Successful Leadership in Medicine

Leaders remain as visible, influential and controversial in today’s society and media as ever. Twenty-first century doctors are called to be inherent leaders, dependent and determined by their surrounding team of staff, organizational hierarchy and health care system structure. This paper examines today’s clinician as leader: through differing leadership styles, workplaces, function, how they relate to (and are constrained by) the practice of medicine under the Australian health care system and asks what makes a good medical leader. The unique setting of General Practice and a woman’s perspective are also considered. Sections on Medical Leadership’s Contribution to Change, Risk-taking and Tolerating Chaos cover the concepts of unpredictability in medicine and if and how doctors as medical leaders attempt to cope with this eventuality. Each assertion raised is supported by current business and medical literature referenced data. The reader is encouraged to ponder their own workplace committee practices, leadership style and consider areas which they may wish to address and improve upon.