Introduction It is not yet clear what best practices are in leadership development programmes for senior healthcare leaders. In this study, we explore how success could be defined and achieved for leadership development programmes for senior healthcare leaders on the IMPACT programme (Improving Performance And Care in Teams). The IMPACT programme was conceived and designed by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust to address difficulty in implementing change.

Aims and objectives of the research project or activity The aims and objectives of this study are as follows:

1. To identify the factors that define a successful healthcare leadership development programme.

2. To pinpoint key areas of focus in course design that organisers can leverage to deliver an effective leadership programme.

Method or approach We conducted semi-structured interviews with senior clinical and non-clinical healthcare leaders on the IMPACT programme between July 2018 and April 2019. We identify themes from the data using inductive thematic analysis, focusing on developing insights with practical implications for leadership development and change management.

The IMPACT programme was a 12-month leadership development programme for senior management triumvirates at Oxford University Hospitals (Matrons, Clinical Directors, Operational Service Managers). The IMPACT programme consisted of workshops every two months, delivered at a nearby conference centre. These workshops aimed to engage and empower triumvirates through supporting them with leadership development material. Alongside the formal programme, there were two internal strategic improvement consultants working with teams to help them achieve their goals. The programme used the NHS Healthcare Leadership Framework to guide the programme design.

Findings This study adds knowledge concerning senior NHS clinical leaders’ perceptions of defining a successful leadership development programme and which programme design elements they perceive as important for a successful programme.

Interviewees reported four factors that define a successful leadership development course: changing their own/team attitudes and behaviours; creating new connections; having opportunities to practically apply skills learnt; and demonstrating long-term results.

Interviewees demonstrated a perception that organisers can leverage three key areas of focus to deliver an effective leadership programme: incorporation of core programme design components to support learning; tailoring of methods and content to participant needs; and ensuring positive participant perceptions of the program‘s relevance to their specific contexts.

Key messages Our findings have several implications for programme design.

1. Incorporate Evaluation: Evaluation should be planned into the programme structure in order to identify outcomes of importance to participants and stakeholders.

2. Mitigate Distractions and Encourage Reflective Time: Programmes should ensure that they can protect participants from distractions with the aim of incorporating reflective time to internalise learning. This is especially important with greater emphasis on virtual delivery of workshops.

3. Prioritise Methods Over Specific Content: It is important to include perspectives from both inside and outside a programme and for participants to be supported through coaching or mentoring. In our study, participants considered financial training to be essential for healthcare leadership development programmes.

4. Design with Participant Experience in Mind: Participants should be able to recognise the material as being relevant to them. This aligns with cognitivist perspectives on learning by keeping important participant values central to the learning process.