Redefning leadership in the ambulance service

When I first set about researching leadership with my colleague, James Taylor, I was taken aback by the plethora of frameworks, models, matrixes and competency sets dedicated to what makes an effective leader. Then there is also the distinct concept of clinical leadership and the fundamental differences between leadership and management.

In the first of our two-part paper for the Journal of Paramedic Practice, the limitations of a ‘tick-box’ approach to leadership frameworks were discussed (Taylor and Armitage, 2012a) while the second instalment, which can be read in this edition of the JPP, emphasises that while it can be viewed as a process, the ‘human’ dimension of leadership cannot be understated (Taylor and Armitage, 2012b).

The importance of leadership within the modern ambulance service is beyond question. Consider a climate of constricting financial constraints married with an unparalleled increase in demand—the ubiquitous drive for patient satisfaction and the ever–present clinical performance indicators. Increased governance and accountability fused with a demand for compliance and adherence to localprotocols. Heightened public expectation against a back-drop of increased personal risk to front-linestaff.