By Mark Eaton
When the news came in yesterday that Alan Johnson had left health I was running a clinical systems redesign programme across five clinical pathways (urology, gastro, orthopaedics, gynae and cardiology) with some 60 people and five supporting facilitators.
During the session I visited each group and announced the Alan has gone and I was surprised by the various responses which included:
- Who’s he?
- So what?
- Well, it’s just another person we’ll never meet
- I doubt that will impact on what goes on here
Whilst there were a mix of other responses, the ones above made me think about the impact that Leaders really have at the front line in healthcare. It is like saying that soldiers fight for ‘Queen & Country’, when in reality the most important leaders are those nearby, the junior officers and non-commissioned officers, as well as the friends they fight (work) with.
Day to day the most important leaders and influencers in healthcare are those who are closest to the front-line delivery teams. Whilst CEOs and even Secretaries of State can have an impact in the long-run, if an organisation wants to make change quickly they will need to focus on developing their local leaders, and engaging them in the process of transformation.
If you want to find out more about engaging frontline leaders in the process of changecall me on 07841-464916 or email markeaton(a)amnis.uk.com.
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