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An unusual story caught my eye last week.
The newly appointed NHS chief executive at Doncaster & Bassetlaw has told staff, in effect; behave professionally, treat each other with respect... or leave.
Some will think that's 'rather blunt'. I don't. Oh no...
... I hope she means every word.
Why?
Every new chief executive inherits an organisation they didn't create.
They inherit the finances, the waiting lists, the estate, the reputation...
... and the culture.
The easiest thing in the world is to inherit a culture. The hardest thing is to change it.
In truth, you probably can't.
What you can change is the environment in which people work.
Change the environment and, over time, the culture changes with it.
That's particularly true when an organisation has struggled. Every new boss walks into memories, loyalties, disappointments and well-established ways of doing things.
Some traditions deserve protecting.
Some deserve leaving behind.
Sooner or later every leader has to answer one simple question.
'How are we going to behave
around here?'
That isn't about writing another set of values.
The NHS doesn't need another laminated card telling us about respect, teamwork and compassion.
Most trusts already have excellent values.
The challenge is making them real.
Over the years I've boiled leadership down to three jobs.
First, be visible.
People deserve to know who is leading them and what they stand for.
Second, recruit people better than yourself.
Great leaders are never intimidated by talented people. They seek them out, nurture them and give them room to grow.
The third job is the hardest...
Create the time and space for good people to do great things.
That's the real work of leadership.
Most NHS staff don't come to work looking for trouble.
They come to care for patients, support colleagues and make a difference, but...
They can't do great things if they are worried about being belittled.
They can't innovate if they're frightened to speak.
They can't concentrate on patients if they're spending emotional energy coping with poor behaviour.
Fear is a hopeless management tool. It silences ideas. It wastes talent.
It diverts energy that ought to belong to patients.
The chief executive at Doncaster isn't trying to create a tougher organisation.
She's trying to create a better one.
One where good people know what is expected of them.
One where professionalism isn't optional.
One where respect isn't a slogan but a standard.
Will everyone welcome that? Probably not.
Leadership rarely begins with applause.
Sometimes the first job of a leader is to draw a line and have the courage to stand behind it.
That isn't authoritarian.
It's creating the conditions in which everyone else can succeed.
If we want the NHS to improve, we have to do more than recruit good people.
We have to give them an environment where they can be at their best.
If people are bullied, frightened or humiliated, leaders have failed in one of their primary responsibilities...
... not because they've allowed bad behaviour, but...
... because they've made it harder for good people to do great work.
Leadership isn't about charismatic personalities or clever management techniques.
It's about creating the conditions in which other people can succeed.
That's why I support this new chief executive.
She isn't trying to change a culture. She's changing the environment. She knows the culture will follow, and...
... I know she's 'got serious about getting better'.
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