ABSTRACT
Introduction This chapter looks at leadership in today’s NHS and the skills and knowledge required for leaders in the health service’s exciting future. We examine what is understood by leadership qualities, both historically and scientifically, through a review of the literature, and their application to NHS roles. We discuss a selection of the many proposed leadership styles advocated for greater efficiency and better results and review their merits. We also look at the leadership skills required for work and, in the final section, ‘Overcoming barriers to clinical leadership’, we look at the real-life considerations, barriers and hazards to applying those skills in daily practice and discuss how to overcome them.
