• appraisal
• behaviour
• capacity

At the launch of BMJ Leader earlier this year, we announced the publication of a series of papers that would examine the future of clinical leadership.1 The series has not yet concluded, with several more contributions in the pipeline, but it is now worth reflecting on what we have learnt so far. What unique perspectives can be drawn from individual authors and, perhaps more importantly, what are the common themes?

In their contribution, Goodall and Stoller2 chose to focus on the evidence base for physician leadership and what needs to be done next. Optimistically they note the ‘research evidence, whilst still sparse, is growing’. In making the case for the benefits of ‘expert leadership’, they draw on evidence not just from healthcare settings but from other industries. Turning their attention to medical training, they argue leadership development programmes must increasingly focus on teamwork, collaboration and interpersonal skills. Crucially, they believe more studies are still required to demonstrate the benefits of such programmes.

Marc Harrison,3 Chief Executive Officer of Intermountain Healthcare, provides a highly …