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  • Exploration of ‘perception of self’ as medical leader: does perception of self require a paradigm shift from clinician to clinical leader?

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Original research
Exploration of ‘perception of self’ as medical leader: does perception of self require a paradigm shift from clinician to clinical leader?
  1. Charlotte Moen1,
  2. Jeremy Brown2,
  3. Axel Kaehne3
  1. 1 Faculty of Health and Social Care, Post Graduate Medical Institute/Medical Education, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
  2. 2 Faculty of Health and Social Care, Post Graduate Medical Institute, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
  3. 3 EPRC, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
  1. Correspondence to Charlotte Moen, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Post Graduate Medical Institute, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, GB, L39 4QP, UK; moenc{at}edgehill.ac.uk

Abstract

Background Clinical leadership is key to quality improvement; however, there is limited research regarding doctors’ perceptions of clinical leadership.

Aim To investigate senior trainees’ perception of self as medical leader and explore what influenced their perception.

Methods A questionnaire with open and closed questions was distributed before and after a medical leadership module. Twelve trainees were then interviewed.

Results One hundred and fifty-six questionnaires were completed (95.7 % response rate). A significant number of senior trainees did not consider themselves to be a leader; however, there was a statistically significant shift in their self-perception during the programme. Themes identified during the interviews included a lack of understanding of the leadership concept, a lack of clarity of the medical leader’s role and vehicles for perspective transformation.

Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore senior trainees’ perception of self as medical leader. Findings suggest, following a paradigm shift from clinician to clinical leader, senior trainees are a potential, valuable resource for quality improvement. To aid understanding of the leadership self-development process, a conceptual model is offered. The significance of the model is its focus on the individual’s leadership paradigm, as the starting point for self-exploration. This model could inform leadership development programmes.

  • clinical leadership
  • doctor
  • trainees
  • learning
  • medical leadership

https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2018-000082

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Footnotes

  • Contributors AK undertook the statistical analysis of the questionnaire. JB provided guidance on the planning of the study and independent analysis of the qualitative data. AK and JB provided feedback on the write-up of the study. CM was involved in all stages of the research and takes responsibility for the overall content as guarantor.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Not required.

  • Ethics approval Edge Hill University Faculty of Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committee.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Data sharing statement Unpublished data are available to all three authors.