Medical leadership is the New Black: or is it?

Abstract

Considerable resources are being invested in healthcare leadership development programs and there is a new requirement for leadership teaching for Australian medical students. The new attention to medical leadership may be a reaction to loss of medical status and power. There is little evidence for return on investment from such programs. It is simply not clear what kind of leadership training is needed for collaborative work to improve healthcare nor what kind of organisational structures enable productive exercise of medical leadership skills. Caution is recommended. What is known about the topic? Considerable resources are being invested in healthcare leadership development programs and there is a new requirement to add leadership to the curricula for Australian medical students. What does this paper add? The lack of logic in calls for mass leadership training is explored. This may not only be a poor return on investment but also potentially reinforce medical attitudes that are unhelpful for modern healthcare. What are the implications for practitioners? A cautious approach to training large numbers of doctors and students is recommended.