D fferentLeaders

Supported by:

Dear Reader,Firstly, I would like to thank Abdul Khalifa,for producing our ‘Different Leaders’ guide.

We all need role models. Whilst this guide is specifically aimed at black and minorityethnic staff, who are under represented atthe most senior levels of our NHS, it containsnarratives that are important for us all.

The ‘Different Leaders’ guide shines a lighton our future leaders and the challengesthey overcame on their journey to success.

We hope that these stories inspire youpersonally and your organisation to be moreinclusive in your identification of talent inrelation to the BME workforce. We hopethese narratives and the career advice thatis available inspires you to realise yourpotential for the benefit of patients, service users and yourself.

Simon Morritt Chief Executive, Sheffield Childrens Hospital

Executive sponsor for Innov8: leadingdifferently for better healthcare.

Contents Foreword

Case Studies:Reva Stewart ..........................4-5Krishnakumar Nair................6-7Pamela Shaw .........................8-9Johnson D’Souza ..............10-11Clive Clarke ........................12-13

Pathway to Leadership -Pull out Roadmap.............14-15

Case Studies:Chris Jewesbury................16-17Tracy Grey ..........................18-19Sajid Azeb ..........................20-21Ashy Shanker ....................22-23Tasnim Ali...........................24-25

Appendix: Roadmap Resources........26-27

leading differently for better healthcare

*The Different Leader’s initiative is part of the Innov8 NHS – leading differently for better healthcare, a programme of leadership and organisational development work sponsored by the RegionalLeadership Council and funded by by Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber.

Dear Reader,As you read the profiles, I hope you can beas inspired as I was when given thisopportunity to share the learning, skills anddetermination of staff within the NHS.

The idea behind the production of thisbooklet is about connecting readers to astory and perhaps discovering a similarbackground by sharing experiences of theseindividuals who have made it through hardwork and determination. Staff across theNHS can benefit and learn from theseexperiences.

As an NHS employer we are good atproviding pathways to success, but we oftenforget the skills, passion and resilience thatare required alongside. The profiles in thisbooklet explain how each unique individualhas become a leader by showingdetermination to be successful. There is noright or wrong way to be successful, but it’sthe will power in the individual that makes ithappen. Believe in yourself.

When interviewing for these profiles I hearda lot of powerful messages, however as you

can appreciate, too often this does notcome across via a transcript. In order to

share these with you we have

produced a DVD of the profiles showcasingkey messages which we hope can be usedfor all aspects of career development andstrategies to help focus people on the skillsrequired to be successful.

The booklet’s centre pages provide apathway of resources, skills and signpoststhat we hope you can utilise to help you andothers to develop. By no means is this anexhaustive list, but we believe these to be key.

I hope that by sharing these stories you canbegin to think about where you are in yourcareer path and what you would like toachieve. I believe that if we want to see thechange then “you have to be the changeyou want to see”.

Finally I would like to say that thedevelopment of this booklet wasaccomplished with the excellent support ofNoshina Kiani who ensured my ideas for thiswork were translated into action. I wouldalso like to thank Tracy Grey and MaggieStubbs for their guidance and to Innov8 forsponsoring this project. Finally I would like tothank my employer, Bradford District CareTrust for supporting me on the project.

I would like to hear from individuals directly should you wish to discuss thebooklet further.

Kind regards

Abdul KhalifaHR Business Partner Bradford District Care Trust

I work as a business manager at Bradford District Care Trust,having been in my role sinceDecember 2011.

I qualified as a nurse in 1988, after trainingfor three years in Leeds. My first post was asa staff nurse in an elderly care ward and justlike most nurses, I really wanted to providethe best care that I could. After a couple ofyears, when I had reached the point where Ineeded to consolidate the knowledge andskills that I’d learnt, I felt that I was readyfor the next challenge. I applied for a wardsister post, as I had been doing someelements of the post during my normalworking day, but when I applied for the postand was unsuccessful, I knew I could domore and I thought I had skills inside of methat would step up to the mark and deliverthat.

I felt leadership and managementopportunities were not available and itwasn’t until I moved to Bradford that therewas a turnaround in my career. Sometimesit’s about the organisation not being right foryou and you may have to make that decisionthat, actually, I need to go somewhere else.

When leaving the organisation, I promisedmyself that I would make more of myselfand actually give more and not be put off bythe fact that some people didn’t believe inmy abilities. So when I arrived in Bradford in

the community health services I made acommitment that I was going to do my bestand look for different opportunities so that Icould showcase my skills, but also theopportunity to develop and move on.

I was also successful on the BreakingThrough National Top Talent Programme,which helped me to secure a secondment atBradford District Care Trust.

When I look back over my career, there wasone person who was instrumental in termsof giving me that inspiration and motivationto move forward. One particular linemanager who invested the time in terms ofsaying ‘Actually, you’ve got something, whydon’t you look at this, explore that?’ andencouraged me to go on different courses. I had informal coaching sessions, whichstretched me and helped me move forward.They were instrumental in terms of where Iam now.

If I hadn’t had that support, I think it mayhave taken me longer to get where I am. Ithink there was a risk also of justaccepting the cards that had been givento me and not believing in myself. But Ithink my passion and my values in

Reva Stewart

4

5

terms of providing best care and alsobelieving that I could achieve more anddeliver more helped me through that and itmade me a little bit stronger and moreresilient. You have to keep on fighting inwhat you believe and that’s seen methrough. I think your family and friends canalso give you strength by saying, ‘We knowyou can do that,’ you are capable of doingmore even though you don’t hear it withinyour own organisation. You’ve got to believein yourself and your abilities.

My advice to anybody who wants to achieve,if they want to go on a similar pathway, is tofind a coach or a mentor and also yourfriends and family as well. Think aboutwhere you want to be, grasp anyopportunities that are offered and putyourself out there. Most importantly, believein yourself.

One of the things I’d like to do, as a leader inthe NHS, is to share my experiences andskills with other people and staff in the NHS.

So I think it’s important for me to docoaching and mentoring and it’s part of thesuccession planning, because what I want isan NHS that will still provide the best care,for when I’m going to be using the servicesin the future. You can’t do this alone; youcan’t rely on just the skills that you’ve gotinherent in you. It’s OK to make mistakesbecause that’s one of the best ways oflearning as long as it’s in a safeenvironment, but to enable you to do thatyou need support, you need someone thereto help you view your skills differently. Tome, coaching and mentoring is key to that.

In five years’ time I would like to be adirector. I don’t think that’s too high anaspiration to have because I believe that ifyou have a dream you’ve got to follow itthrough. With the skills that a programmelike ‘Breaking Through’ has given me I thinkit’s achievable.

In five years’ time I wouldlike to be a director. I don’tthink that’s too high anaspiration to have because Ibelieve that if you have adream you’ve got to follow itthrough. With the skills thata programme like ‘BreakingThrough’ has given me Ithink it’s achievable.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Is self-aware• Is able to communicate

effectively• Has integrity• Is honest and fair with you• Is a visionary

XXXXX

My current role is as a project lead,leading the roll-out of an award-winning service improvementprogramme across the Airedale andBradford Community Services andthe inpatient wards within theBradford District Care Trust.

I qualified as a general nurse and midwifefrom India 19 years ago and worked as aspecialist critical care nurse in India. Aftercompleting a degree in clinical psychology, Iwas sponsored by the government of Indiato pursue a postgraduate programme inpsychiatry at the National Institute ofMental Health and Neurosciences,Bangalore.

After completing my psychiatry training, Ireally wanted to see the developments andchanges in treatment methods andinterventions in the field of mental health,especially the psychological interventions.Around that time I was invited for a jobinterview by the Bradford District Care Trust,who came over to India and recruited me towork in the UK. I started working as anadaptation nurse in an acute mental healthward. I completed my NMC registration inJanuary 2005, and started working as aregistered mental health nurse on the sameward. In 2006, I progressed onto anassistant ward manager role on the samemale acute ward. From there, I startedgetting involved in some of the trust’stransformation processes, especially whenwe moved from the old Airedale Hospital

premises to the new Airedale Centre forMental Health unit. I led a presentation ofnew ways of working on the newly built unitfor the commissioners and executivemanagement team of the PCT and the trust.This involvement made me feel included inthe organisational structure and alsoprovided confidence in working on a higherlevel.

Unfortunately, I had an incident in 2010which affected my physical health andworking life. I had a stroke that made myclinical role on the ward difficult. I thenmoved to the community as a communitypsychiatric nurse and also started practisingcognitive behaviour therapy. When the trustadvertised for the post of a band 8 projectlead, I took the opportunity and wassuccessful. I had been involved in andsuccessfully completed some serviceimprovement projects while I was in Indiaand those experiences enhanced myconfidence.

Having moved to the UK after living inIndia most of my life, there were quite afew challenges; it is another part ofthe world, very different in cultureand language. The biggest challenge

Krishnakumar Nair

6

7

was leaving the family behind as my wifewas doing her research degree back home.

It took a lot of time for me to be able tofocus on my goals after coming here. One ofthe key goals was to learn about the diversecommunities and see how things work in adifferent setting. I come from Kerala, one ofthe most beautiful parts of India, and manyof my colleagues asked why I came to thiscountry to work, sacrificing my personal andprofessional life. I usually tell them it’s notfor earning money but to improve myknowledge and skills, understand differentcultures and the different types oftherapeutic interventions available.

One of the other challenges I had wascommunication. When I was very young, Iused to stammer, which led to a lack ofconfidence when talking to people, but byunderstanding the culture and diversity ofwhere I was working it gave me confidencewhen dealing with different people.

The turning point in my career was therecognition of my potential by my previous

manager when I started working for theNHS. I then started getting involved

with NHS Leadership Academy BreakingThrough programmes, attended leadershipmaster classes and also received executivecoaching though the NHS Breaking Throughprogramme. At present I am involved with‘Conversations For Change programme – anUbuntu driven approach’ through TutuFoundations UK. This again is about helpingthe community, understanding inclusion,inequalities and other people’s needs andhelping them in difficult situations.

There were quite a few people who helpedme in my journey. The two key people whoreally had an impact on my life are my mumand my wife, who guided and supported methroughout my journey. The other personwas the manager who interviewed me inIndia in 2004, and incidentally sheinterviewed me again in 2010 for the current role.

Everyone can be a leader, if they have thedetermination, motivation andperseverance. I feel my career is a very goodexample of this.

In five years, I see myself in a senior rolewhere I can make a positive impact on the

NHS systems. I have a passion for serviceimprovement, as I always see the biggerpicture with improved quality, productivity,safety and reliability in patient care throughthe innovation and service improvementprogrammes.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Is a good listener• Is understanding and caring• Is resilient• Is flexible• Is enthusiastic• Is confident• Is committed to excellence• Is determined• Has self-belief

Pamela Shaw

My name is Pamela Shaw and I am currently a health visitor/practice educator at Mid YorkshireHospitals NHS Trust.

I qualified as a general nurse in 1991 andworked as a staff nurse for two years beforeembarking on a career in midwifery. I latertrained as a health visitor and then after twoyears of qualifying I completed a PracticeTeacher course at Huddersfield University aswell as a Postgraduate Certificate inEducation.

The turning point in my career was when Iwas nominated by a manager to attend aMary Seacole Development/LeadershipAward Ceremony event in London in 2008.The purpose of the awards was to enable theawardees to undertake a project to developand improve services for marginalisedgroups in the community or BMEpatients/clients to reduce healthinequalities. During the awards ceremony Iwas inspired to undertake an innovativeproject. A woman, who was unknown to me,informed me that she would like to see mereceive an award as she thought I could doan interesting project. Her comments werethe catalyst I needed to put a long-standingidea of mine into practice, to improveequality & diversity training. I wanted createa training tool that highlighted a balancebetween important elements of legislationand discriminatory facts as well as the

positive contributions that BME professionalsmake to the NHS and society.

I was successful in being awarded a MarySeacole Leadership Award in 2009. Thisenabled me to develop a DVD whichcaptured the life stories of successful BMEprofessionals from different professionalbackgrounds, ethnicity, ages and gender. But most importantly, the DVD aimed toshow professionals in charge of their owndestinies through capturing their careerprogression stories, how they remainfocused, what inspires them, their views oninclusive leadership and why they thought itwas important to have role models reflectiveof the community. My DVD showcasesindividuals at both National and Local levels.Such as, one of the first BME female director,as well as the then ‘National Director forEquality and Human Rights’ and a keyindividual from the ‘Breaking Through’programme. My hard work and enthusiasmregarding my project generated lots ofinterest both locally and nationally and Iwas invited to a celebratory evening atDowning Street. I also visited Whitehalland shadowed the Chief Nurse for aday and became a member of herBME Advisory Group. I have also

8

9

published articles on the importance ofinclusive leadership in professional journals.

I feel that self-motivation is a key factor tocareer progression and fulfilment, but havinga plan through the annual developmentreview structure, is also an important factoralong with actively seeking out opportunitiesfor personal and career development.

Other important factors include networkingwidely with others who share a similarpassion and drive to make a difference.Furthermore, having access to good mentorsor accessing coaching will be beneficial - Ihave met and remain in contact with somevery motivational individuals who have beenvery generous with their time in supportingand advising me. I am driven by a strongbelief to always give my best and toencourage others to do the same and notaccept the average. I am very determinedand don’t give up easily, I strongly believe inexploring other directions if my first option isnot available.

On a personal level, my parents have donemore for me than anyone I know, as they

were selfless and always put the needsof the family first. They were veryencouraging, courageous and honest

and always instilled in me that I was incharge of my own destiny and not to letothers set limits for me.

I consider myself a positive person whodoesn’t see barriers, only challenges - I liketo think I can rise to a challenge no matterhow great. I have experienced somechallenges during my career journey, butthese have developed me in many ways andI would like to think developed others alongthe way too.

The knowledge that I am providing anexcellent service and receiving positivefeedback from clients, colleagues, managersand those I would hold dear to me, such asmy family/friends has kept me motivated.Winning the Health Visitor of the Year awardhas given me that extra boost and drive tocontinue providing excellent care, strongleadership as well as achieving personalgoals and professional development.Furthermore, I consider myself a lifelonglearner and enjoy expanding my knowledge,I am now completing my MSC with supportfrom the SHA. I am also keen to developothers, and my role as a practice educator inhealth visiting allows me to train anddevelop student health visitors and I have a

lead role within my organisation on clinicalpreceptorship.

If someone had the same desire to achieve,I would encourage them to live their dream– seek out opportunities to reach their goals,and surround themselves with individualswho are prepared to offer unconditionalsupport and direction. Finally, always beprepared to help others as you progress inyour career, and set your own limits - don’tallow others to set your limits for you!

A good leader is somebody who:

• Has self-belief• Is able to inspire others• Encourages and develops the

potential of others• Is open, honest and fair• Can champion change and

innovation to improve serviceand create engaged and fulfilled staff

Johnson D’Souza

I am a general practitioner and theacting medical director for theformer NHS Wakefield District

I have an interest in medical managementand in 2007, after I finished my generalpractitioner training, I was offered a role asa senior clinical advisor with the clinicalmanagement committee of the PCT. Thatgave me an understanding of how primarycare trusts operated and in general gave meexposure to the working of the NHS.

I was successful in getting a placement withthe NHS Institute’s ‘Breaking Through’programme, which helped me structure an18-month secondment across primary andsecondary care trusts as part of mydevelopment. Apart from this I wasfortunate to have access to senior leaders inthe NHS who coached and mentored me.

As a clinician, the major challenge for mewas getting to know the complexities of theNHS as you take on senior roles. There isalways a worry about leaving front-linegeneral practice and dipping your toes intomedical management; it’s a hard balancingact trying to juggle the two and get it right.When you start training to become amanager you do encounter resistance attimes, but it’s about working around thisresistance, and demonstrating your resolve.

In order to balance both roles as a medicalmanager and clinician, you need to beadaptable and flexible when working withcolleagues. This is a very sharp learningcurve, and you’ve got to put yourself in thisposition of wanting to learn, wanting to goout and meet people and develop newnetworks whilst benefitting from theexpertise and experience of your colleagues.There’s always a honeymoon period whenyou take on a new role, where you can askquestions and they won’t be considered asbasic, so don’t hesitate or be afraid to ask.

In terms of support, I feel that the role yourfamily plays cannot and should not beunderestimated. My wife, my son, parentsand extended family have all beensupportive. You’ve got to make sacrifices,you’ve got to invest a lot of your time inpersonal development and you can’t fathominitially the commitment that is neededwhile undertaking this career path. Of coursefellow medical directors and other seniorcolleagues have also guided me throughthe maze of regulations and in learningthe ropes of the trade. Also being partof an action learning set, where youcan share thoughts and opinionswith likeminded individuals in a safeenvironment, is hugely beneficial.10

11

On reflection, if I could have done anythingdifferently to get to where I am now, itwould have been to gain additionalmanagement qualifications. As a medic youstruggle initially when you have to deal withtaking management responsibilities. There isa need to understand board behaviours,finance matters, overall strategy, policy,decision-making, and the art of negotiations,but these are the things we don’t getexposed to during core medical training aspart of a medical curriculum. So perhaps Iwould have benefitted had there been anelement of management training.

If someone has the same desire as me todevelop as a medical manager, then I wouldsay you need to determine what it is youwant, and how you want your career toprogress. You need to know your strengthsand weaknesses; obviously you need to workon developing your strengths andminimising your weaknesses. I can’temphasise how important it is to developnetworks – you’ve got to invest your timeinto personal development, which comes at

a cost. Find out what opportunities exist:the NHS does have lots of training anddevelopment resources, so find out

what’s right for you and undertake thosedevelopment opportunities. Above all, I thinkyou need to have self-belief.

In order to be a good leader, you’ve not onlygot to ‘lead’, but you’ve got to be seen to beleading in an effective way. By developingyour teams and the people who work withyou and alongside you, it puts you in a betterposition to delegate and get the best out ofpeople. There may be times when you needto take the flak for things that have gonewrong, but being able to keep your headabove the parapet and say ‘yes, this waswhere a mistake was made’ enhances youas an individual and as a leader. Above all,it’s making the decisions and demonstratingthought leadership while keeping the patientat the core of the whole process. Asking thebasic but all-important questions, ‘Is thisgoing to make a difference to patient care,are the patients going to benefit from this, isit going to impact on the service in the nextfive or ten years?’ is what should be aguiding principle.

An element of future-proofing, and scanningthe horizon for developments in order to beone step ahead of the changes, ismandatory to be able to succeed.

I think these are really challenging times forthe NHS with the passing of the Health andSocial Care Bill and as GP-led commissioningis being established. But I think there isalways going to be a need for experiencedmedical managers dealing with issuesaround performance, contracting,commissioning and governance and long asyou are able to adapt yourselves to change,learn new skills, keep developing yourexisting skills then I think you will alwayshave a role to play in the NHS, and this iswhere I would continue to see myself in thenext five years.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Has self-belief• Is able to future-proof• Can develop people• Can lead effectively• Has a visual presence – is seen

to be leading• Is adaptable• Is flexible

Clive Clarke

I’m the Deputy Chief Executive forSheffield Health and Social CareFoundation Trust and as theexecutive director for operationaldelivery I lead on social care withinthe Trust.

My background is very interesting, in thesense that it’s something that’s kept mefocused and grounded. I came from a single-parent household and inherited a verystrong work ethic from my mother who is astrong influence on me. She brought us up tothink in a positive way about ourselves andwhat we could achieve, and also made usthink positively about our spirituality, andthis kept us very close to what we believeand use as a mechanism for support andenablement.

I left school with limited qualifications, anddecided I was going to go into industry.After six weeks in a factory I decided itwasn’t for me and my mother, who workedas a support worker at this current trust inthe early years, suggested I go into nursingas I was able to communicate very well withpeople.

Having matured, I did some studying andqualified as a nurse. After a year working onthe wards, I decided again that I neededsomething more and I went off to universityto train as a social worker. I was then dualqualified in both mental health nursing andsocial work and was an approved mentalhealth practitioner before I went intomanagement.

I got into my current position on the back oftwo things: one, that I had dual qualification.If you have aspirations, I would suggest thatyou need to get qualified so that you arelevel pegging with everyone. The secondthing is that I’ve always been really honestwith people about what I wanted from mycareer and how I was going to do it. Puttingyourself out there, marketing yourself sopeople can see that you have aspirations iskey because then even they will eventuallysay ‘let’s give him a try’.

I’ve been an executive in my currentorganisation for over five years and beforethis I was a director, managing adult mentalhealth services. I’ve had a number of seniorroles within the NHS and social care andhaving worked within a PCT, I feel that thewealth of background and knowledge anddirection of travel has set me in good stead.Another thing that has helped me is havinga very good support mechanism externally,with people I can trust and who advise me,but are real so keep me very grounded.

I also tapped into a mentoringprogramme where I’ve receivedsupport and my current chief execencouraged me to get on to the‘Top Managers’ programme.12

13

The challenges that we face sometimescome from the most unexpected sources,and I can say that what I’ve always done isbe honest with people about where I want tobe. I remember the first time I was offered ajob managing a team that I’d worked in andwith people I had worked with when Istarted out in social work. I’ll never forgetthe reaction from my peers to this and if Ihadn’t been resilient then the attitude of mypeers would have stopped me in my tracks.But with the support I received, I continuedand pushed on anyway.

I still remember when I got my first directorrole and that fills me with pride because Iwas able to compete with a number of otherpeople to get that job, not just for myself butfor my whole community. I went to thechurch that following weekend and theyapplauded for me, because they sawthemselves and their children progressing toa place where we hadn’t had people beforeand that keeps me going. I’m not just herefor myself; I now have a young son as well

so I am being a role model for him. Iwant him to see me in a positive light

and believe that he can do whateverhe sets his heart to do.

In five years’ time, I certainly see myselfbeing deputy chief exec and I’ve set a target.My motivation is to help people, and do thebest I can. I want my voice to be heard, andI always say to my community that we’vegot to be in positions of power, on boards. Iwant to influence direction and improveservices at a senior level, not just in thisorganisation but across the country as well.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Has self-belief• Is resilient• Has a vision• Is a good communicator• Inspires others• Motivates others• Can reflect• Can engage all the way up

through an organisation• Is grounded and real

Another thing that has helpedme is having a very goodsupport mechanism externally,with people I can trust and whoadvise me, but are real so keep me very grounded.

14

Pathway to Leadership - Pull out Roadmap

15

Chris Jewesbury

Until recently I was the DeputyDirector for joint commissioning forchildren, young people, maternityservices in a joint post between NHSCalderdale and Calderdale Council.

I started my career as a social worker in1992 working in Kirklees Council withchildren and young people. I did that forabout six years, before being promoted toteam manager. I then moved to withinKirklees to more strategic roles where I wasresponsible for children’s planning andelements of children’s commissioning. Fromthere, I moved to Bradford, where I wasemployed by one of what were then fourPCTs on behalf of the NHS and the council, tolead on the development andcommissioning of Child and AdolescentMental Health Services (CAMHS). I did thatjob for about four years and then moved intomy current role as deputy director forchildren’s joint commissioning at Calderdale.

A number of things helped me to get towhere I am but I feel that one of the mostimportant was being part of a BME staffnetwork, such as the ones I joined when Iwas working in Kirklees and Bradford. As Iwas a relatively new member of staff, joiningthe network helped me understand how theorganisations worked, how things fittedtogether and how BME staff could supporteach other throughout the organisation. Ithink for me being a part of BME networks

has been less about overcoming barriers andmore about having an opportunity tonetwork with other BME colleagues withinthe organisation.

Another thing that is helpful is having a clearidea of what you are doing. My career hasbeen very much around vulnerable childrenand young people, and this is the area whereI want to make a big difference and have animpact. Working in this area helped mewhen I moved into a commissioning role as Iwas able to understand what it was I wascommissioning and what it was that I wastrying to achieve.

Having access to training whilst on mycareer path has also been vital in terms ofhow I got to where I am now. When Ibecame a team manager in Kirklees, I wasgiven the opportunity to go on a Certificateof Management Studies and subsequently aDiploma in Management Studies, which wereboth post-graduate certificates. I foundthem really helpful in terms of making thattransition from being a frontlinepractitioner to a manager and helpingme to reflect upon what my skillswere as a manager, what was

16

important about managing and what wasdifferent.

When I was training in the workplace, as anewly qualified social worker I got quite a lotof training and support enabling me todevelop and become a more reflectivepractitioner. I started to develop skills insupervising student social workers, whichhelped me to develop supervisory skills andbecome a manager. I think I have been quitelucky, in being able to access fairly rigorous,high-quality management training. When Imoved to Bradford again, I think I was luckyin terms of the leadership developmentprogrammes in place there within the PCTand the wider health service. These wereeither leadership development opportunitiesregionally or locally, which enabled me tolook at my own skills and accessopportunities like coaching.

The transition from the council to the NHShas enabled me to understand thedifferences and similarities between workingin a local authority and within the NHS. We

work in a sector which involves helpingpeople and making a difference to theirlives, so I think remaining true to that,and to our values, is what counts. One

of the key things in terms of children’scommissioning is to understand theinterface between the NHS, local authoritiesand education. My experience has enabledme to understand this and to workeffectively in partnership. My advice toanyone out there who wants to achieve isthat you shouldn’t hold yourself back butthat you also need to spend time to buildyour knowledge, experience and skills.Having the self-confidence to put yourselfout there, to apply for jobs and opportunitiesis also essential to moving forward in yourcareer.

In five years’ time I want to be in a positionwhere I’m still making a difference tochildren and young people. I’d see myselfworking in a more senior position, possiblyworking towards roles like director ofchildren’s services in the local authority, orlooking at how we can support CCGs tocontinue to work more closely with localauthorities around joint commissioning, forchildren and young people and othervulnerable groups within the localcommunity.

Clive is now in a new senior post at the NHSCommissioning Board.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Has self-belief• Is supportive• Has vision• Is good at networking• Works hard• Is confident

A number of things helped meto get to where I am but I feelthat one of the most importantwas being part of a BME staffnetwork, such as the ones Ijoined when I was working inKirklees and Bradford.

17

Tracy Grey

Until recently I held a dual role as a Health Improvement Specialist(advanced) for NHS Leeds and as a regional business partner forInnov8.

I haven’t come through a traditional NHSroute, and instead have a mixed portfolio ofexperience, having worked for the thirdsector, local authority and the private sector.A large part of my career history was spentin the third sector working for a leadingmental health charity. I have also worked forthe local authority in a variety of roles,largely youth and community work, workingwith young people, supporting their socialand educational development.

I later took on further roles at a morestrategic level working in the field ofregeneration. This involved extensivestakeholder and relationship managementleading partnerships to tackle social andeconomic inequalities in a deprived area ofLeeds. The catalyst for getting into thehealth service was the work I undertookearlier on in my career when I worked for theHealthy Living Centre.

An opportunity came up with the NHS whilstI was working for the Healthy Living Centre,and as the remit was around tackling healthinequalities across vulnerable groups, mypast experience placed me in a very strongposition and I got the role of advancedhealth improvement specialist. Beforegetting this position though, I had appliedfor another role within the same sector but I

didn’t get it. Instead of seeing this as anegative experience I requested feedbackfrom a senior level person on the interviewpanel, which I found very useful. Byreflecting on this feedback I was then betterprepared for the interview for my currentrole, which surprisingly was on a more seniorlevel than the one I hadn’t got originally.

My journey through the NHS has been bothrewarding and challenging. Rewarding,because my latent talents and abilities havebeen recognised, at a local, regional andnational level. My passion for tackling healthinequalities and indeed championingworkforce issues was recognised by anational BME network and I was asked tolead at the regional level. I also participatedin many Innov8 initiatives. Not only was Iactive during the embryonic stages, sharingmy perspectives, but later invited to sit onthe Innov8 executive group, where diversityin leadership styles is encouraged andactively promoted.

It has been challenging at times, assometimes this passion can bemisconstrued by others, and I haveexperienced setbacks.

But if I could pass anything on toothers, it would be about being18

19

open to constructive feedback, and also thatyou have to take responsibility for yourcareer, which requires self determinationand also resilience. I have learnt fromsetbacks and challenges and didn’t let themget me down. I surround myself withpositive people; it’s important to have strongfamily, social and career networks.

Having people believe in my ability from aninclusive stance has helped harness myleadership capabilities and given me theopportunity to use my business acumen tolead on high-level stretch assignmentswhich have been instrumental in mysuccess. The first person who was the key inunlocking my potential was a line managerfrom the voluntary sector who alwayspromoted continuous improvement and selfreflection. She encouraged me to enrol atuniversity to consolidate my knowledge andarranged for the organisation to fund mymaster’s in public health.

The other thing that I feel helped me themost to get to where I am now was self-belief, because I knew I had the track record

and experience. I’m also very committedto social and health inequalities andwant to empower communities tomake the best of their lives and toexperience good services and

interventions. Linked to this is the idea thateveryone’s potential needs to be recognisedand nurtured and I am passionate aboutcreating new opportunities and role modelsfor the next generation.

As a role model, you sometimes don’t realisethe impact you are having on someone’s life.As a working mother, balancing workcommitments, studying and maintaining ahealthy and stable life is hard work, butseeing my daughter get her degree inpsychology and now become a qualifiedteacher has to be my biggest success. Ifseeing me ‘juggle all those balls withoutletting them fall to the ground’ inspired herin some way then my hard work anddetermination was an investment that haspaid off greatly.

I am currently embarking on a MBAprogramme and at one point I would havesaid that this is beyond my capabilities.However, I believe we only fail if we don’t try.Having a ‘can do’ attitude is key and I amapplying the learning to the NHS. I believethis learning lends itself well to the newchanging NHS – these business skills aregoing to be critical. I have had to work hard to get where I am today; it has not beeneasy.

Working in the NHS has been a career goal ofmine and I have always had a strong desireto make a difference on a macro and microlevel. In five years’ time, I would have hopedto have achieved my ambition of becoming adirector within the NHS and continuing tomake a positive difference to the patientexperience.

Tracy is now in a senior post in the HealthInequalities team at the NHS CommissioningBoard.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Has self-belief• Is a strategic thinker• Is dynamic• Has integrity• Can manage relationships• Is a good listener • Has political astuteness• Is a good negotiator & influencer• Is values driven

20

Sajid Azeb

I am assistant divisional director forchildren’s, women’s and familiesservices at Calderdale andHuddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

From an early age, I’ve always had a desireto work in healthcare. My family is fromPakistan, and it’s a developing countrywhere healthcare is a scarce resource,especially for people who can’t afford toaccess good healthcare, so I have alwaysbeen interested in this line of work. After Iqualified as an orthoptist in 2000, I workedfor almost two and a half years in a clinicalfield. Interaction on a one-to-one withpatients was excellent and I loved it, but Ifelt by moving into management I wouldhave a bigger impact on larger numbers ofpeople at a higher level and that’s whatdrove me to change career paths.

I have a passion to help people and I’m inthe NHS because I fundamentally believe inthe NHS, and in what it stands for and whyit’s there. The passion has always been thereand as I’ve got into the different job rolesand enjoyed them, that passion has grownover time and I can see the results and theimpact of the work that I’ve been involvedin. When you realise the benefits that thoseprojects bring to individuals and populations,that’s what really drives you as an individualto say that what you are doing is making adifference.

The biggest challenge I faced was thetransition from clinical care intomanagement and that was because therewas a mindset, both in myself thinking ‘Ihave trained as a clinician; I can’t move intomanagement’, and possibly people aroundme at that time, thinking ‘will he, can he getinto a management post?’ But I think as Idid it fairly early in my career, the risksweren’t that great and I was able to exploredifferent job roles. I realised personally that Ienjoyed the managerial job role and peoplearound me saw that I could deliver as well,and from then I’ve not looked back once.

The ‘Breaking Through’ programme has beenfundamental in getting me to where I amtoday and it wasn’t until I went through theprogramme that I realised the power ofnetworks, mentors and cultures. Even now, Ibelieve you need to stay ‘linked in’ withpeople and to make sure you seek outpeople for support. It’s all too easy to staybehind your computer in your office andchurn out paper after paper, but I thinkone of the leadership qualities is beingable to network and createrelationships with people and givesomething back as well. One of the

21

things I could have done earlier is developthose types of relationships.

As I had to think about where I wanted to beand how I was going to make this happen, Ienrolled onto a Diploma in ManagementStudies, which I then converted into a MBA.That was extremely difficult, not becausework was hard but it was balancing thedemands of an MBA with the fact that I’vegot a full-time job, a family and a desire toachieve. But I overcame this and I’m now ina position where I can potentially continueto influence health care and progress fromhere as well.

The NHS is constantly growing and changing,but it’s about how you as an individualrespond to that. For me, it’s about workingas a team: as a leader you are only as goodas your team and for me it’s about beingabsolutely open, transparent and creating aculture where people work together for thegreater good. To get through challengingtimes I don’t think you can do it as an

individual, no matter how good a leaderyou think you are. You get through

those times with your team.

I’ve been in the NHS for 12 years now andearlier on there was a time in my careerwhere I thought I wanted to be a director bythe time I reached a certain age. But as I’veprogressed, I’ve realised that it’s lessimportant to work towards a time frame andmore important to get the right job. In fiveyears’ time I would hopefully be in a job thatI enjoy doing, which would be like the one Iam currently in, hopefully at a more seniorlevel and then I hope that I have a choice tomake about whether I want to go for a chiefexecutive position. It’s a really difficultdecision to make now, because I don’t knowwhat it’s like to be a chief exec and I have toget to a director level to experience that, butI still aspire to get there.

The next five years are about consolidatingmy experience, broadening it where I canand hopefully getting into a board-levelposition in order to make this a possibility.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Is open and transparent• Wants to make a difference• Can network• Can manage relationships• Supports others• Has self-belief

The ‘Breaking Through’programme has beenfundamental in getting me towhere I am today and it wasn’tuntil I went through theprogramme that I realised thepower of networks, mentorsand cultures.

Ashy Shanker

I am a strategy and systemsmanager for NHS Doncaster. I haverecently been appointed as ageneral manager for anaesthetics,critical care and pain managementin Doncaster and BassetlawHospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

After completing my MBA in 2001 I startedin the NHS working in general practice as anoffice manager. From there I moved to aservice improvement role in an acute trust,and gained considerable experience andknowledge of service improvement tools.Following this I worked as a commissioningmanager leading on service pathways,managing contracts and developing servicestrategies.

I came from India as a graduate into a verydifferent environment with hope andunfinished aspirations. There werechallenges associated with culture,language and most importantlyopportunities presented.

I have realised that working twice as hardand embellishing your name with degreesalone is not the elixir for success. Watchingyour junior colleagues becoming moresuccessful than you is also an experiencethat is difficult to comprehend or accept,especially if there are no seeminglyidentifiable shortfalls in you that you couldfix. Observing and experiencing this hasmade me more analytical and critical aboutmy surroundings and about organisationalcultures and leadership qualities.

The ‘Breaking Through’ transformationalleadership programme helped me discoverand develop my cultural competence. I ammore of a strategic thinker now, capable ofunderstanding multiple perspectives andusing emotional intelligence to arrive atmore positive outcomes.

Over the past few years my personaldevelopment has included a shift fromperfecting business skills to focusing onachieving outcomes. Motivating peoplearound me and influencing them throughmy passion for achieving better patient carehas been a lot more productive andrewarding than performance managing ateam on delivery of specific tasks.

In NHS management, it is essential to beable to adapt, get along with others andcreate networks to influence. To a greaterextent it is also about differentiatingbetween the battles and wars and focusingyour efforts on the latter. For someone withvery clear and strong values and beliefsystems this may be an uncomfortablegrey area to take on since there is a pullto go with the majority and not tostand out. The interesting paradox inmy efforts to develop into an

22

23

effective leader has been the need to defineand consolidate who I am and how I want tofunction as an individual. I increasingly usemy competencies well and adapt mybehaviours to achieve the outcomes I seek. I also give people time to understand andaccept me for who I am, with myshortcomings.

I believe opportunities do not comesearching for you – you have to actively seekthese. Being part of the Emerging LeadersBursary I was able to undertake a placementat a trust and into a role I wanted toprogress into.

The feedback process as part of theprogramme also helped me to push myselfto apply for roles that suited my abilities.Feedback from people you trust is a crucialdevelopment opportunity, especially toidentify and work on your ‘blind spots’.

There were challenges and barriers too; theway I look, the way I speak, my gender, thecontext I present, they all have been barriers

at various times. What I have learnt is tobecome more aware of the assumptions

that are commonly made about me. Ican then choose to nurture them or

dismantle them. In any case, I thinkfocusing on challenges and barriers does nothelp you progress so I tend to learn fromthem and move on.

My friends and colleagues have helped mesucceed in various ways. I am grateful to allof them and to the people who made itmore difficult at times because that madethe journey more interesting and reinforcedmy resilience.

My main motivation, however, hasundoubtedly been my family. I have twobeautiful children and a supportive andhardworking husband and they inspire meevery day to try my best and to have moreconfidence in myself. I think one of the mostchallenging and responsible things for awoman is to raise her kids to becomecomplete individuals. The second mostdifficult thing is to manage a successfulcareer alongside. Many women do it and I’mproud to be one of them.

The specific leadership competencies that Ihave utilised the most include resilience,perseverance and strategic thinking. Myinterest in organisational behaviour alsohelped me understand organisational

cultures I am exposed to. Having a mentorhas definitely helped me progress and Iwould recommend this, however, ultimatelyyou have to take responsibility for yoursuccesses and failures.

In five years’ time, I hope to develop further,perhaps into a director role. Currently I amfocusing on and enjoying my new role andbefore long I know I will be seeking newchallenges.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Has self-belief• Is honest and credible• Has integrity• Can influence others• Relates competencies and

behaviours to their values andprinciples

• Is someone you aspire to be

Tasnim Ali

My name is Tasnim Ali and I’m asenior service quality improvementmanager for the YorkshireAmbulance Service.

I’m a nurse by background, havingcompleted my degree in nursing in 1988 andthen worked in a hospital environment forabout 2 years. After working in a communitysetting as a District Nurse, I worked in Leedsfor a while before getting into managementaround 1997, as a Clinical Leader.

Since then I have worked with community,district nursing teams, health visiting teamsand have also worked with some of the GP’sin that area. I think being a nurse I’ve alwayshad a passion for patient care and I wantedto work within a different part of the NHSeconomy, but still be able to influencepatient care. I saw a job within YorkshireAmbulance Service which was as anAssistant Director of Operations, and that’sthe job I actually secured 2 years ago in April2010 and I’ve had a very privileged positionin terms of being able to go out with ourambulance crew, seeing the complex carethat they deliver to our patients in the sort ofvery vulnerable settings at times; I got thisjob as a Senior Service ImprovementManager last September and that wasfollowing a re-organisation. I found that Ihave a wide range of skills and because I’veworked with acute settings in thecommunity and GP practices, it has beenreally beneficial for me in this role because itis very much around pathway development

or dealing with efficiency issues withhospitals that impact on our ambulancestaff, that’s what a lot of this role is about.

In order to get to where I am, the mostimportant thing in terms of my careerdevelopment has been my personal drive todo well, I remember when one of mychildren was only five years old and Istarted my Masters degree at Huddersfield,so there was a lot of personal commitmentin wanting to do better and achieve better. Ithink part of that drive has been an internal,but also I want to be a good role model formy children; I want to show them that asAsians they can do well and how you canactually expand your career using basicskills. So there’s a world of opportunities outthere but you need to know where to lookand how to find them.

I think part of my success is my drive to doreally well in the job, so I have to understandmy objectives, what my contribution is, howI’m still able to impact on patient care andhow I translate that into actions with thepeople that I’m managing. I think for me,I have certain principles that cannot becompromised and these are aroundfairness, transparency and what I do,which I feel are necessary in order tooperate in an honest way. 24

25

I probably went through some personalchallenges whilst progressing with my careeras well, partly because of the way I look. Iwent to pilgrimage in 1997 and decided Iwas going to wear my hijab and it was thenthat I got into management. When I had myinterview I wasn’t wearing my hijab and Itold them then that when I come back I willbe wearing a scarf and therefore I will lookdifferent. So I’ve always worn a hijab in mymanagerial role. I think some of thechallenges are that people see me as anAsian woman, and automatically assumethat either I might be an expert witness onsome things, I’ve accompanied a healthvisitor to court once and they assumed I wasthe expert witness but I was there in amanagerial capacity. I think I’ve been quitelucky in the sense I’ve not faced too manychallenges from a work environment. I’vefelt managers have responded very well tome as have the people I’ve been managingso I have been quite lucky; but I personallyalso believe part of it is my view on life. Idefinitely view the world in a positive light,there’s far more good out there and I’m

always looking out for good things inpeople and in situations-and I would like

to think my positivity, influences peopleI work with and sort of helps tomotivate them.

If anybody wanted to aspire to be a DirectorI would say go for it because anything ispossible. However, if you want it then you’regoing to have to work for it. This might beabout you sitting and considering what yourskills/knowledge deficit may be or where youcan go to get those skills needed or who youneed to speak to as well as who could help.There are lots of people out there and neverbe frightened to ring people because peoplein senior positions always welcome that theymight have been identified as a potentialcontact .

Coaching was also helpful for me, and mycoach from the SHA was very useful eventhough sometimes it’s just been a telephoneconversation that I’ve had with thisindividual when I might have beenstruggling with something-and it’s not to saythat as a leader that there won’t be timeswhere you need help; so it’s about knowingwhat support you need and when you needit and who is that person that you can justring and say I need help on this please. Andlook out for opportunities, because theyhelped me along the way, programmes suchas ‘Beacon Leadership & DevelopmentCourse’, as well as ‘Breaking Through’conferences for networking.

I think the NHS landscape is changing reallyrapidly but within the next five years I would

still like to be part of the NHS and still beable to influence patient care in some form.In terms of ‘what next’ for me, I’m not really100% sure in terms of my next career movebut what I am 100% clear on is I’m happywith what I’ve got in terms of my work lifebalance.

My work is extremely interesting and I wantto be able to use my position within theorganisation to talk to other BME staff to sayhow you can be really good in your role, howyou can influence patient care, how you canreally make a difference and you know thereare opportunities still out there. So I thinkthat’s where my niche is, it’s about mehelping and motivating others.

A good leader is somebody who:

• Has self-belief• Is visionary in their approach• Can spot, develop and nurture

talented individuals• Has passion• Has personal drive• Is ambitious

26

Appendix: Roadmap Resources

National NHS ResourcesThe NHS Leadership Academy brings togetherfor the first time all the national activitysupporting leadership development in healthand NHS funded services. The principal purposeof the Academy is to develop outstandingleadership in health, with a continual focus onimproving patients' experiences and theirhealth outcomes.

You can self- assess your own leadershipbehaviours against the NHS LeadershipFramework model free of charge. You can alsofind lots of resources and also think aboutundergoing a 360-degree feedback exercise aspart of your development. Visit the NHSAcademy website for more information.www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk

Two personal and organisationalchange models for leadersADKAR – (awareness, desire, knowledge, abilityand reinforcement) applies to both personaland organisational changes you want to makeand an internet search will give you lots ofwebsites and resources with more information.

The NHS Institute website is a great resourceand you can find information about Leading

Large Scale Change at www.institute.nhs.uk Thismodel includes a focus on the need to engagethe hearts and minds of all those important toany change.

A selection of accessible and practicalbooks for leadersThe Thinking Environment offers a model ofhuman interaction to improve the way peoplethink and thus the way they work and live.Researched and written by Nancy Klein overmany years, it suggests that the mostimportant act of any leader is to help peoplethink for themselves. It also challenges each ofus to really think for ourselves too.www.timetothink.com/us

Taming your Gremlins is a practical andengaging take on how we create our owngremlins of ‘self-defeating behaviours andbeliefs’ and more importantly what we can doto tame them www.tamingyourgremlin.com

The 18 Challenges of Leadership is a usefulblend of insightful theory and practical actionsfor leaders. The book addresses the 18 mostcommon challenges experienced by people inleadership roles and suggests frameworks,exercises, self assessments etc to help witheach of them. It is written by Trevor Waldock,

Shenaz Kelly-Rawat, published by Prentiss HallBusiness.

David Allen’s book Getting Things Doneprovides an easy to read but provoking ‘manual’on just about every aspect of professional lifethat either helps or hinders us to ‘get our stuffdone’. www.davidco.com

A few selected leadership models Situational LeadershipKen Blanchard has developed a number ofpractical models, tools and resources forleaders over a lifetime of work. In particular,Situational Leadership offers a simple butprofoundly helpful model of leadership practicethat begins with what is most needed and mosthelpful for the ‘follower’ and argues thatleadership is, first and foremost, aboutunderstanding what followers need andadapting our behaviour to suit.www.kenblanchard.com

Factor 8Factor 8 is a leadership model developedby The Diversity Practice that helpedinform the Yorkshire-Humber work ofInnov8: Leading differently for better

27

healthcare. It offers a contemporaryunderstanding of leaders and leadership thatsupports many of the personal stories found inthis Different Leaders role model project.http://diversitypractice.com

Ethical Transformational LeadershipTransformational leadership has its origins inthe late 1970’s and emphasises the act ofleadership as a collaborative & social act thathas less to do with formal authority,instructions and ‘orders’ and more to do withco-creating outcomes that matter to everyoneinvolved regardless of their ‘authority ’. Thereare lots of resources to be found on the internetbut in Yorkshire-Humber, The Real World Grouphas been involved in many innovative researchprojects looking at the application oftransformational leadership to achievingmeasurable benefits to health outcomeswww.realworld-group.com

A selection of website resources The following are a ‘starter for 10’ on websitesto visit and we hope you will share yourfavourites in return:

• The Kings Fund - www.kingsfund.org.uk

• The International Journal of Leadership inPublic Service -www.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=ijlps

• The Prince’s Trust Leadership Group inYorkshire - www.princes-trust.org.uk/support_us/industry_leadership_groups/yorkshire.aspx

• Women’s Leadership; Public Service andGlobal Health -womeninpublicservice.org/institutes/womens-leadership-public-service-and-global-health/

• Business in the Community -www.bitc.org.uk/about_bitc/leadership_at_bitc/index.html

The road aheadThe NHS faces some big leadershipchallenges on the road ahead and Innov8asserts that we need all our talented leadersto rise to these challenges. If you have foundthis booklet useful, please take time to findout more about the developmentopportunities available and think how youcould support someone else in theirleadership journey too.

leading differently for better healthcare