Background In July 2020, the National Health Service (NHS) People Plan was refreshed, giving further impetus to staff development and leadership training. Through a series of interwoven tales, I discuss my own journey of leadership development and offer an analysis of the value of dedicated courses and the importance of providing this to the wider workforce.

Story of self I am a doctor in training and was among the first three cohorts placed onto the new Rosalind Franklin programme, organised by the NHS Leadership Academy. I share my key reflections of the impact of this course on my personal and professional development.

Story of us My cohort contained professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds—their challenges, views and insights contrasted greatly with my own. Having the protected time to build trust, form teams and discuss issues that crossed organisational boundaries provided novel insights that helped all of us.

Story of now As the COVID-19 pandemic has taken hold, we are in a state of extreme flux. As a result, I have become aware of how important it is to marry expertise with generalist skills and knowledge of the wider healthcare system. Enduring the initial surge of COVID-19 was about staff working together and blending specialism with generalist pragmatism. The ability to harness and sustain this type of working will represent a legacy from COVID-19 that is positive and one which galvanises our greatest asset—the talents and experiences of our diverse workforce—in order to meet future healthcare challenges.