How to become a senior medical leader. With Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard. Episode 87

Doctors at Work

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Helen has had a range of senior leadership roles, and in this episode she tells me how to get into leadership, how to progress, and the skills needed to succeed. Many people will have great skills, but they don't put themselves forward, they wait to be asked, or they wait for the perfect opportunity. However, this means that they may struggle to have the impact that they want, and Helen's tip is to go for it, learn and develop, and don't be afraid to fail. She tells me that it's important to keep eyes open for exciting opportunities, and this also means having to create space by letting go of other things. Our careers are not linear, they evolve all the time, and every step opens up a myriad of new doors and opportunities. Getting to know yourself is key to good leadership, as is knowing the people around you, and picking the battles that you choose to fight. I love her mantra "don't just moan, do something".
Helen Stokes-Lampard, Professor of GP Education, is back at UoB following a three-year secondment (2020-23) as Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) through the Covid19 pandemic. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges is the national body that represents and coordinates the UKs 24 Royal Colleges, Colleges and Medical Faculties that in turn represent all the main medical specialities that award higher professional medical qualifications. AoMRC ensures that patients are safely and properly cared for by setting standards for the ways doctors are educated, trained and monitored throughout their careers. She sits on the Expert Panel which advises the national AI Frontier Taskforce and Chairs the Independent clinical oversight group for the GRAIL/Galleri study. Additionally Helen is a GP Principal in Lichfield, the founding Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), the founding Chair of the Dames Commander Society (DCS) and a Trustee of Macmillan Cancer. She was Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) 2016-2019 and has held many other national medical leadership positions. Helen was awarded a DBE for services to General Practice in the New Years Honours list January 2022. You can find out more at https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/clinical-sciences/stokeslampard-helen and on her LinkedIn page.
Listen at https://matdaniel.net/podcast/; https://open.spotify.com/show/1j8uLaUU1g5bYTRVuwUX7j?si=672ec26a73164d7f; https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/doctors-at-work/id1701284564; or watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: Shot by Polachek
You can find out more about Mat's coaching to help doctors create successful and meaningful careers at www.MatDaniel.net.