ABSTRACT
Although there are hundreds of definitions of leadership the principles and practice apply equally to most organisations. Partnership and inter-agency working have always been a feature of delivery in public health but they are given strong emphasis in Choosing Health along with public service agreement targets, transformational change and the incorporation of public health in a new performance framework for all health and social care organisations. All of this will require greater leadership from public health not only within the NHS but, equally importantly, across NHS boundaries to other organisations, particularly local government. Vision is the essence of leadership and the prerequisite to providing inspiration and momentum. To create effective visioning through team-working, leaders must develop a culture built on trust that also rewards creativity and diversity. Passion is an essential personal characteristic if followers are to be motivated and inspired.
