Doctors as leaders – how essential is leadership training for them?

Purpose In the management world, leadership is a quality associated with business leaders, social entrepreneurs and political figures. Doctors are rarely considered as possessing or requiring leadership skills. With doctors, one thinks of skill and knowledge, but for some strange reason, leadership is hardly associated with doctors. This paper aims to highlight the leadership aspects unique to doctors. This study highlights why leadership training is imperative for doctors, outlines current status of leadership training for doctors in India and sets out proposals for effective leadership building. Design/methodology/approach Methodology is based on a two-pronged explanatory approach – the first is review of current literature in the context of leadership training of doctors, and the second is review of circumstances unique to the line of work undertaken by doctors that shed light on the need for leadership. Findings This paper highlights the imperative need for leadership training for doctors in India. It recommends leadership training on a continuous basis in their career life cycle as with the other professions. It also calls for involvement of all stakeholders in the medical community to foster leadership training – medical educational institutions, hospitals, medical councils and members of the medical fraternity. Practical implications Akin to leadership training programs conducted for IT and management professionals, this paper recommends that similar programs be conducted for doctors. Originality/value There are very few studies conducted in the Indian context on leadership training needs for doctors. This paper explains the importance of leadership training for doctors and suggests ways it can be implemented throughout the medical education life cycle of a doctor’s career.