Understanding a new model of leadership
Abstract
Leadership is an essential feature of the life of a paramedic. During incidents, whilst working with multi-agency colleagues, and within organisations, leadership is an expected quality of paramedics. Across health and social care organisations leadership is said to be of pivotal importance to future success. This has led to a large investment in leadership development programmes that organisations are now seeking to justify. Leadership as a concept is, however, complex and multifaceted. The nature of leadership has been debated over millennia and still disagreement exists as to how to define it. This paper utilises Critical Interpretive Synthesis to consider how approaches to leadership have developed over time. It concludes with a synthesising argument that leadership is a social construct; as such no single definition will ever be appropriate; however, the four elements that comprise the leadership equation should be considered if the paramedic leader is to be effective.
Leadership is an essential feature of the life of a paramedic. Paramedics will be expected to demonstrate leadership during incidents, whilst working with multi-agency colleagues and within employing organisations. Simply, leadership (however it is defined) is an expected quality of paramedics, be they in practitioner or management roles.
Leadership is said to be of pivotal importance to the future of health and social care organisations (Darzi, 2008; Ham, 2011). Many authors (e.g. Alimo-Metcalf and Alban-Metcalf, 2006; Vardiman et al, 2006; Anderson et al 2009; Amagoh, 2009; Hotho and Dowling, 2010) have identified that organisations that are considered to have good leadership thrive, even when times are difficult, and conversely, poor leadership is an often cited reason for organisational failure. As a consequence, the need to develop leadership capacity has been identified as an important issue in organisations across the world. Leadership is, however, a complex multifaceted concept that has been subject to much debate. In spite of this debate and the development of many models of leadership, disagreement still exists as to how it should be defined. This article seeks to explore a new approach to leadership that might help paramedic practitioners, managers and leaders at all levels within the organisation begin to understand their unique approach to their leadership role, whatever their particular experience and schooling of leadership, and wherever they are placed within the hierarchy of the organisation.
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