Taking a lead and facilitating change is a large part of their work for some doctors and less so for others but it is arguably an aspect of professional life for every doctor. This document aims to support consideration of leadership roles at appraisal. The Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM) has published guidance:

• Leadership and management standards for medical professionals
• Specialty guidance for the leadership and management aspects of a doctor’s scope of practice

Advice for doctors, including 4 top tips

1. Leadership for all- it is every doctors business/ responsibility
2. Understand yourself and others
3. Identify your strengths and develop your leadership skills
4. See leadership as an enabler in your career

• Include all leadership/managerial roles in your scope of work (consider strategic or clinical leadership, teaching, coaching and mentoring)
• Include leadership/managerial examples in your achievements, challenges and aspirations
• Consider reflecting on organisational SUIs/SEAs/complaints and their management, as well as any you are named in
• Record examples of relevant reflective learning for example, consider: What does leadership mean to you in your role? What have you learnt about yourself and the relationships you have with others you work with?
• Undertake 360 feedback from colleagues with respect to leadership e.g. FMLM 360 Feedback
• Include line management reviews from formal leadership roles within your evidence
• Include leadership/managerial objective(s) in your personal/professional development plan (PDP).

Advice for appraisers

• Identify leadership and managerial aspects of the doctor’s work – consider all leadership roles, these may vary from a senior leadership role to team leader to leading a piece of work or being a clinician in a team
• What is leadership to the doctor and how do they see themselves lead?
• Referring to these roles, discuss, reflect on and document:
  • What does relevant continuing professional development (CPD) look like for this doctor?
  • What do relevant quality improvement activities (QIA) look like for this doctor?
  • Examples of communication, teamwork, influencing and facilitating change
  • Examples of trust/probity relating to leadership
• Encourage doctors to include at least one objective in their PDP relating to leadership /management – consider leadership 360
• Employ coaching techniques and use the appraisal as a time to discuss longer term career development plans.

This information sheet is relevant to all designated bodies in England.

Released December 2017.