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Royal College of Obstetricians and GynaecologistsFlagship learning sectionLeadership
Leadership
in Practice
A genuine free online programme for learning practical, compassionate leadership in the real moments that shape patient care, team culture and professional trust.
Your free learning pathway
Learn at your pace. Apply it in real work.
Leadership in Practice is designed for doctors who want clear teaching they can use, whether or not they hold a formal title. For the complete programme, work through modules 1 to 12 in order. If you face an immediate challenge, start with the situation that fits and return to the full pathway later.
Read
Begin with the short answer and learning objectives, then work through the full lesson in everyday language.
Apply
Use the three actions, reflection prompt and editable worksheet with a current or recent workplace situation.
Check
Answer all six questions. They test practical understanding and judgement, not memory alone.
Review
Read the explanations. If your score is below 50%, follow the targeted revision advice and repeat the module.
Why the questions matter
Feedback turns reading into learning
The Q&A section helps you notice what you understood, correct misconceptions and return directly to the relevant lesson section. A score of 5–6 shows strong understanding; 3–4 is developing; 0–2 means revisit the advised sections and try again. Your latest result records completion only on this device.
Your programme progress
0 of 12 modules completed
Progress storage is off. You can still complete every knowledge check, but results will not be remembered.
Start where the pressure is
Choose the situation you are facing
Every route begins with a short answer and three actions you can use immediately.
01
I lead without a formal title
Recognise influence and clarify authority.
→02I need a difficult conversation
Prepare the issue, standard and follow-up.
→03Someone has raised a concern
Protect safety and respond without retaliation.
→04I want to improve a service
Define, test, measure and learn.
→05I am entering a formal role
Map the first 90 days deliberately.
→06I need to evidence my impact
Build a credible leadership portfolio.
→A repeatable decision discipline
The PRACTICE Leadership Cycle
Move from purpose to action, then check reality and preserve the learning. Use it for a clinical change, a difficult meeting, a concern or a formal leadership decision.
PPatient and public purpose
RRole, responsibility and risk
AAuthority and assumptions
CCollaboration and communication
TTranslate decision into action
IInspect effect
CCorrect when reality disagrees
EEvidence and embed learning
Complete pathway
Learn leadership step by step
Follow all six stages, or open the module that matches today’s decision.
Stage 1
Recognise leadership
01
Leadership before the title
→02Recognise the leadership already present in clinical decisions, teamwork, teaching and service improvement.
Role, authority and the SAS leadership paradox
→Separate expertise, responsibility and authority so that senior doctors are neither overlooked nor left carrying unsupported risk.
Stage 2
Lead yourself
03
Know your impact and choose your style
→04Understand how others experience you and adjust your approach without losing professional integrity.
Power, credibility and decisions under uncertainty
→Use professional power carefully and make decisions that remain understandable when the facts are incomplete.
Stage 3
Lead people
05
Patients, teams and communication
→06Turn communication into shared understanding, clearer decisions and meaningful patient partnership.
Compassion, culture and psychological safety
→07Combine attention to people with clear standards, so that difficulty can be spoken about and acted upon.
Difficult conversations, feedback and development
→08Prepare for important conversations so that the issue is clear, the person is respected and the next step is usable.
Delegation without abandonment
→Share meaningful responsibility while keeping scope, support, supervision and escalation safe.
Stage 4
Lead safe improvement
09
Safety, candour, complaints and speaking up
→10Respond to concerns as information for safety, with immediate action, fair process and reliable follow-through.
Improvement, resources and public value
→Connect improvement work to patient need, reliable measurement and responsible use of limited resources.
Stage 5
Lead the organisation
Practical tools
Turn learning into work
Download, complete and keep these Word worksheets as prompts or portfolio evidence.
Tool 01
One-week leadership map
Notice where you already lead and choose one small experiment.
Download .docx ↓Tool 02PRACTICE leadership cycle
A repeatable prompt for planning, checking and learning from decisions.
Download .docx ↓Tool 03Authority–responsibility map
Make accountability, authority, support and escalation explicit.
Download .docx ↓Tool 04Leadership decision record
Record purpose, evidence, assumptions, risk and review.
Download .docx ↓Tool 05Leader response audit
Reflect on how you receive concerns, bad news and challenge.
Download .docx ↓Tool 06Difficult conversation planner
Prepare a fair, specific and useful conversation.
Download .docx ↓Tool 07First 90 days map
Plan listening, relationships, risk and early priorities.
Download .docx ↓Tool 08Leadership impact page
Capture one contribution as concise portfolio evidence.
Download .docx ↓Evidence and context
Grounded in professional standards. Written for daily practice.
The guide translates established professional expectations into clear actions. GMC standards apply across the UK; health-system frameworks and processes may differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so each module labels its sources.
UKGMC leadership and management guidance ↗England and WalesNHS Leadership and Management Framework ↗UKFMLM professional standards ↗Information last reviewed 6 September 2026. General professional information, not individual employment, legal or clinical advice.