{"title":"When a panel discussion on women's leadership became a case study in its challenges.","authors":"Ashifa Trivedi, Renée McCulloch, Heather Caudle, Nuthana Prathivadi Bhayankaram, Nisha Thakrar, Cicely Marston","doi":"10.1136/leader-2024-001148","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2024-001148","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"311-314"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145543205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMJ LeaderPub Date : 2026-09-29DOI: 10.1136/leader-2024-001188
Aderemi Alalade, Hemant Maraj
{"title":"Supporting international medical graduates in the National Health Service: what is the way forward?","authors":"Aderemi Alalade, Hemant Maraj","doi":"10.1136/leader-2024-001188","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2024-001188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Differential attainment (DA) among International Medical Graduates (IMGs) remains a persistent challenge within the National Health Service, with implications for workforce sustainability, leadership diversity and patient safety. Evidence consistently shows that DA is driven predominantly by systemic, structural and organisational factors including leadership behaviours, governance processes and inequities in representation-rather than differences in individual capability.Drawing on reflective leadership experience, critical engagement with current literature and analysis of organisational approaches to IMG recruitment, training and progression, this paper explores how inclusive, compassionate and systems‑focused leadership can influence the cultural and structural conditions that shape IMG outcomes. Key insights highlight the central role of leadership in mitigating DA: inclusive governance, bias‑aware recruitment, structured mentorship and balanced representation on panels strengthen fairness and trust; compassionate leadership enhances psychological safety, supports equitable incident‑management processes and prioritises learning over blame; and systems leadership addresses the persistent underrepresentation of IMGs in senior clinical, managerial and regulatory roles, improving organisational performance and leadership pipelines.Sustained investment in mentorship, induction quality and support structures promotes professional integration, career progression and retention. Reducing DA requires leaders to recognise and act on the organisational conditions shaping IMG experiences. Embedding inclusive, compassionate and systems‑oriented leadership across governance, workforce planning and culture is essential for achieving equitable outcomes and strengthening the NHS workforce.</p>","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"327-330"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148608169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMJ LeaderPub Date : 2026-09-29DOI: 10.1136/leader-2025-001223
Naseeha Islam, Senta G Wiederholt, Brian Park, Anaïs Tuepker, Elaine Waller Uchison, Leah Gordon, Matthew Lewis, Alexander Mansour, Nicole A Steckler, Samuel T Edwards
{"title":"Impacts of a relational leadership development programme on psychological sense of community.","authors":"Naseeha Islam, Senta G Wiederholt, Brian Park, Anaïs Tuepker, Elaine Waller Uchison, Leah Gordon, Matthew Lewis, Alexander Mansour, Nicole A Steckler, Samuel T Edwards","doi":"10.1136/leader-2025-001223","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2025-001223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>In a time of increasing employee dissatisfaction and burnout within healthcare, relational leadership approaches hold potential to improve workforce belonging and sense of community.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a prospective, single-arm longitudinal study of participants enrolled in the Relational Leadership Institute, a relational leadership programme, to assess impacts on participants' psychological sense of community (PSOC). Participants completed surveys at three time points: baseline, immediately following the programme and 6-month postprogramme. We used a linear mixed-effects model with a random intercept for participant to assess change in PSOC from baseline to immediately postprogramme and 6-month postprogramme.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall mean PSOC was 4.87 (SD 0.68) at baseline and was higher among non-white participants than among white participants (mean 5.00 vs 4.83, p<0.01), and among trainees than among working professionals (mean 4.96 vs 4.82, p<0.01). In adjusted analyses, mean overall PSOC increased to 5.16 (p<0.001) postprogramme and remained stable at 5.13 6-month postprogramme (p<0.001). Stratified analyses by subdomains demonstrated similar increases in the membership and self subdomains, but no change in the entity subdomain.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our programme's positive and durable impact on PSOC across diverse participants suggests that relational leadership programmes can support today's healthcare workforce to achieve better outcomes for healthcare professionals and patients alike.</p>","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"299-302"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148766498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMJ LeaderPub Date : 2026-09-29DOI: 10.1136/leader-2024-000977
Karl-Emanuel Dionne, Kathy Malas, Margaux Manent, Simon Reeves
{"title":"Leveraging local knowledge for crisis management: a practice-based approach to managing uncertainty in healthcare during COVID-19.","authors":"Karl-Emanuel Dionne, Kathy Malas, Margaux Manent, Simon Reeves","doi":"10.1136/leader-2024-000977","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2024-000977","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/aim: </strong>Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic are inherently uncertain, dynamic and generate broader consequences on organisations, challenging traditional crisis management approaches. Conventional approaches often neglect the mechanisms and processes frontline practitioners enact in their local practices to adapt effectively. This study explores how healthcare professionals (HPs) at a university hospital centre developed and mobilised local knowledge to rapidly respond to the evolving conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an interpretive single case study at a designated COVID-19 university hospital in Montreal, Canada. Over 6 months (April to September 2020), we collected data through 49 virtual interviews with healthcare practitioners, minutes from an operational crisis unit and organisational records such as protocols and clinical algorithms. Our analysis focused on identifying spaces and mechanisms that facilitated the creation, testing and translation of local knowledge across different clinical units, leading to rapid organisational adaptation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study reveals that frontline HPs enacted new mechanisms forming three types of spaces-reflective, experimental and translational-that bypassed existing organisational structures of knowledge development. These spaces enabled the rapid development and translation of local knowledge, fostering dynamic organisational responses to the evolving crisis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>By highlighting the critical role of local knowledge and the processes supporting its integration, this research offers valuable insights into improving crisis management practices. It emphasises frontline practitioners' improvised and flexible organising processes that enable a more global capacity to leverage local knowledge for the effective adaptation in unprecedented crisis situations.</p>","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"255-260"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13638311/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144883976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMJ LeaderPub Date : 2026-09-29DOI: 10.1136/leader-2024-001143
Rasleen Kahai, Luke Blair, Robert Craig
{"title":"How a National Health Service (NHS) hospital successfully designed a leadership programme for disabled staff.","authors":"Rasleen Kahai, Luke Blair, Robert Craig","doi":"10.1136/leader-2024-001143","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2024-001143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Disabled staff are significantly underrepresented and face limited career opportunities within healthcare. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of an internal positive action programme for disabled staff focusing on healthcare leadership, involving sessions from executive directors, combined with self-leadership through selected podcasts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In 2024, a course designed for disabled staff with a total of 10 leadership workshops was delivered by executive directors and matched with 10 self-leadership podcasts, supported by a reflective workbook. The programme's recruitment and retention were measured, as well as undertaking an embedded mixed methodology with quantitative and qualitative analysis to understand the effectiveness of the programme.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 14 participants signed up for the programme from different disciplines and levels in healthcare. No participants dropped out of the programme. Self-reported scores on leadership, the ability to navigate the organisation and requesting reasonable adjustments were all shown to have improved after the leadership programme. Key takeaways for participants included better understanding of change management, advocacy, networking, new career pathways and the complexity of the National Health Service (NHS) system.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Executive directors within provider organisations could take the lead on local and tailored positive action programmes, potentially improving disability leadership within the NHS.</p>","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"292-295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147610187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMJ LeaderPub Date : 2026-09-29DOI: 10.1136/leader-2024-001054
Claudia Truppa, Abeer S Ahmad, Katrine J Chamorro De Angeles, Amanda Quintana, Rachel Cassidy, Anna Duchenko, Carmen Sant Fruchtman, Daniel Cobos Muñoz, Karl Blanchet, Dell Saulnier, Sabine Margarete Damerow
{"title":"Systems thinking in global health: are we targeting the right people? Insights from the launch of the SYSTAC Europe Forum.","authors":"Claudia Truppa, Abeer S Ahmad, Katrine J Chamorro De Angeles, Amanda Quintana, Rachel Cassidy, Anna Duchenko, Carmen Sant Fruchtman, Daniel Cobos Muñoz, Karl Blanchet, Dell Saulnier, Sabine Margarete Damerow","doi":"10.1136/leader-2024-001054","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2024-001054","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"303-306"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147640063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMJ LeaderPub Date : 2026-09-29DOI: 10.1136/leader-2025-001301
Becca Elson, Brydie Murphy
{"title":"A survey of attitudes, behaviours and barriers to environmental sustainability among healthcare staff at an NHS trust.","authors":"Becca Elson, Brydie Murphy","doi":"10.1136/leader-2025-001301","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2025-001301","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>For the National Health Service (NHS) in England to reach the target of Net Zero by 2040, transformation of the attitudes and behaviours of healthcare staff across all levels to promote systematic change is required. An understanding of current attitudes and barriers to change is vital for healthcare leaders and sustainability professionals to identify how they can support and encourage staff to adopt these changes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We invited staff from an NHS trust in England to participate in an online survey conducted between December 2024 and March 2025, to investigate NHS healthcare professionals' attitudes towards environmental sustainability, current behaviours and perceived barriers to sustainable healthcare practices.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We received 154 responses from healthcare staff across all pay bands and grades, representing an array of disciplines. 94.8% of staff were concerned about climate change and the environment; 95.5% and 93.5% believe that NHS staff have a responsibility to be aware of, and minimise the impact of their work respectively; and over 80% were willing to make changes to their personal practice or engage in education and training. The most predominant perceived barrier to sustainable healthcare practices was found to be cost (72.1% of responses), with both time and staff attitudes being reported as perceived barriers by 69.5% of respondents.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results suggest that among the staff surveyed, while there is a high level of willingness to change practice, increased funding is needed to support these changes, especially where sustainability initiatives have longer term cost-savings. There is a desire for more education to encourage and empower staff, and to make changes to NHS practice and policy. There is also a need for more direct leadership to facilitate change and integrate sustainability into the everyday work of healthcare professionals, rather than placing it as an additional burden on already overstretched staff.</p>","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"261-267"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145253015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BMJ LeaderPub Date : 2026-09-29DOI: 10.1136/leader-2025-001249
Fiona Jane Day, Alexios-Fotis Mentis, Cuncun Lu, Anna Mae Scott, Oscar Lyons
{"title":"What is the evidence base for leadership coaching for postgraduate medical doctors? A scoping review.","authors":"Fiona Jane Day, Alexios-Fotis Mentis, Cuncun Lu, Anna Mae Scott, Oscar Lyons","doi":"10.1136/leader-2025-001249","DOIUrl":"10.1136/leader-2025-001249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Coaching is increasingly used to benefit doctors' professional development. This scoping review summarises the current state of the evidence relating to workplace leadership coaching for qualified doctors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A rapid scoping review was conducted, informed by Joanna Briggs' Institute guidelines, with protocol designed a priori. Medline, Embase and APA PsycInfo were searched for relevant articles. Search results were screened for inclusion in duplicate. Data were synthesised descriptively and thematically, mapping the existing research and identifying knowledge gaps.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 5307 articles were screened, and 94 met the inclusion criteria. 15 (16%) articles were classified under 'leadership training needs assessments', 15 (16%) under 'evaluations of leadership development interventions with coaching', 18 (19%) under 'evaluations of leadership coaching interventions', 1 (1%) specifically evaluated a team leader coaching training programme, 37 (40%) were commentaries, 1 (1%) was a research protocol and 7 (7%) were reviews.The studies were positive about the role of coaching in medical leadership development and as a skill for doctors to develop. The use of the term 'coaching' was often conflated with the term 'mentoring'. Most intervention articles mentioned coaches' qualifications or training. Only three used coaches with internationally recognised accreditation qualifications, and the majority used 'faculty coaches'.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Most of the coaching components of leadership interventions, reviews and commentaries included in our review were considered successful. Coaching appears to be increasingly requested as an intervention for leadership development and identified as a training need for medical leaders.</p>","PeriodicalId":36677,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Leader","volume":" ","pages":"238-245"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145496730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}