Leadership messages for all health professionals

The Road to Leadership focuses on nine important leadership messages, each of which author Carol Jorgensen Huston expands upon in separate chapters. A selection of these will follow.

The first message, ‘find a mentor and positive role model to share your journey’, describes a close relationship between an experienced person and someone new to their role. The mentor's key attributes include:

Huston draws on her early experiences which led to her deeper understanding of the importance of mentoring. She recommends questions that the reader should ask themselves when deciding which mentor is best for them.

The second message ‘be self-aware and authentic’, is described as having the courage of one's convictions, having integrity, and being true to one's own beliefs. These qualities, as well as a focus on self-reflection, can form the basis for a sense of trust.

‘Be able to laugh at yourself and leave your ego at home’ is a message that led to Dr Huston admitting the importance of laughing at herself, when she described a personal embarrassing experience. Learning from situations and not being hard on oneself are key.