I was asked that question, not too long ago…by a Senior Partner.   It wasn’t a surprise to be asked.   I’ve never seen anything to suggest there’s a great deal of clarity about this, or preparation for it. Take hold of the reigns you’ve been handed, and continue on a similar path is often the case. That really isn’t going to help.   The key to understanding the responsibilities of a Senior Partner is to view the practice as the business. The role of the Senior Partner is the

The reasons practices struggle is not always because of the challenging situations they find themselves in. It is often because of the assumptions they make about what is and isn’t possible. Frequently these are based on unhelpful beliefs, and challenging assumptions can provide the solution needed. If I were leading a practice today, these are the assumptions I would be challenging. 1️⃣ We can’t do any better than we are right now. Even if you only improve one thing by 1% th

General Practice is as tough as it’s ever been, and especially challenging for those in leadership and management roles. Despite this, it can still be a great place, and you can still enjoy success.   If I were leading a practice today, these are the five priorities I’d focus on.   1️⃣ Run the Practice Like a Business  Make the key business ingredients solid and it will translate to the priority of delivering sustainable patient care.   2️⃣ Set a 5-year Vision and 1 and 3 yea

Many managers believe they're leading when they're really exerting their control. It's a terrible trait that doesn’t deliver long term success, and will make staff look for the exit. It can come from being driven by power, but it can also come from fear, insecurity, lack of trust, inexperience, pressure and simply being unaware. It’s not uncommon, and if you want to be a great leader then you need to make sure it's not one of the things you do. 🏴‍☠️ You're more focused on pu

Not making a decision because of a misunderstood want for more data or evidence is quite common in primary care. It can be frustrating...

That’s always the case. I’ve seen this year working with practices, PCNs and federations, and more than 16 years working in primary care....

Have you got a manager or leader who acts in a way that makes your blood boil?

It’s a vital part of a leader’s skill set, but too often in primary care the importance of emotional intelligence is overlooked. Yet in a complex, fast paced, multi professional environment, often with multiple organisations jostling for position and priorities, being aware of your emotions, and able to control and express them can be crucial to success.

If you hired the worlds best CEO to run your Practice or PCN what would they do?   Every Practice or PCN struggles with it's own...

I'd never considered 'leadership language' until listening to a recent podcast. The importance of being able to communicate, be...

Some interesting conversations in the last few weeks have really highlighted how leadership is so often misunderstood and disregarded by...

Patient centred leadership. Where is it and what does it look like?

If your glass is naturally half full, then you’re fortunate because optimism is probably your default position. As a leader that gives you a natural advantage.

We all do it. Moan about how bad and broken primary care and the NHS is. It’s so easy to do, whether that’s through frustration or...

Leadership, it’s easy, right? Just get yourself in a position to lead, let everyone know you’re in charge and everything else will take...

Over the years I've experienced some great leaders, some bad leaders, and some real stinkers.

”Practices and PCNs find it hard to plan for the future when there is so much uncertainty about what is coming next.” As ever, hugely...

I think so, and we don’t need to look far to see how leaders without integrity are perceived. It’s not about whether you feel you have...

There are many great examples of leadership but there are just as many examples of what leadership isn’t. You’ll find people who think they’re leading but they’re not, and others who think they know how to lead but they don’t.

Practice Managers and GPs now have leadership roles in addition to those in the practice. But leading in a PCN or Federation is...