders; visionary, nurturing and actively hopeful leadership is crucial to support emerging leaders to address the planetary health crisis.