Professor Buckley is arguing for training in leadership skills for psychiatrists. Reference Buckley1 He has not, however, made an obvious distinction between leadership and management, although they can be considered two separate attributes. Management is more of the here and now, the day-to-day stuff, the efforts to keep the wheels moving, as opposed to leadership which involves almost designing a new or better set of wheels. Leadership is about the future - the ability in some ways to be able to look into the crystal ball, get others to look too and somehow achieve that vision. Leadership is much more challenging, although day-to-day management looks as if there are no more challenges left. Leadership is, of course, much more satisfying.
There is also an argument whether leaders are born or can be made. Is the US president, Barack Obama, a born leader or is he a product of the PR gurus working overtime? Were Mandela or Gandhi born leaders or just born into a situation that made them leaders?
It is even more difficult to argue that psychiatrists are natural leaders. In our profession it is usually said that we need ‘good communication skills’ - every candidate for a post in psychiatry will put this down as one of their attributes. But what does this mean? What communication skills are we talking about? When we are training, the non-verbal communication is always pointed out as an important part of assessment. When we talk about communication, do we mean listening skills too? Are well-known world leaders good listeners as well? Or do we identify them more with their oratory skills?
It is a myth to think psychiatrists are natural leaders. We must not delude ourselves in thinking so. If anything, we just about match up to the rest of the medical profession. We have had good leaders in psychiatry, but we need better ones. It almost looks as if we need to make some, they are not born these days.
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